"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
forgets every other consideration and in five minutes has started
for Bellagio. The boat is quickly in mid-lake under the darkness and
there Albert meets his death and burial. Pendean undoubtedly
murdered him with a blow--probably just as he murdered Robert and
Bendigo Redmayne; then, no doubt, he used weights, heavy stones
brought for the purpose, and sank his victim in the tremendous
depths of Como. He was soon back again with a clean boat and his
disguise in his pocket. He had an alibi also, for we found out that