en seen at
Bellagio," he said.

CHAPTER XVII

THE METHODS OF PETER GANNS

Two men travelled together in the train de luxe from Milan to
Calais. Ganns wore a black band upon the sleeve of his left arm; his
companion carried the marks of mourning in his face. It seemed that
Brendon had increased in age; his countenance looked haggard; his
very voice was older.

Peter tried to distract the younger man, who appeared to listen,
though his mind was far away and his thoughts brooding upon a grave.

"The French and Italian police resemble us in the States," said Mr.
Ganns. "They are much less reticent in their methods than you
English. You, at Scotland Yard, are all for secrecy, and you claim
for your system superior results to any other. And figures support
you. In New York, in 1917, there were two hundred and thirty-six
murders and only sixty-seven convictions. In Chicago, in 1919, there
were no less than three hundred and thirty-six murders and
forty-four convictions. Pretty steep--eh? In Paris four times as
many crimes of violence are committed yearly as in London, though,
of course, the population is far smaller. Yet what are the
respective achievements of the police? Only half as many crimes are
detected by the French as by the British. Your card index system is
to be thanked for that."

He ran on and then Brendon seemed to come to himself.

"Talk about poor Albert Redmayne," he said.

"There's little to be added to what you know. Since Pendean chooses
to keep dumb, at any rate until he's extradited, we can only assume
exactly what happened; but I have no doubt of the details. It was
Pendean, of course, you saw leave the villa, while his wife held you
in conversation, and so ordered her falsehoods that you were swept
away from every other consideration save how best to rescue her from
her husband.

"She took good care to involve your own future and to say just what
was most likely to make you forget your trust. My dear, dear Albert,
forgive me if I am blunt; but when you look back, presently, you
will see that the great loss is really mine, not yours. Michael
Pendean, once out of sight, gets a boat, adopts his disguise--the
false beard and mustache found upon him--and presently rows round to
Albert's steps. He sees Assunta, who does not recognize him, and
says that he has come from Virgilio Poggi, who is at death's door at
Bellagio.

"There was no weightier temptation possible than that. Redmayne
f