Clair, and if Nina San Croix should return I would defy her and
lock her up as a lunatic. But I was reckoning like an infernal
ass, to imagine for a moment that I could thus hoodwink such a
woman as Nina San Croix.

"To-night I received this." Walcott took the envelope from his
pocket and gave it to Mason. "You saw the effect of it; read it
and you will understand why. I felt the death hand when I saw her
writing on the envelope."

Mason took the paper from the envelope. It was written in Spanish,
and ran:


"Greeting to RICHARD WARREN.

"The great Senor does his little Nina injustice to think she would
go away to Spain and leave him to the beautiful American. She is
not so thoughtless. Before she goes, she shall be, Oh so very
rich! and the dear Senor shall be, Oh so very safe! The Archbishop
and the kind Church hate murderers.

"NINA SAN CROIX.

"Of course, fool, the papers you destroyed were copies.

"N. SAN C."


To this was pinned a line in a delicate aristocratic hand saying