this--what have you been doing while this was going on? Do
you suppose those scoundrels care for the Church--the Church,
indeed! Wait until I see them--any of them--Erhaupt by
choice, and I'll make them give up every franc you've lent
them, or I'll horsewhip and expose them for the gang of
welshers and thimble-riggers they are; or if they prefer their
own methods, I'll call them out in rotation and shoot their
arms and legs off." He stopped and drew a long breath, either
of content that he had discovered the situation in time to
take some part in it, or at the prospect of a fight.

"The idea of you two helpless females wandering into this den
of wolves!" he exclaimed, indignantly. "It's about time you
had a man to look after you! You go back to your hotel now,
and let me have a chat with Louis of Messina. He's kept me
waiting some twenty minutes as it is, and that's a little
longer than I can give him. I'm not a creditor." He rose
from his chair; but Miss Carson put out her hand and motioned
him to be seated.

"Archie," she said, "I like the way you take this, even though
you are all wrong about it, because it's just like you to fly
into a passion and want to fight someone for somebody. If
your conclusions were anywhere near the truth, you would be
acting very well. But they are not. The King is not handling
my money, nor the Prince Kalonay. It is in the keeping of
Father Paul, the Father Superior of the Dominican monks, who
is the only one of these people I know or who knows me. He is
not a swindler, too, is he, or a retired croupier? Listen to
me now, and do not fly out like that at me, or at mother. It