nd which, Maria, will some
day be yours. You Americans are not noted as really astute collectors,
Mr. Jarvis."

"Well, our collectors who don't worry over millions are frequently
stung by clever counterfeits. But we laboring men, who must devote all
our time to our work, are usually able to tell imitations from the real
thing. We are not impressed by 'four-flushing,' your Excellency!"

The Duke scowled at Warren, vainly attempting to divine the meaning of
the Yankee slang. But the Kentuckian was impatient: he knew that
debates were seldom as productive as labor in a workshop, when it came
down to fundamentals.

Carlos was impatiently interrupted.

"Well, so much for the treasure--let's hear about the ghost. Of course
I'm _certain_ that there's no connection between the two, in such an
aristocratic land as Spain, which scoffs at the American pursuit of the
miserable, despised dollar.... What's your private opinion of this
ghost? Is he a real, dependable, hell-bent spook, deserving all this
press stuff which has been given to him? I've had so much experience
with spirits--being a native Kentuckian--that they must be 100-proof to
interest me!... Do you really put any stock in ghosts, Duke?"

"Yes, Mr. Warren, I am convinced that there are such things. This world
is filled with evidences of the supernatural."

"Then you honestly believe this castle is haunted?"

"I know it!" And the Duke's black eyes sparkled with an intensity which
had its effect even upon the cynical Warren Jarvis.

"So you think this ghost is dangerous to encounter--that it is the
cause of the mysterious deaths and disappearances in the old castle?"

"I do, Mr. Warren!"

Jarvis whistled meditatively. The Duke looked disgusted; this was so
absolutely against all rules of his own conduct with women.

"Well, what do you know about _that_?"

Warren was again silent. The Duke was tabulating his own material and
preparing his next charge of ammunition.

"_Ghost_ is a broad term, your Excellency. There are fifty-seven
varieties of them, just like good pickles. They're equally bad for the
digestion. What is your particular conception of this particular
ghost?"

The Duke answered impatiently.

"There are certain occult forces in this world, Mr. Warren, that
science cannot classify or fathom. Some of them are at work in that
castle, manifesting their weird powers. A priest might call them demons
or fiends--a psychologist might term them, perhaps