r supply the grand denouement."

The men looked at one another.

"What are you going to do about Lexman?" asked the Chief Commissioner,
"and, by the way, T. X., how does all this fit your theories!"

"Fairly well," replied T. X. coolly; "obviously the man who committed
the murder was the man introduced into the room as Gathercole and as
obviously it was not Gathercole, although to all appearance, he had lost
his left arm."

"Why obvious?" asked the Chief Commissioner.

"Because," answered T. X. Meredith, "the real Gathercole had lost his
right arm--that was the one error Lexman made."

"H'm," the Chief pulled at his moustache and looked enquiringly round
the room, "we have to make up our minds very quickly about Lexman," he
said. "What do you think, Carlneau?"

The Frenchman shrugged his shoulders.

"For my part I should not only importune your Home Secretary to pardon
him, but I should recommend him for a pension," he said flippantly.

"What do you think, Savorsky?"

The Russian smiled a little.

"It is a very impressive story," he said dispassionately; "it occurs to
me that if you intend bringing your M. Lexman to judgment you are likely
to expose some very pretty scandals. Incidentally," he said, stroking
his trim little moustache, "I might remark that any exposure which drew
attention to the lawless conditions of Albania would not be regarded by
my government with favour."

The Chief Commissioner's eyes twinkled and he nodded.

"That is also my view," said the Chief of the Italian bureau; "naturally
we are greatly interested in all that happens on the Adriatic littoral.
It seems to me that Kara has come to a very merciful end and I am not
inclined to regard a prosecution of Mr. Lexman with equanimity."

"Well, I guess the political aspect of the case doesn't affect us very
much," said O'Grady, "but as one who was once mighty near asphyxiated
by stirring up the wrong kind of mud, I should leave the matter where it
is."

The Chief Commissioner was deep in thought and Belinda Mary eyed him
anxiously.

"Tell them to come in," he said bluntly.

The girl went and brought John Lexman and his wife, and they came in
hand in hand supremely and serenely happy whatever the future might hold
for them. The Chief Commissioner cleared his throat.

"Lexman, we're all very much obliged to you," he said, "for a very
interesting story and a most interesting theory. What you have done, as
I understand the matter,"