gents, or forge drafts, or forge a power of attorney for
himself, and thus secure gradually a control of it all. There are
many ways be which a man in his situation can obtain all that he
wishes. Their bankers seem to be purely business agents, and they
have apparently no one who takes a deeper interest in them.

"And now the thing to be done is to head him off. This may be done in
various ways.

"First, to prevent the fulfillment of his design on the elder Miss
Lorton, I can send off a message at once to the Neopolitan
government, and obtain the agency of the Neapolitan police to secure
his arrest. If he is very prompt he may have succeeded in leaving
Naples with his victim before this; but there is a chance that he is
resting on his oars, and, perhaps, deferring the immediate
prosecution of the third step.

"Secondly, I must put my machinery to work to discover the maid
Mathilde, and secure her arrest. She will be a most important witness
in the case. If she is a partner in Gualtier's guilt, she can clear
up the whole mystery.

"Thirdly, we must have information of all this sent to Miss Lorton's
bankers in London, and her solicitors, so as to prevent Gualtier from
accomplishing his fourth step, and also in order to secure their
co-operation in laying a trap for him which will certainly insure his
capture.

"As for the younger Miss Lorton, she had better remain in Marseilles
for six or eight weeks, so that if the elder Miss Lorton should
escape she may find her here. Meantime the Neapolitan police will
take care of her, if she is in Naples, and communicate to her where
her sister is, so that she can join her, or write her. At any rate,
Miss Lorton must be persuaded to wait here till he hears from her
sister, or of her."

Other things were yet to be done before the preliminary examinations
could be completed.

The first was the examination of the man who had disposed of the
yacht to Gualtier. He was found without any difficulty, and brought
before the chief. It seems he was a common broker, who had bought the
vessel at auction, on speculation, because the price was so low. He
knew nothing whatever about nautical matters, and hated the sea. He
had hardly ever been on board of her, and had never examined her. He
merely held her in his possession till he could find a chance of
selling her. He had sold her for more than double the money that he
had paid for her, and thought the speculation had turned out very
goo