y're
all listed on New York."

"Will you lose much, if you sell now?" asked Macloud. He wished Croyden
would let him pay the entire amount.

"Just about even; a little to the good, in fact," was the answer.

And Macloud said no more--he knew it was useless.

At Ashburton, they found Captain Carrington pacing the long hall, in
deep distress--uncertain what course to pursue, because there was no
indication as to what had caused the disappearance. He turned, as the
two men entered.

"The detectives are quizzing the servants in the library," he said. "I
couldn't sit still.--You have news?" he exclaimed, reading Croyden's
face.

"I have!" said Croyden, and gave him the letter.

He seized it. As he read, concern, perplexity, amazement, anger, all
showed in his countenance.

"They have been abducted!--Davila and Miss Cavendish, and are held for
ransom!--a fabulous ransom, which you are asked to pay," he said,
incredulously. "So much, at least, is intelligible. But why? why? Who
are Robert Parmenter's Successors?--and who was he? and the jewels?--I
cannot understand----"

"I'm not surprised," said Croyden. "It's a long story--too long to
tell--save that Parmenter was a pirate, back in 1720, who buried a
treasure on Greenberry Point, across the Severn from Annapolis, you
know, and died, making Marmaduke Duval his heir, under certain
conditions. Marmaduke, in turn, passed it on to his son, and so on,
until Colonel Duval bequeathed it to me. We searched--Mr. Macloud and
I--for three weeks, but did not find it. Our secret was chanced upon by
two rogues, who, with their confederates, however, are under the
conviction we _did_ find it. They wanted a rake-off. I laughed at
them--and this abduction is the result."

"But why abduct the women?" asked the old man.

"Because they think I can be coerced more easily. They are under the
impression that I am--fond of Miss Carrington. At any rate, they know
I'm enough of a friend to pay, rather than subject her to the hazard."

"Pay! I can't pay! My whole fortune isn't over twenty thousand dollars.
It I will gladly sacrifice, but more is impossible."

"You're not to pay, my old friend," said Croyden. "Mr. Macloud and I
are the ones aimed at and we will pay."

"I won't permit it, sir!" the Captain exclaimed. "There is no reason
for you----"

"Tut! tut!" said Croyden, "you forget that we are wholly responsible;
but for us, Miss Carrington and Miss Cavendish would not have been