It was some time before Edna met the man with whom she had made this appointment.  He had seen her alight, and although he did not lose sight of her, he kept away from her, and let her walk on until she was entirely out of sight of the carriage.  As soon as Edna perceived Banker, she walked directly toward him.  She had endeavored to calm herself, but he could see that she was much agitated.

“How in the devil’s name,” he thought to himself, “did Raminez ever come to marry such a woman as this?  She’s fit for a queen.  But they say he used to be a great swell in Spain before he got into trouble, and I expect he’s put on his old airs again, and an American lady will marry anybody that’s a foreign swell.  And how neatly she played into my hand!  She let me know right away that she wanted a letter, which means, of course, that Raminez is not with her.”

“Give me the letter, if you please,” said Edna.

“Madam,” said Banker, with a bow, “I told you I had a letter and a message.  I must deliver the message first.”

“Then be quick with it,” said she.

“I will,” said Banker.  “Our captain has had great success lately, you know, but he is obliged to keep a little in the background for the present, as you will see by your letter, and as it is a very particular letter, indeed, he ordered me to bring it to you.”

Edna’s heart sank.  “What has happened?” said she.  “Why—­”

“Oh, you will find all that in the letter,” said Banker.  “The captain has written out everything, full and clear.  He told me so himself.  But I must get through with my message.  It is not from him.  It is from me.  As I just said, he ordered me to bring you this letter, and it was a hard thing to do, and a risky thing to do.  But I undertook the job of giving it to you, in private, without anybody’s knowing you had received it.”

“What!” exclaimed Edna.  “Nobody to know!”

“Oh, that is all explained,” said he, hurriedly.  “I can’t touch on that.  My affair is this:  The captain sent me with the letter, and I have been to a lot of trouble to get it to you.  Now, he is not going to pay me for all this,—­if he thanks me, it will be more than I expect,—­and I am going to be perfectly open and honest with you, and say that as the captain won’t pay me, I expect you to do it; or, putting it in another way, before I hand you the letter I brought you, I want you to make me a handsome present.”

“You rascal!” exclaimed Edna.  “How dare you impose on me in this way?”

It humiliated and mortified her to think that the captain was obliged to resort to such a messenger as this.  But all sorts of men become sailors, and although her pride revolted against the attempted imposition, the man had a letter written to her by Captain Horn, and she must have it.

“How much do you want?” said she.

“I don’t mind your calling me names,” said Banker.  “The captain has made a grand stroke, you know, and everything about you is very fine, while I haven’t three francs to jingle together.  I want one thousand dollars.”