“Perhaps so. But, if Stavanger has perished, the proofs of his guilt will have been lost with him, and that will be a very serious thing for us.” “But you have a witness in the shape of the jeweller, who can prove that the diamonds were offered to him for sale.” “There you are wrong. Unless we can secure some of them, we cannot show reasonable proof that these are the identical diamonds that were stolen.” “I think, father, that the sooner we look after that ship-captain the better. You know we were told that he also had some jewels for sale. As he was in Hugh Stavanger’s company, I expect he had exacted them as the price of his silence or his help. If we can find him, it may turn out that we can do without the diamond merchant’s son. Our present object must be to expedite Harley’s liberation. The punishment of the wrong-doers can follow after.” “Bravo, Miss Cory. You have hit the nail on the head,” exclaimed the major. “Look here, we know the name of the ship, and that she has left Malta. Let’s go to the harbour-master, and find out where she cleared for. You may be able to catch her at the next discharging port. Before you could overtake the ‘Merry Maid’ now she will be loaded and away. So you must find out somehow where she is bound for.” As Major Colbrook’s advice was considered good, it was acted upon at once, but the result of the inquiries made was somewhat disappointing. The “Merry Maid” had gone to Barcelona, and from there to Gibraltar for orders, and what those orders were would take some little time to discover. “Have you the ‘Shipping Gazette’?” inquired the major. “No, sir; we don’t go in for that much, and I have no recent copies by me. I’ll tell you what, though; if it is very important that you should know where the ‘Merry Maid’ is, why don’t you cable to the owners?” “A very good idea, if I knew where to cable to,” said Mr. Cory. “But I have not the slightest notion who the owners are.” “There I am better informed than you,” put in Annie, eagerly. “Hilton gave me the name and address of the owners, and I have them here in my note-book.” “Capital!” cried the major. “We shall manage it yet. Now for the address.” “Messrs. Rose and Gibney, agents, Great Water Street, London.” “Good. The next thing is to decide what to say. You don’t want your own name to figure, I suppose? No? I thought not. Then you had better cable in my name, and direct the reply to come to my house.” After a little delay, the following message was sent to Messrs. Rose and Gibney:--“At what port, and when, is ‘Merry Maid’ due?” The answer to this, which had been prepaid, was--“Due at Cardiff, 4th proximo, from Antwerp, to load for Port Said.”