thing appealed to me--I think I should enjoy a
half-hour's talk with him, matching my wits against his."

"But yours are brighter than mine," I pointed out. "You've proved it
pretty effectually in the last few minutes."

"No I haven't; I've simply shown you that you overlooked one little
thing. And I think you're right about the danger of going to Martigny.
Our first duty is to Miss Holladay; we must rescue her before he can
warn his confederates to place her out of our reach."

The unstudied way in which she said "our" filled me with an
unreasoning happiness.

"But why should they bother with a prisoner at all? They didn't shrink
from striking down her father?"

"And they may not shrink from striking her down, at a favorable
moment," she answered calmly. "It will be easier in France than in New
York--they perhaps have the necessary preparations already made--they
may be only hesitating--a warning from Martigny may turn the scale."

My hands were trembling at the thought of it. If we should really be
too late!

"But I don't believe they'll go to such extremes, Mr. Lester,"
continued my companion. "I believe you're going to find her and solve
the mystery. My theory doesn't solve it, you know; it only makes it
deeper. The mystery, after all, is--who are these people?--why did
they kill Mr. Holladay?--why have they abducted his daughter?--what is
their plot?"

"Yes," I assented; and again I had a moment of confused perplexity, as
of a man staring down into a black abyss.

"But after you find her," she asked, "what will you do with her?"

"Do with her? Why, take her home, of course."

"But she'll very probably be broken down, perhaps even on the verge of
hysteria. Such an experience would upset any woman, I don't care how
robust she may have been. She'll need rest and care. You must bring
her to us at Paris, Mr. Lester."

I saw the wisdom of her words, and said so.

"That's very kind of you," I added. "I am sure Mr. Royce will
agree--but we have first to find her, Miss Kemball."

I was glad for my own sake, too; the parting of to-morrow would not,
then, be a final one. I should see her again. I tried to say something
of this, but my tongue faltered and refused to shape the words.

She left me, presently, and for an hour or more I sat there and
looked, in every aspect, at the theory she had suggested. Certainly,
there was nothing to disprove it; and yet, as she had said, it merely
served to deepen the mys