e first
proposition for the moment. And the next question you must ask
yourself is this. 'Did Robert Redmayne kill Michael Pendean?' That's
where your 'facts,' as you call them, begin to sag a bit, my son.
There's only one sure and certain way of knowing that a man is dead;
and that is by seeing his body and convincing the law, by the
testimony of those who knew the man in life, that the corpse belongs
to him and nobody else."

"Good God! You think--"

"I think nothing. I want you to think. This is your funeral--so
far; but I want you to come out like the sun from behind a cloud and
surprise us yet. Just grasp that matters couldn't have happened as
you supposed, and go on from there. Remember, incidentally, that you
are quite unable to swear that either Pendean or Bendigo Redmayne is
dead at all. They may both be just as much alive as we are. Chew it
over. This is a very pretty thing and I believe we're up against
some great rascals; but I don't even know that yet for sure. I can
see many points that are vital which you are more likely to clear
than I. You've been badly handicapped, for reasons I have yet to
find out; but if you think over what I told you and look into your
brain-pan without prejudice, maybe you'll begin to see them
yourself."

"It's sporting of you to suggest that, but I can't offer any such
excuse," answered Brendon thoughtfully. "Never did a man go into a
case with less handicap. I even had peculiar incentives to make
good. I came into it on the top of the tide with everything under my
hands. No--what you've said throws rather too bright a light on the
truth. Everything looked so straight-forward that I never thought
the appearances hid an utterly different reality. Now I know they
probably did."

"That's what I guess. Somebody palmed a marked card on you, Brendon;
and you took it like a lamb. We all have in our time--even the
smartest of us. Gaboriau says somewhere, 'Above all, regard with
supreme suspicion that which seems probable and begin always by
believing what seems incredible.' French exaggeration, of course;
but there's truth in it. The obvious always makes me uncomfortable.
If a thing is jumping just the way that suits you, distrust it at
once. That holds of life as well as business."

They chatted for half an hour and Mr. Ganns attained his object,
which was to fling his companion back to the beginning of the whole
problem that had brought them together. He desired that Mark shoul