The following morning the whole city was talking of the flight of the Peruvian adventurers. Their late residence was besieged by the holders of Diamond Company stock, and the fact of their absence was then clearly established. The servants had been paid off by Madame Sevier a day or two before, and no one remained in the house except Lesparre. To all inquirers he gave the same answer as he had given at the _fête_: he was entirely ignorant of the whereabouts of the Don, and was as anxious as any one else to find him, in order to obtain his last quarter's salary, which was unpaid. The affair was a nine-days' wonder, and the mystery was still further increased in the minds of the stockholders on receiving a note from Judge Key requesting their attendance at a meeting to settle their accounts with Don Pedro. The meeting was strictly confidential, only the actual purchasers of stock being admitted. Judge Key explained to them that Don Pedro P. L. de Morito had been arrested and carried away for forgery and other crimes, but that, before going, he had assigned all his property to Judge Key to satisfy the claims of the Diamond Company stockholders. "But how did you induce him to surrender this money and property?" was the question which was asked in various forms nearly a score of times. "I cannot give you any particulars," replied the Judge; "you must be satisfied to know that he made this assignment in due legal form, and that the amount which I shall realize will pay your claims nearly in full. The slight loss which you will sustain will be serviceable as a warning against throwing away your money so recklessly hereafter." The letter of Donna Lucia to Mr. Henry O. Mather was delivered to that gentleman early the day after the _fête_. Immediately on reading it he packed his trunk and took the next train for New York. Meantime the party under the charge of Mr. Bangs arrived in New York without accident Thursday afternoon. In accordance with telegrams sent by the Peruvian Minister, the captain of the Peruvian man-of-war had taken his vessel down into the lower harbor, and was ready to sail at a moment's notice. A steam-tug was in readiness at Pier 1 to take the party out to the vessel, and Don Pedro was transferred by carriage directly from the Hudson River Railroad dépôt to the steam-tug. The party accompanied him on board the man-of-war, and the tug towed the war-ship through the Narrows. The Don and Donna had an affectionate and sorrowful parting in the cabin, and as the ship made sail outside the bar, the tug dropped alongside; the Minister, Consul, Donna Lucia, Madame Sevier, and the detectives, leaving the Don in charge of the captain, then returned to New York in the tug.