“Shewasn’twhere？“
　　“Hergracewasn’tinthecarriage，yourgrace。“
　　“Whatonearthdoyoumean？“
　　“Hergracedidgetintothecarriage；youshutthedoor，didn’tyou？“
　　BarnesturnedtoMoysey。Moyseybroughthishanduptohisbrowinasortofmilitarysalute——hehadbeenasoldierintheregimentinwhich，onceuponatime，thedukehadbeenasubaltern。
　　“Shedid。Theduchesscameoutoftheshop。Sheseemedratherinahurry，Ithought。Shegotintothecarriage，andshesaid，’Home，Moysey！’Ishutthedoor，andBarnesdrovestraighthome。
　　Weneverstoppedanywhere，andwenevernoticednothinghappenontheway；andyetwhenwegothomethecarriagewasempty。“
　　Thedukestarted。
　　“Doyoumeantotellmethattheduchessgotoutofthecarriagewhileyouweredrivingfullpeltthroughthestreetswithoutsayinganythingtoyou，andwithoutyounoticingit？“
　　“Thecarriagewasemptywhenwegothome，yourgrace。“
　　“Waseitherofthedoorsopen？“
　　“No，yourgrace。“
　　“Youfellowshavebeenuptosomeinfernalmischief。Youhavemadeamessofit。Youneverpickeduptheduchess，andyou’retryingtopalmthistaleoffonmetosaveyourselves。“
　　Barneswasmovedtoadjuration:
　　“I’lltakemyBibleoath，yourgrace，thattheduchessgotintothecarriageoutsideCaneandWilson’s。“
　　Moyseysecondedhiscolleague。
　　“Iwillsweartothat，yourgrace。Shegotintothatcarriage，andIshutthedoor，andshesaid，’Home，Moysey！’“
　　Thedukelookedasifhedidnotknowwhattomakeofthestoryanditstellers。
　　“Whatcarriagedidyouhave？“
　　“Hergrace’sbrougham，yourgrace。“
　　Knowlesinterposed:
　　“ThebroughamwasorderedbecauseIunderstoodthattheduchesswasnotfeelingverywell，andthere’sratherahighwind，yourgrace。“
　　Thedukesnappedathim:
　　“Whathasthattodowithit？Areyousuggestingthattheduchesswasmorelikelytojumpoutofabroughamwhileitwasdashingthroughthestreetsthanoutofanyotherkindofvehicle？“
　　Theduke’sglancefellontheletterwhichKnowleshadbroughthimwhenhefirsthadentered。Hehadplaceditonhiswritingtable。
　　Nowhetookitup。Itwas，addressed:
　　“ToHisGracetheDukeofDatchet。
　　Private！
　　VERYPRESSING！！！“
　　Thenamewaswritteninafine，clear，almostfemininehand。Thewordsintheleft-handcorneroftheenvelopewerewritteninadifferenthand。Theywerelargeandbold；almostasthoughtheyhadbeenpaintedwiththeendofthepenholderinsteadofbeingwrittenwiththepen。Theenvelopeitselfwasofanunusualsize，andbulgedoutasthoughitcontainedsomethingelsebesidesaletter。
　　Theduketoretheenvelopeopen。Ashedidsosomethingfelloutofitontothewritingtable。Itlookedasthoughitwasalockofawoman’shair。Asheglancedatitthedukeseemedtobeatriflestartled。Thedukereadtheletter:
　　“YourgracewillbesogoodastobringfivehundredpoundsingoldtothePiccadillyendoftheBurlingtonArcadewithinanhourofthereceiptofthis。TheDuchessofDatchethasbeenkidnaped。Animitationduchessgotintothecarriage，whichwaswaitingoutsideCaneandWilson’s，andshealightedontheroad。Unlessyourgracedoesasyouarerequested，theDuchessofDatchet’sleft-handlittlefingerwillbeatoncecutoff，andsenthomeintimetoreceivetheprincetodinner。Otherportionsofhergracewillfollow。Alockofhergrace’shairisinclosedwiththisasanearnestofourgoodintentions。
