They took their departure at length, leaving Royson alone to gaze upon the open note. Thomas, returning, found him in the act of drawing on his gloves. "I am going," said Royson, "to send a message to Annie. She must, she shall give me something to go on. I will not sit quietly by and be made a sacrifice!" "Write your note; I will send it." "I prefer to attend to it myself!" Thomas shook his head. "If you leave this room to-night it is with the understanding that I am no longer your adviser. Arrest by the police must not, shall not--" "Do you mean to insinuate--" "Nothing! But I shall take no chances with the name of Thomas!" said the other proudly. "You are excited; a word let fall--a suspicion--and we would be disgraced! Write your note; I shall send it. We have no time to lose!" Royson threw himself down in front of a desk and wrote hurriedly: "Annie: I am cornered. For God's sake give me proofs of your statements or tell me where to get them. It is life or death; don't fail me. "A. R." He sealed and addressed this. Thomas rang the bell and to the boy he said: "How far is it to Col. Montjoy's?" "Seven miles, sah!" "How quickly can you go there and back?" "On Pet?" "Yes." "One hour an' a half, sah." "Take this note, say you must see Mrs. Norton Montjoy, Jr., in person, on important matters, and deliver it to her. Here is a $5 bill; if you are back in two hours, you need not return it. Go!" There was a gleam of ivory teeth and the boy hurried away. It was a wretched wait, that hour and a half. The answer to the demand must go into the paper that night! One hour and thirty-two minutes passed. They heard the horse in the street, then the boy upon the stairway. He dashed to the door. "Miss Mary was up and at de gate when I got deir! Reck'n she hear Pet's hoof hit de hard groun' an' hit skeered her. I tole her what you say, and she sen' word dat Mrs. Montjoy done gone to sleep. I tell her you all mighty anxious for to get dat note; dat Mr. Royson up here, waitin', an' gentlemen been comin' an' goin' all night. She took de note in den and putty soon she bring back the answer!" He was searching his pockets as he rambled over his experience, and presently the note was found. It was the same one that had been sent by Royson, and across the back was written: "Mr. Thomas: I think it best not to awaken Annie. Papa is in town; if the matter is of great importance call upon him. I am so certain this is the proper course that it will be useless to write again or call in person to-night. "Respectfully, "M. M." He passed the note to Royson in silence and saw the look of rage upon his face as he tore it into a thousand pieces. "Even your little Montjoy girl seems to be against you," he said. "She is!" exclaimed Royson; "she knew that my note to Annie was not in the interest of Edward Morgan, and she is fighting for him. She will follow him to the altar or the grave!"