"For a little while," continued Congosta, "I could remember nothing. Then suddenly it all came back to me, and somehow the shock seemed to make me strong again. The people in the wine shop wished to send for the police, but I would not let them. Instead I paid them to get me a taxi. I had made up my mind that first I would come to you, and that I would find out the truth. I could see from the window that the yacht had already moved from her moorings, and I knew that it was now too late for anything except to warn my friends in Livadia. That--and to be revenged upon you, if you had betrayed me." There was a pause. "It's horrible to be so helpless," said Guy with a sort of groan. "Is there nothing that we can do? I suppose there would be no chance of getting them held up for an hour or two at Southend?" "What for?" asked Tony languidly. "There's--there's this assault upon Señor Congosta." The latter shook his head. "It would be useless," he said. "I know well that your government will be only too pleased that they have gone. The police would not be allowed to interfere even if they wished to." "But we must do something," exclaimed Guy almost fiercely. Tony got up from his seat. "I know what I'm going to do," he said. "I am going to follow them to Livadia." For an instant both of them stared at him without speaking. "But how do you expect to get there?" demanded Congosta incredulously. "The steamers from England are stopped, and all the frontier is in the hands of Da Freitas' soldiers. No one will be allowed to enter the country until the Revolution is over." "That doesn't matter to me," said Tony. "I have a private yacht of my own." The news seemed to produce a remarkable effect upon Congosta. "A private yacht!" he repeated, rising abruptly to his feet. "And you mean what you say? You mean that you will sail for Portriga now--immediately--at once?" "Well, say to-morrow morning," suggested Tony. "That will give us time to get on board first." By now all Congosta's headache and exhaustion seemed magically to have vanished. "My friend!" he ejaculated fervently, "my dear Sir Antony! You may yet be of the truest service to my unhappy country." "But look here!" broke in Guy, who had also risen from his chair and was gazing from one to the other of them. "This is all very well, but what on earth's the use of it? Even if we got to Portriga you don't suppose we should have the faintest chance of being able to do anything!" "I don't like looking too far ahead," said Tony. "It shows a lack of trust in Providence." Congosta wheeled round excitedly to Guy. "Señor!" he exclaimed. "I assure you that you may yet save Livadia." He turned back to Tony. "You have seen this morning's paper? You know the truth about what has happened?" "I have seen the _Daily Mail_," said Tony guardedly.