The detective came to Brett’s chambers at five o’clock, in a great state of excitement.

“Thank goodness you are at home, sir.” he cried, when Smith admitted him to the barrister’s sanctum.  “Capella is off to Naples.”

Naples, the scene of his marriage!  What did this journey portend?  Naught but the gravest considerations would take him so far away from home when he knew that David and Helen were reunited.

“How did you discover this fact?” asked Brett, awaking out of a brown study.

“Easily enough, as it happened.  Ninety-nine per cent. of gentlemen’s valets are keen sports.  Barbers and hotel-porters run them close.  I do a bit that way myself—­”

The barrister groaned.

“Not often, sir, but this is holiday time, you see.  Anyhow, I gave the hall-porter, whom I know, the wink to come to a neighbouring bar during his time off for tea.  He actually brought Capella’s man—­William his name is—­with him.  I told them I had backed the first winner to-day, an eight to one chance, and that started them.  I offered to put them on a certainty next week, and William’s face fell.  ‘It’s a beastly nuisance,’ he said, ‘I’m off to Naples with my boss to-morrow.’  ‘Well,’ said I, ’if you’re not going before the night train, perhaps I may be able—­’ But that made him worse, because they leave by the 11 A.M., Victoria.”

Brett began to pace the room.  He could not make up his mind to visit Naples in person.  For one thing, he did not speak Italian.  But Capella must be followed.  At last he decided upon a course of action.

“Winter,” he said, “do you know a man we can trust, an Italian, or better still, an Italian-speaking Englishman, who can undertake this commission for us?”

“Would you mind ringing for Smith, sir?” replied the detective, who seemed to be mightily pleased with himself.

Smith appeared.

“At the foot of the stairs you will find a gentleman named Holden,” said Winter.  “Ask him to come up, please.”

Holden appeared, a sallow personage, long-nosed and shrewd-looking.  The detective explained that Mr. Holden was an ex-police sergeant, retained for many years at headquarters on account of his fluency in the language of Tasso.  Winter did not mention Tasso.  This is figurative.

An arrangement was quickly made.  He was to start that evening and meet Capella on arrival at Naples; Winter would telegraph the fact of the Italian’s departure according to programme.  Holden was not to spare expense in employing local assistance if necessary.  He was to report everything he could learn about Capella’s movements.

Brett wanted to hand him L50, but found that all the money he had in his possession at the moment only totalled up to L35.

Winter produced a small bag.

“It was quite true what I said,” he smirked.  “I did back the first winner, and, what’s more, I drew it—­sixteen of the best.”