and the bearded man said quickly, "My name is Rainer, Septimus
Rainer. I've just learnt that my daughter Dorothy is governessing your
little girl. Where is she?"

Sir Tancred bowed, and said languidly, "Miss Rainer is the governess of
my son's adopted sister. He is her employer, not I. Here he is."

Tinker stepped forward, and bowed.

Septimus Rainer stared at him with a bewildered air, and said, "Well,
if this don't beat the Dutch!" Then he added feverishly, "Where is
she? Where's my little girl? Where's Dorothy?"

"She went with Elsie--that's her pupil--down the Corniche towards
Mentone after dejeuner," said Tinker.

"Take me to her! Take me to her at once, will you? She's not safe!"
said Rainer quickly.

"Not safe! Come along!" said Sir Tancred; and his languor fell from
him like a mask, leaving him active and alert indeed.

"It's like this," said Rainer as they hurried through the gardens. "A
week ago I got a cable from Paris saying that a kidnapping gang were
after Dorothy. I'm a millionaire, and the scum are after ransom. I
cabled to McNeill, my Paris agent, to come right here with half a dozen
of the best detectives in France, scooped up Mr. Buist of the New York
police,"--he nodded towards the short, clean-shaven, grimy
man--"borrowed a yacht, and came along myself. Being in a hurry, we
had trouble with the Atlantic of course; but I've done it seven hours
quicker than steamer and train. Have McNeill and the detectives come?"

"No, they haven't," said Tinker.

"Sure?" said Rainer.

"Quite," said Tinker. "I've seen no one watching over Dorothy; and she
has gone about outside the town, in the woods, and down by the sea,
just as usual. She knew of no danger, I'm sure."

"Perhaps McNeill didn't want to frighten her, and just set his men to
watch over her from a distance," said Rainer.

"Perhaps McNeill is in it," said Sir Tancred drily.

"I'm glad I came right here," said Rainer.

They came out of the gardens, and as they passed the Hotel des Princes,
Tinker said, "Go on down the Corniche! I'll catch you up!" and bolted
into it.

He ran upstairs into his father's room, and took from a drawer the
pocketbook which held their passports; ran into his own room, and
thrust into his hip-pocket the revolver he could use so well, into
other pockets five hundred francs in notes and gold. Then, sure that
he had provided against all possible emergencies, he ran smiling down
the stairs.

A