frightening him with his knife.  And then the other fellow had come up, and there had been a fight.  Therefore, although he admitted that his case was a great misdemeanor, and that he had been very disorderly, he boldly asserted that he had contemplated no murder.  But what he wished particularly to say to the magistrate was that the captain of the Rackbirds would probably soon arrive in Paris, and that he ought to be arrested.  No end of important results might come from such an arrest.  He was quite sure that the great stroke of fortune which had enabled the captain’s family to live in Paris in such fine style ought to be investigated.  The captain had never made any money by simple and straightforward methods of business.

All this voluntary testimony was carefully taken down, and although the magistrate did not consider it necessary to believe any of it, the arrival of Captain Horn was thenceforth awaited with interest by the police of Paris.

It was not very plain how Miss Markham of the Hotel Grenade, who was well known as a friend of a member of the American legation, could be the wife of a South American bandit.  But then, there might be reasons why she wished to retain her maiden name for the present, and she might not know her husband as a bandit.

CHAPTER XLVIII

ENTER CAPTAIN HORN

It was less than a week after the tumbling match in the street between Banker and Mok, and about eleven o’clock in the morning, when a brief note, written on a slip of paper and accompanied by a card, was brought to Edna from Mrs. Cliff.  On the card was written the name of Captain Philip Horn, and the note read thus: 

“He is here.  He sent his card to me.  Of course, you will see him.  Oh, Edna! don’t do anything foolish when you see him!  Don’t go and throw away everything worth living for in this world!  Heaven help you!”

This note was hurriedly written, but Edna read it at a glance.

“Bring the gentleman here,” she said to the man.

Now, with all her heart, Edna blessed herself and thanked herself that, at last, she had been strong enough and brave enough to determine what she ought to do when she met the captain.  That very morning, lying awake in her bed, she had determined that she would meet him in the same spirit as that in which he had written to her.  She would be very strong.  She would not assume anything.  She would not accept the responsibility of deciding the situation, which responsibility she believed he thought it right she should assume.  She would not have it.  If he appeared before her as the Captain Horn of his letters, he should go away as the man who had written those letters.  If he had come here on business, she would show him that she was a woman of business.