　　“BEFORE5:30P。M。yourgraceisrequestedtobeatthePiccadillyendoftheBurlingtonArcadewithfivehundredpoundsingold。Youwilltherebeaccostedbyanindividualinawhitetophat，andwithagardeniainhisbuttonhole。Youwillbeentirelyatlibertytogivehimintocustody，ortohavehimfollowedbythepolice，inwhichcasetheduchess’sleftarm，cutoffattheshoulder，willbesenthomefordinner——nottomentionotherextremelypossiblecontingencies。ButyouareADVISEDtogivetheindividualinquestionthefivehundredpoundsingold，becauseinthatcasetheduchessherselfwillhehomeintimetoreceivetheprincetodinner，andwithoneofthebeststorieswithwhichtoentertainyourdistinguishedgueststheyeverheard。
　　“Remember！NOTLATERTHAN5:30，unlessyouwishtoreceivehergrace’slittlefinger。“
　　Thedukestaredatthisamazingepistlewhenhehadreaditasthoughhefounditdifficulttobelievetheevidenceofhiseyes。
　　Hewasnotademonstrativeperson，asarule，butthislittlecommunicationastonishedevenhim。Hereaditagain。Thenhishandsdroppedtohissides，andheswore。
　　Hetookupthelockofhairwhichhadfallenoutoftheenvelope。
　　Wasitpossiblethatitcouldbehiswife’s，theduchess？WasitpossiblethataDuchessofDatchetcouldbekidnaped，inbroaddaylight，intheheartofLondon，andbesenthome，asitwere，inpieces？Hadsacrilegioushandsalreadybeenplayingprankswiththatgreatlady’shair？Certainly，THAThairwassolikeHERhairthatthemereresemblancemadehisgrace’sbloodruncold。HeturnedonMessrs。BarnesandMoyseyasthoughhewouldhavelikedtorendthem。
　　“Youscoundrels！“
　　Hemovedforwardasthoughtheintentionhadenteredhisducalhearttoknockhisservantsdown。But，ifthatwereso，hedidnotactquiteuptohisintention。Instead，hestretchedouthisarm，pointingatthemasifhewereanaccusingspirit:
　　“WillyouswearthatitwastheduchesswhogotintothecarriageoutsideCaneandWilson’s？“
　　Barnesbegantostammer:
　　“I’llswear，yourgrace，thatI——Ithought——“
　　Thedukestormedaninterruption:
　　“Idon’taskwhatyouthought。Iaskyou，willyouswearitwas？“
　　Theduke’sangerwasmorethanBarnescouldface。Hewassilent。
　　Moyseyshowedalargercourage。
　　“Icouldhaveswornthatitwasatthetime，yourgrace。Butnowitseemstomethatit’sarummygo。“
　　“Arummygo！“Thepeculiarityofthephrasedidnotseemtostrikethedukejustthen——atleast，heechoeditasifitdidn’t。“Youcallitarummygo！DoyouknowthatIamtoldinthisletterthatthewomanwhoenteredthecarriagewasnottheduchess？Whatyouwerethinkingabout，orwhatcaseyouwillbeabletomakeoutforyourselves，youknowbetterthanI；butIcantellyouthis——thatinanhouryouwillleavemyservice，andyoumayesteemyourselvesfortunateif，to-night，youarenotbothofyousleepinginjail。“
　　Onemightalmosthavesuspectedthatthewordswerespokeninirony。Butbeforetheycouldanswer，anotherservantentered，whoalsobroughtaletterfortheduke。Whenhisgrace’sglancefellonitheutteredanexclamation。Thewritingontheenvelopewasthesamewritingthathadbeenontheenvelopewhichhadcontainedtheverysingularcommunication——likeitinallrespects，downtothebroomstick-endthicknessofthe“Private！“and“Verypressing！！！“inthecorner。
　　“Whobroughtthis？“stormedtheduke。
　　Theservantappearedtobealittlestartledbytheviolenceofhisgrace’smanner。
