I tell you
and do it quick. Take your knife and cut your left hand.... What?...
No, don't cut it off, you damn fool. Just enough to make it bleed a
little, and then tie it up with a handkerchief.... Never mind ...
That's none of your business! Remember don't answer questions! You're
deaf and dumb again."

He hung up the receiver and turned toward the Princess with a newborn
laugh.

"By George, blood will tell! You're game. You certainly handled the
detective with European statecraft. Then your cousin Carlos broke in at
the psychological moment to scatter their gum-shoe wits. It was
beautiful comedy."

"Now they believe him crazy!" she answered. "How will that turn out?"

"Nothing could be better. They won't believe a word he says. He'll be
crazy before he gets through with it. Could you handle him all right
now?"

She nodded abstractedly. She was looking at his hand, which had gone
without attention all this time, and which had been adroitly snuggled
inside his pocket during the visit of the New York detectives.

"Yes. You must hurry and have your hand dressed before it develops into
something serious."

"All right. The ship's surgeon will dress it, with collodion so that
you can't even see that it's hurt.... Crazy! Hum! That's funny!" And he
left by the door to the promenade deck, with a merry laugh which showed
how the nervous strain had lightened, after all these solitary, bitter
hours.

There was a knocking on the entry from the saloon, and at her word it
opened. The Duke entered, glaring savagely.

"Well!"

"Well!"

"Well--I'm waiting!" he exclaimed.

"Waiting for what, Carlos?"

"For some explanation of all this deceit. Who is this man Warren? Alone
with you here in your cabin!"

She raised her eyebrows in beautiful surprise, as she asked:

"Must I tell you all over again? He is a professional ghost breaker,
just as he said."

"How did you find such a creature?"

"I met him quite by accident. I knew at once that he was a man in a
thousand."

"What do you know about him, Maria?"

"Why ... that he is as well known in America as you are in Spain."

The Duke sniffed.

"Indeed! Well, he will be better known when I turn him over to the
police. He will get much of that free advertising which Americans love
so well."

"Why, Carlos, what do you mean?"

"I think you know what I mean," and there was a threat in his manner.
Just then the large detective thrust his red face into the door.