With that I was compelled to be satisfied. That night we all had quite a pleasant evening over bridge in the drawing-room, until just about ten o'clock Rayne was called to the telephone. When he rejoined us I noticed that his countenance was a trifle pale. He looked worried and ill at ease. He sat down beside Madame Duperre, and after pensively lighting one of his expensive cigars, he bent and whispered something to her. By what he said the woman became greatly agitated, and a few moments later rose and left the room. The household at Overstow was certainly a strange and incongruous one, consisting as it did of persons who seemed all in league with each other, the master-criminal whose shrewd, steel-grey eyes were so uncanny, and his accomplices and underlings who all profited and grew fat upon the great _coups_ planned by Rayne's amazing mind. The squire of Overstow mesmerized his fellows and fascinated his victims of both sexes. His personality was clear-cut and outstanding. Men and women who met him for the first time felt that in conversation he held them by some curious, indescribable influence--held them as long as he cared, until by his will they were released from a strange thraldom that was both weird and astounding. Whatever message Rayne had received it was evidently of paramount importance, for when Madame Duperre had left the room and Lola had retired, he turned to me and with a queer look in his eyes, exclaimed: "I expect you'll have to be making some rather rapid journeys soon, George. Better be up early to-morrow. Good night." And then dismissing me, he asked Duperre to go with him to the smoking-room. "I've heard from Tracy," I overheard him say as I followed them along the softly carpeted corridor. "We're up against that infernal Benton again because of old Moody's blunder. I never expected he'd be caught, of all men. Benton is now looking for Moody's guiding hand." "Well, I hope he won't get very far," Duperre replied. "We must make certain that he doesn't, Vincent, or it will go badly--very badly--with us! That's what I want to discuss with you." Of the result of the consultation I, of course, remained in ignorance, but next morning Rayne sent for me and said he had decided to meet his friend Tracy at the Unicorn Hotel at Ripon. "I telephoned him to the Station Hotel at York during the night," he added. "He'll have a lady with him. I want you to drive me over to Ripon and drive the lady back here." So an hour later we set out across country and arrived in Ripon in time for lunch. Gerald Tracy I had met before, a big, stout, round-faced man of prosperous appearance, bald-headed and loud of speech. That he was a crook I had no doubt, but what his actual _metier_ was I could not discover. He met us on the threshold of the old-fashioned hotel in that old-fashioned Yorkshire town, and with him was a well-dressed young woman, Italian or Spanish, I saw at a glance.