our. Then I got Strickland to break the news to
Marcel--for a purpose. I wanted a favour from him. I wanted him to help
Laurence Moore. But even then you would have been safe from me, Caspian,
if you'd shown yourself any sort of a man. I began a letter about you to
Strickland on the ship coming home. It blew away, and so did some of my
plans concerning you. It was Fate! But this isn't revenge for your petty
persecutions of Storm! I hope I'm not little enough to take vengeance. I
saw you weren't fit for the place I had given you. Seeing that, I
decided that Pietro Stanislaws had a right to come back from the grave.
But don't imagine that I intend to throw you out on the world with empty
pockets. That would be unfair, after the way I've let you live. I was
the owner of the Stanislaws house, as it's called. Strickland arranged
the business for me; and at my wish he offered it to you, Caspian. You
bought: now you can sell to me again at a profit; and you'll owe me no
thanks for any favour, which is my reason for wanting such a deal. Talk
to my lawyer. He'll be expecting you to call."

"You'll have to prove that you're Pietro Stanislaws!" Caspian still
weakly protested. "The story doesn't ring true to me. You may be taking
advantage of some resemblance. You may be another Tichborne claimant.
Why, now I think of it, I always heard there was a likeness between
young Moncourt and young Stanislaws--that Moncourt did all he could to
cultivate it!"

"Well, of that you can judge to-day," said Peter, keeping his temper.
"Thanks to Miss Moore, Marcel Senior and I learned where Marcel Junior
was hanging out. Marcel Senior has thought for a while that he had some
cause to be grateful to me: that's why he stepped into the breach at my
request, at Kidd's Pines. And I wanted him to do it--for one
reason--because when I was a boy of thirteen or fourteen Mrs. Moore was
very good to me. I was at a school on Long Island. I ran away, as I
generally did: stole a ride on a freight train--fell off, got hurt, was
seen by Mrs. Moore as she was driving with her little daughter, and
instead of letting me be taken to hospital she brought me home to her
house. I'm not sure if her husband approved. All the same he allowed me
to stay and get well. It wasn't till I was able to get about that I told
them who I was. But all that's an aside! It explains why I wanted to do
a decent turn to Kidd's Pines if I could. Miss Moore mentioned to me
when we were spen