His purpose in arranging to get Albert Redmayne away from home on
this particular night was twofold. It was necessary that Peter
himself should see Mark Brendon without interruption; and it was
vital that henceforth his friend, the old book lover, should never
for an instant lie within the power of any enemy to do him ill. In
order, therefore, that he might enjoy private conversation with
Brendon and, at the same time, keep a close watch upon Albert, Ganns
had proposed the dinner party at the hotel and directed Brendon to
issue the invitation as soon as Redmayne returned home.

Wholly unsuspicious, Signor Poggi and Albert appeared in the glory
of soft white shirt fronts and rather rusty evening black. A special
meal was prepared for their pleasure and the four partook of it in
a private chamber at the hotel. Then they adjourned to the
smoking-room, and anon, when Poggi and his companion were deep in
their all-sufficing subject, Peter, a few yards distant with Mark
beside him, related the incident of Giuseppe's ghost.

"You did the trick to a miracle," he said. "You're a born actor, my
son, and you came and went and got away with it just as well as
mortal man could wish, and far better than I hoped. Well, Doria was
fine. We stung him all right, and when he saw and thought he
recognized the real Robert Redmayne, it got him in the solar
plexus--I'm doggone sure of that. For just a moment he slipped, but
how could he help it?

"You see the beauty of his dilemma. If he'd been straight, he'd have
gone for you; but he wasn't straight. He knew well enough that _his_
Robert Redmayne--the forgery--wasn't on the war-path to-night; and
when I said I saw nothing, he pulled himself together and swore he