“Ah, signore, she was such a pleasant and kind-hearted young lady.  I always felt very sorry for her.  She was in deadly fear of them.”

“Because they were thieves?” I hazarded.

“Ah, worse!”

“But why did they induce you to entice me to that house in Lambeth?  Why did they so evidently desire that I should be killed?”

“By accident,” he interrupted, correcting me.  “Always by accident,” and he smiled grimly.

“Surely you know their secret motive?” I remarked.

“At the time I did not,” he declared.  “I acted on their instructions, being compelled to, for they hold my future in their hands.  Therefore I could not disobey.  You knew too much, therefore you were marked down for death—­just as you are now.”

“And who is it who is now seeking my life?” I inquired gravely.  “I only returned from Russia yesterday.”

“Your movements are well known,” answered the young Italian.  “You cannot be too careful.  Woodroffe has been in Russia with you, has he not?”

I replied in the affirmative, whereupon he said: 

“I thought so, but was not quite sure.”

“And Chater?” I inquired; “where is he?”

“In London.”

“And the Leithcourts?”

He shrugged his shoulders with a gesture of ignorance, adding:  “The Signorina Muriel returned to London from Eastbourne this morning.”

“Where can I find her?” I inquired eagerly.  “It is of the utmost importance that I should see her.”

“She is with a relation, a cousin, I think, at Bassett Road, Notting Hill.  The house is called ‘Holmwood.’”

“You have seen her?”

“No.  I heard she had returned.”

“And her father is still in hiding from Chater?”

“He is still in hiding, but Chater is his best friend.”

“That is curious,” I remarked, recollecting the hurried departure from Rannoch.  “They’ve made it up, I suppose?”

“They never quarreled, to my knowledge.”

“Then why did Leithcourt leave Scotland so hurriedly on Chater’s arrival?  You know all about the affair, of course?”

He nodded, saying with a grim smile, “Yes; I know.  The party up there must have been a very interesting one.  If the police could have made a raid on the place they would have found among the guests certain persons long ‘wanted.’  But the arrival of Chater and the flight of Leithcourt had an ulterior object.  Chater had never been Leithcourt’s enemy.”

“But I can’t understand that,” I said.  “Why should Leithcourt have attacked Chater, rendered him unconscious, and shut him up in the cupboard in the library?”

“Was it Leithcourt who did that?” he asked dubiously.  “I think not.  It was another of the guests who was Chater’s bitterest enemy.  But Philip Leithcourt took advantage of the fracas in order to make believe that he had fled because of Chater’s arrival.  Ah!” he added, “you haven’t any idea of their ruses.  They are amazing!”