nd indorsements of the files of
papers piled upon it. Carroll's quick eye caught sight of a small
packet of letters in a writing of unmistakable feminine delicacy, and
made certain they were the ones he was in quest of. Without raising
his eyes, Mr. Prince asked, almost rudely,--

"Who else has she told this to?"

"If you refer to the contents of that letter, it was written and handed
to me about three hours ago. It has not been out of my possession
since then."

"Humph! Who's at the casa? There's Buchanan, and Raymond, and Victor
Guitierrez, eh?"

"I think I can say almost positively that Mrs. Saltonstall has seen no
one but her daughter since the news reached her, if that is what you
wish to know," said Carroll, still following the particular package of
letters with his eyes, as Mr. Prince continued his examination. Prince
stopped.

"Are you sure?"

"Almost sure."

Prince rose, this time with a greater ease of manner, and, going to the
table, ran his fingers over the knobs, as if mechanically. "One would
like to know at once all there is to know about a transaction that
changes the front of four millions of capital in about four hours, eh,
Captain?" he said, for the first time really regarding his guest.
"Just four hours ago, in this very room, we found out that the widow
Saltonstall owed Dr. West about a million, tied up in investments, and
we calculated to pull her through with perhaps the loss of half. If
she's got this assignment of the Doctor's property that she speaks of
in her letter, as collateral security, and it's all regular, and
she--so to speak--steps into Dr. West's place, by G-d, sir, we owe HIM
about three millions, and we've got to settle with HER--and that's all
about it. You've dropped a little bomb-shell in here, Captain, and the
splinters are flying around as far as San Francisco, now. I confess it
beats me regularly. I always thought the old man was a little keen
over there at the casa--but she was a woman, and he was a man for all
his sixty years, and THAT combination I never thought of. I only
wonder she hadn't gobbled him up before."

Captain Carroll's face betrayed no trace of the bewilderment and
satisfaction at this news of which he had been the unconscious bearer,
nor of resentment at the coarseness of its translation.

"There does not seem to be any memorandum of this assignment,"
continued Prince, turning over the papers.

"Have you looked here?" said Carroll, ta