“Not that I know of; but there was a good deal of curiosity about her among the yachts, she being an out-of-the-way sort of craft; and I fancy there were some bets about her.  There was an idea that she was seen going west two days later, and the governor asked me to take the boat and find out whether she had been noticed here or at Ryde.  Thank you very much for your information.  I have no doubt that it will be sufficient to decide any bets there may be about her.”

So saying, he took his seat in the gig again, and rowed back to the Osprey.  The skipper returned in the evening.

“No such craft has gone into Southampton or Portsmouth,” he said; “so I have had my journey for nothing.”

“No, I don’t think you have,” George replied.  “It is something to know that she is not in either of the ports now, and has been to neither of them.”

George returned in time to send off a full account of what he had learned from the coast-guardsman by the mail that would be delivered in London that night.  On his return to town the next morning, Frank found the letter awaiting him; and at ten o’clock, after wiring to Hawkins and the steward to stock the yacht at once with provisions of all kinds for a long voyage, he went into the city and called upon the secretary at Lloyd’s.

After giving his name, he told him that he believed that a young lady had been carried off forcibly in the craft, which he minutely described, and that he was desirous of having a telegram sent to every signal station between Hull and the Land’s End, asking if such a craft had passed.

“Of course,” he added, “I am ready to defray the expense of the telegrams and replies.  She left the Solent late on Wednesday evening, and on Thursday would have been between Beachy Head and Dover, if she had gone that way, and yesterday up the Thames or somewhere between Harwich and Yarmouth.”

“Well, Major Mallett, if you will sit down and write the telegram with the description that you have given, I will send it off at once.  Then, if you will call again in an hour’s time, I have no doubt all the answers will have come in.”

“Your craft has gone west,” he said when Frank returned.  “All the answers the other way are negative.  Saint Catherine says:  ’Craft answering description was seen well out at sea on Thursday morning.’  Portland noticed her in the afternoon, and she was off the Start yesterday morning; the wind was light then; and the Lizard reports seeing her this morning.  When abreast of them, she headed south, apparently making a departure, as she could be made out keeping that course as long as seen.  These are the four telegrams, so I think that there can be little doubt that she has made for the Mediterranean.”

“Thank you very much indeed,” Frank said.  “Can you tell me if I have any chance of getting similar information from the south?”