"No, but listen. She was a servant at your uncle's place for some time, and says that Mrs. Armour was a servant there also." Herries shrugged his shoulders. "That is quite possible. All the same, I don't think that it matters much. What do you mean?" "Well," said Mrs. Herries thoughtfully, "Mrs. Armour knows Maud very well,--she was her nurse for some time, I believe. I wonder if Armour was kidnapped because his wife had been Maud's nurse." "My dear," Herries took her in his arms, "you see a bird in every bush, as this case has got on your nerves. I don't see the least connection between Armour's kidnapping, and Mrs. Armour's early employment. I agree with Señora Guzman, and believe that the kidnapping was a political affair." "In what way?" "Well, you see, Señora Guzman is the daughter of the ex-President of Indiana, and with Kyles, as the commander of their tin-pot navy, she came home to get war-ships, so as to regain possession of the Republic if possible. Naturally the new President not wanting a civil war, must have sent emissaries to thwart this scheme. Sir Simon was mixed up in it, and possibly these emissaries would keep an eye on him. One might have followed him to the 'Marsh Inn,' and Kyles, who was no doubt going to meet Sir Simon there on political business, must have told his sailors to get rid of any suspicious-looking person from Indiana. Consequently, Armour, by taking up his position near the inn, laid himself open to suspicion, and was promptly removed." "It might be so, but then you know the meeting was to bribe Captain Kyles to leave Maud." "Kyles would not give his sailors the true reason," replied Herries, leaving the table. "Good-bye, Elspeth, I'm off." "Do take care of yourself, darling," she pleaded. "Of course," he kissed her, "but you need have no fear; the luck has changed since our marriage." Elspeth felt that this was so, as she stood watching him from the window. Assuredly, her heart was light enough, and she had no premonition of evil. Perhaps after all, their separate bad lucks had combined to form one good one, as Herries fancifully imagined. Yet she dreaded to think that anything should happen to destroy the new and wonderful life which was now hers, and went to her room to pray earnestly that Angus might be successful in his mission.