The young lord laughed joyously, his fair face aglow with the gladness that filled his being. He took off his greatcoat and hat, great drops of sleet or rain falling from it, and shook himself, as he said: “There’s a mist beginning to fall. We shall have a wet day to-morrow.” Sir Harold looked more keenly at the young earl, and a sudden excitement possessed him. “What has happened, Arthur?” he demanded. “You have news of Neva?” The glad smiles rippled like waves of sunlight over the young lord’s mouth, and a joyous light danced in his blue eyes. “Yes,” he said, “I have news of Neva.” In an instant, Sir Harold, Atkins and Ryan crowded around our hero, all eagerness and excitement. “Is she here, at Inverness?” cried Atkins. “Have you seen her?” “No; she is hidden among the Highlands, up in Ross and Cromarty. She is safe and well.” “But how do you know it?” demanded Ryan, full of professional zeal and jealousy at once. Lord Towyn took in his own the right hand of Sir Harold and pressed it, as he answered gravely: “I have seen Craven Black!” A series of exclamations burst from the earl’s hearers. Sir Harold Wynde trembled like a leaf, and turned his back upon the keen-eyed detective. “Black is here?” ejaculated Ryan, all thoughts of “the mysterious Mr. Hunlow” lost in his sudden amazement. “Then our trip to Scotland was not a wild-goose chase, after all? Tell me where he is, my lord;” and Ryan took a step toward the door. “Leave the management of the affair to me for the present, Ryan,” said Lord Towyn. “You have placed us on the right track, and you shall have all the credit for doing so, but we want no arrests, no noise, no scandal. The matter must be hushed up for family reasons. No whisper must go forth to the world of the wickedness of Lady Wynde. The failure of the conspirators must be their punishment.” “Yes, yes,” said Sir Harold. “The earl is right. There must be no scandal.” The detective shot a keen glance at the baronet, whose back was still toward him. “I have discovered,” continued Lord Towyn, “that Craven Black has an old house up in the Highlands, and that he has Neva there in close imprisonment. Neva has all the courage for which we gave her credit, and holds out stoutly against her enemies. Black apprehends a long stay in the Highlands while reducing her to subjection, and has come to Inverness to-day for winter stores. His yacht lies in the river, and he will be off at daybreak.” “What are we to do?” exclaimed Atkins. “He will escape us. It will be necessary to arrest him.” “I have made all the preparations for pursuit,” replied our hero. “I have a sloop, provisioned and ready, in which we will follow the yacht. We will dine here, and at a late hour this evening we will go aboard our vessel. We must be off in the morning, soon after the yacht.” Sir Harold plied the earl with questions, and the latter told the tale of his day’s adventures at full length.