"He has just arrived--came in ten minutes after I had received
this letter."

Cayley's presence there was rather a surprise, but I noted that his
appearance did not correspond with the woman's description of the young
man who had asked for a box of matches.

"I came as soon as I heard the news about Miss Wilkinson," Cayley said in
explanation.

"How did you hear it?" Quarles asked.

"There was a paragraph in _Le Gaulois_. I left Paris at once and came to
Sir Michael, thinking it a time when any little disagreement between us
would be easily forgotten."

"You can quite understand that I agree with Mr. Cayley," Sir Michael
said, "especially in the face of this letter."

"I can guess the contents of it," I said. "We have had letters too."

But I was mistaken. This communication was scrawled in the same printed
letters, was signed in the same way, but its purport was entirely
different.

"Sir,--Your niece is in our hands, and you may be sure that she is
securely hidden. Every move you take on her behalf increases her danger.
There is only one means of rescue--ransom. Within forty-eight hours you
shall pay to the credit of James Franklin with the Credit Lyonnais,