“Nothing,” replied Mrs. Ladew. “The abduction, if you can call it abduction, became necessary because of the attitude that Mr. Ellison assumed. He is a man slow to anger, but, when aroused fully, almost a lunatic in his temper. At such times he casts all thoughts of prudence aside and becomes utterly reckless and unmanageable. “Mr. Lannigan tells me that when he discovered the plot, and that it was the intention to force him to sign a legal document that would compel him to pay a large sum of money for their silence, he fell into one of those ungovernable fits of passion, so that there was nothing else to do but to chloroform him to keep him quiet. It was that which made the mysterious disappearance.” “Mr. Lannigan must have been in the plot,” said Nick. “He was.” “Did you not know of it?” “Not until the evening of that day--last night.” “Did you, then, not know that Mr. Lannigan was not a straight person?” asked Nick. “I could not help but know it then,” replied Mrs. Ladew. “I knew that he was a gambler, but I did not know that he was a thief and a burglar, as you say he is, and yet it must be so.” “What is the plan now?” Mrs. Ladew shuddered. “Here is where danger is to me,” she said. “After having chloroformed him and carried him away, they did not know what to do with him. Their whole plans were upset. But they have now determined to hold him until he is ransomed.” “And you have been made a party to this?” asked Nick, jumping to a conclusion. “Yes.” Mrs. Ladew startled Nick by bursting into a passion, the depth of which Nick, who had judged her to be a weak, superficial, reckless woman, did not think her capable of. “Oh the blackness of it! The humiliation! The degradation! Lannigan showed himself to me to-day in all his villainy, and would have pulled me with him if you had not interfered.” “What was it he proposed?” asked Nick. “Using the power over me he has gained, he called me to him where you saw me and forced me to consent to see Mr. Ellison to-night to act as the means of getting the money they desire.” “See him to-night?” asked Nick. “Where could you see him?” “Here in Philadelphia. He is to be here.” “Where?” “I do not know, but Mr. Lannigan is to let me know and to take me to the place where Mr. Ellison is to be, or is now, for all that I know.” Nick was thoughtful for a time and then he said: “Can you go with him without discovery?” “Easily.” “Then do so,” said Nick. “I shall be on hand to protect and save you. I promise you that you will not even be compelled to meet Mr. Ellison. But you will be followed to the place where you are to meet him, and rest assured that I will protect you to the very last.” He turned sharply to the lady and said: “Are you ready to break with this man Lannigan, or are you anxious to continue your friendship with him?” “No, no,” she cried; “after what you have told me I do not wish to see his face again.”