　　“Alady——or，atleast，yourgrace，sheseemedtobealady。“
　　“Whereisshe？“
　　“Shecameinahansom，yourgrace。Shegavemethatletter，andsaid，’GivethattotheDukeofDatchetatonce——withoutamoment’sdelay！’Thenshegotintothehansomagain，anddroveaway。“
　　“Whydidn’tyoustopher？“
　　“Yourgrace！“
　　Themanseemedsurprised，asthoughtheideaofstoppingchancevisitorstotheducalmansionvietarmishadnot，untilthatmoment，enteredintohisphilosophy。Thedukecontinuedtoregardthemanasifhecouldsayagooddeal，ifhechose。Thenhepointedtothedoor。Hislipssaidnothing，buthisgesturemuch。
　　Theservantvanished。
　　“Anotherhoax！“thedukesaidgrimly，ashetoretheenvelopeopen。
　　Thistimetheenvelopecontainedasheetofpaper，andinthesheetofpaperanotherenvelope。Thedukeunfoldedthesheetofpaper。
　　Onitsomewordswerewritten。These:
　　“Theduchessappearssoparticularlyanxioustodropyoualine，thatonereallyhasn’tthehearttorefuseher。
　　“Hergrace’scommunication——writtenamidstblindingtears！——youwillfindinclosedwiththis。“
　　“Knowles，“saidtheduke，inavoicewhichactuallytrembled，“Knowles，hoaxornohoax，Iwillbeevenwiththegentlemanwhowrotethat。“
　　HandingthesheetofpapertoMr。Knowles，hisgraceturnedhisattentiontotheenvelopewhichhadbeeninclosed。Itwasasmall，squareenvelope，ofthefinestquality，anditreekedwithperfume。
　　Theduke’scountenanceassumedanaddedfrown——hehadnofondnessforenvelopeswhichwerescented。Inthecenteroftheenvelopewerethewords，“TotheDukeofDatchet，“writteninthebig，bold，sprawlinghandwhichheknewsowell。
　　“Mabel’swriting，“hesaid，halftohimself，as，withshakingfingers，hetoretheenvelopeopen。
　　Thesheetofpaperwhichhetookoutwasalmostasstiffascardboard。It，too，emittedwhathisgracedeemedthenauseousodorsoftheperfumer’sshop。Onitwaswrittenthisletter:
　　“MYDEARHEREWARD——ForHeaven’ssakedowhatthesepeoplerequire！
　　Idon’tknowwhathashappenedorwhereIam，butIamnearlydistracted！Theyhavealreadycutoffsomeofmyhair，andtheytellmethat，ifyoudon’tletthemhavefivehundredpoundsingoldbyhalf-pastfive，theywillcutoffmylittlefingertoo。I
　　wouldsoonerdiethanlosemylittlefinger——and——Idon’tknowwhatelsebesides。
　　“BythetokenwhichIsendyou，andwhichhasnever，untilnow，beenoffmybreast，Iconjureyoutohelpme。
　　“Hereward——HELPME！“
　　Whenhereadthatlettertheduketurnedwhite——verywhite，aswhiteasthepaperonwhichitwaswritten。HepassedtheepistleontoKnowles。
　　“Isupposethatalsoisahoax？“
　　Mr。Knowleswassilent。Hestillyieldedtohisconstitutionaldisrelishtocommithimself。Atlastheasked:
　　“Whatisitthatyourgraceproposestodo？“
　　ThedukespokewithabitternesswhichalmostsuggestedapersonalanimositytowardtheinoffensiveMr。Knowles。
　　“Ipropose，withyourpermission，toreleasetheduchessfromthecustodyofmyestimablecorrespondent。Ipropose——alwayswithyourpermission——tocomplywithhismodestrequest，andtotakehimhisfivehundredpoundsingold。“Hepaused，thencontinuedinatonewhich，comingfromhim，meantvolumes:“Afterwards，Iproposetocryquitswiththeconcocterofthisprettylittlehoax，evenifitcostsmeeverypennyIpossess。Heshallpaymoreforthatfivehundredpoundsthanhesupposes。“