"With Mrs. Benker?" Denham smiled. "Yes; and the soliloquy was my own idea.
I knew that would impose on you."
"Morley swindled me also," said Steel, with gloom. "Clever man!"
"You said that before," remarked Denham dryly. "However, when Anne's mother appeared I knew the game was up.
She made me promise to send Anne to her, so I had to let her go."
"Why did you blame Anne for the murder?"
"I wanted to stop your prying into matters which did not concern you," snarled the man savagely. "It was you who started all this infernal business.
But it's all over.
You can arrest me as soon as you like, Steel, and if you can catch Morley I'll willingly stand in the dock beside him."
As he said this the door opened.
There was a noise outside.
Portia was trying to keep some one back, but the man forced his way past her and into the room.
It was Trim, and he presented a letter to his master.
"Beg pardon, sir, but I heard you were here, and there's a letter came this morning marked 'Immediate.'
I wanted to start for town, but when I heard you were here I came over, and this young woman's been trying to keep me out, to say nothing of them police below."
Giles opened the letter hastily.
Something fell with a silvery ring on the floor.
Steel picked it up.
"What's this?" he asked wonderingly—"a coin with precious stones!"
"Anne's Edward VII. half-sovereign," shouted Giles. "This is from her."
The letter, written in pencil, merely said,
"Prisoner—yacht—Bilbao."
"Steel," cried Giles, "Morley has taken her to Bilbao!
We follow." _____
CHAPTER XXV
A CATASTROPHE
About noon the next day Steel and Giles were on their way to Bilbao.
This prompt following of Morley was due to the fertile resource of Ware.
He remembered that a friend of his possessed a yacht which was at present lying in Dover Harbor.
The friend, Lord Kingsbridge, fortunately happened to be in London, and Giles wired an appointment.
With Steel he went up to Town on that same night and drove at once to the Wanderers' Club, where Kingsbridge was waiting for them.
Giles explained the situation, and secured the yacht at once.
"The boat is quite ready to start," said Kingsbridge. "All you have to do is to get steam up.
I was thinking of going on a cruise myself, and so had The Firefly put in order."
"Why not come with us to Bilbao, my lord?"
"Thank you, Mr. Steel, but I have to wait in town for a day or two, and time is everything in this matter.
If you take the first morning train to Dover, you ought to be on your way to Spain in the afternoon.
When did this other boat start?"
"Yesterday afternoon from Gravesend," said Giles.
"Well, my yacht's a quick one, so I daresay you will be able to catch this other one before she gets to her destination.
You'll have bad weather, I fear," said Kingsbridge; "there's a storm getting up."
"I don't care if it blows the world out of the solar system," cried Ware savagely; "I'm going to catch that man." "And the lady? Well, good luck to you, Ware."
"Thank you, Kingsbridge.
I shan't forget your kindness," replied the young man, and departed with Steel in hot haste.
Thus it happened that the two found themselves on board The Firefly steaming for Bilbao at top speed.
The boat was two hundred tons, yacht measurement, schooner-rigged fore and aft, with powerful engines and twin screws.
When all her furnaces were going she could smoke through the water at surprising speed, and her captain having received instructions from Kingsbridge, drove her south for all she was worth.
He was a pleasant young fellow called Calthorpe, and when he heard that the trip was being made to rescue a lady took a personal interest in the affair.
He made up his mind to catch The Red Cross before she reached Bilbao.
"Is she a fast boat?" he asked when The Firefly cleared the Channel.