"I prefer to attend to it myself!" Thomas shook his head.
"If you leave this room to-night it is with the understanding that I am no longer your adviser. Arrest by the police must not, shall not—"
"Do you mean to insinuate—"
"Nothing! But I shall take no chances with the name of Thomas!" said the other proudly. "You are excited; a word let fall—a suspicion—and we would be disgraced! Write your note; I shall send it. We have no time to lose!" Royson threw himself down in front of a desk and wrote hurriedly:
"Annie: I am cornered. For God's sake give me proofs of your statements or tell me where to get them. It is life or death; don't fail me.
"A. R."
He sealed and addressed this. Thomas rang the bell and to the boy he said: "How far is it to Col. Montjoy's?"
"Seven miles, sah!"
"How quickly can you go there and back?"
"On Pet?"
"Yes."