"Yes!" he answered. "Yes--I never thought of your paying the money." She regarded him critically. "No!" she said, "you are deceiving me!--you are--_you_ paid the money, also!" she cried. "What matters it?" he said joyfully. "What matters anything now? Macloud and I _did_ pay the ransom to-day--but of what consequence is it; whether you bought your freedom, or we bought it, or both bought it? You and Davila are here, again--that's the only thing that matters!" "Right you are! Geoffrey, right you are!" came Macloud's voice from the hallway, and Davila and he walked into the room. Elaine, with a little shriek, sprang up. "Don't be bashful!" said Macloud. "Davila and I were occupying similar positions at Ashburton, a short time ago. Weren't we, little girl?" as he made a motion to put his arm around her. Davila eluded him--though the traitor red confirmed his words--and sought Elaine's side for safety. "It's a pleasure only deferred, my dear!" he laughed. "By the way, Elaine, how did Croyden happen to give in? He was shying off at your wealth--said it would be giving hostages to fortune, and all that rot." "Shut up, you beggar!" Croyden exclaimed. "I'm going to try to make good." "Geoffrey," said Elaine, "won't you show us the old pirate's letter--we're all interested in it, now." "Certainly, I will!" he said. "I'll show you the letter, and where I found it, and anything else you want to see. Nothing is locked, to-night." They went over to the escritoire. Croyden opened the secret drawer, and took out the letter. "A Message from the Dead!" he said, solemnly, and handed it to Elaine. She carried it to the table, spread it out under the lamp, and Davila and she studied it, carefully, even as Croyden and Macloud had done--reading the Duval endorsements over and over again. "It seems to me there is something queer about these postscripts," she said, at last; "something is needed to make them clear. Is this the entire letter?--didn't you find anything else?" "Nothing!" said Croyden. "May I look?" she asked. "Most assuredly, sweetheart." "It's a bit dark in this hole. Let me have a match." She struck it, and peered back into the recess. "Ah!" she exclaimed. "Here is something!--only a corner visible." She put in her hand. "It has slipped down, back of the false partition. I'll get it, presently.--There!" She drew out a tiny sheet of paper, and handed it to Croyden. "Does that help?" she asked. Croyden glanced at it; then gave a cry of amazed surprise. "It does!" he said. "It does! It's the key to the mystery. Listen!" The rest crowded around him while he read: "Hampton, Maryland. "5 Oct. 1738. "Memorandum to accompany the letter of Robert Parmenter, dated 10 May 1738.