Tony laid down his cigarette. "I hope you will be careful if there's going to be a scrap," he said anxiously. "I shouldn't like anything to happen to Isabel. She seemed rather a nice girl." The Colonel drew himself up a little stiffly. "Our plans have been well made," he replied. "There will be no danger to the Princess. By ten o'clock she will be safe with General Almaida." There was another and longer pause. "If it comes off," observed Tony slowly, "it will be a nasty jar for Pedro and Da Freitas." Once again the Colonel smiled viciously. "It will be the end," he said. "Da Freitas has staked everything upon this marriage, and if he cannot bring forward the Princess on Sunday, the whole country will know that they have been deceived. There will be risings and riots everywhere: even his own soldiers will turn against him. Then we shall attack again, and this time there will be no going back. Before night comes, Isabella will be Queen of Livadia." He stooped forward, and gathering up the two bags of gold stepped back from the table. "Well, it's very good of you to have told me all this," said Tony gratefully. "It has made me feel much more comfortable in my mind." He laid his hand upon the whisky bottle. "Have another drink before we go up?" he suggested. The Colonel shook his head with some regret. "I thank you, no," he said. "There are many things to do, and the time is short. With your permission we will return to the deck." CHAPTER XXI THE SOLUTION "And that," said Tony, leaning back in his chair, "is absolutely every damned thing that I could get out of him." His three companions, Molly, Guy, and Jimmy, who were seated in various attitudes round the cabin table, surveyed him for a moment in deep and reflective silence. Then Guy cleared his throat. "On the whole," he said, "I think you have managed remarkably well." "I did my best," replied Tony modestly, "but he's a reticent blighter for a Colonel. I didn't dare pump him any further for fear that he might get suspicious. As it is I think he was half sorry he had told me as much as he had before I got him over the side." "Well, we've collected quite a lot of interesting stuff to go on with," said Jimmy contentedly. "The great question is how are we going to use it?" "Do you know where these two places are?" asked Tony. "The Château of Saint Anna--and the bridge at Valona?" Jimmy nodded. "Both of 'em. There isn't a yard of this country I haven't tootled over at some time or other." He looked hopefully at Tony. "Have you got any bright notion at the back of your mind?" "Not yet," said Tony. "I haven't had the chance of working things out. That's what I've called this Cabinet Council for." He turned to his cousin. "What do you think about it, Guy?" he asked. "You're the eldest, so you shall speak first." "It seems to me," said Guy deliberately, "that there is not the faintest chance of rescuing Isabel, except by the employment of violence."