“That may be, too, though I do not know that it is the case; but I do know that he is absent from home much of the time, occasionally for days together, and nobody can tell where he is.”

“I have noticed the fact of his absence myself.”

“Mr. Mandeville was here to-day, and gave me a history of his troubles.  It appears that this Duffel was in love with his daughter—­or, as I suppose, with his money—­and had proposed to him for her hand, which he was willing to bestow, but the daughter was not.  She had placed her affections upon another, and, in my belief, a far worthier object, and to the importunities of both her father and Duffel, she gave a firm and constant refusal.  The parent forbid her favorite the house, and he believes that it was through his persuasions that Eveline left her home, of which you, of course, have heard.”

“Why, yes, I heard the fact, but none of the particulars.”

“Well there are no particulars, except that Mr. Mandeville found a couple of notes, purporting to be from her lover, one addressed to herself and the other to him, in the former of which he persuades her to meet him at a certain place, and in the latter informs the parent of their elopement and asks forgiveness.  Now it strikes me that these notes or letters were placed there by design, and that they are both forgeries.  I know the hand-writing of the young man he accuses, and though the manuscript of the two letters is a very good imitation of his, yet it is not the same.  Beside, I do not believe him capable of such an act.”

“Why, then, is the daughter gone?”

“I believe she has been kidnapped!”

“Kidnapped!”

“Yes, I do!”

“But who would do it?  Who would dare to do it!”

“Who so likely as the true lover’s rival?”

“Heavens! you don’t believe Duffel would commit such a crime?”

“I do; but mind, this is to go no further until I can find proof to sustain my belief.  I am going to keep a strict watch upon the movements of this fellow, and I think I shall be able to find out where he keeps himself a part of the time during his absence.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing more nor less than that there is a secret gang of thieves and villains of all kinds, whose head quarters are somewhere in this region of country, and that I intend to ferret out their hiding-place.”

“I am with you in that work with all my heart!”

“Very well.  Here, then, is a paper I wish you to sign.  It is a pledge.  The villains have banded together to prey upon us, and I am for banding together to frustrate their plans and bring them to justice.  This is simply the form of agreement we enter into among ourselves, and it binds us to use all honorable efforts, to further the cause in which we engage, and to expose the guilty wherever and whenever we can find them, even if the offender should be our nearest kin.”