He nodded and Mark proceeded to tell his story, beginning with the adventure on the mountain.  He omitted no detail and described his talk with Doria, the latter’s departure to join Jenny on their expedition to Colico, and his own subsequent surprise and escape from death.  He told how he had been fired at and fallen, hoping to tempt the other to him, how his assailant had disappeared, and how, at a late hour, he had planned a dummy and seen Giuseppe Doria arrive to bury him.

He narrated how Giuseppe and Robert Redmayne had departed after their disappointment, how he had decided to give Giuseppe an account of the adventure, in order that he might not guess that his share in it was known; and he told how, on the morrow, the Dorias and himself had returned to the spot and found the empty grave with foot-marks of native boots about the margin.  He added that Jenny, four days later, had reported a glimpse of a man whom she believed to be her uncle; but it was dark at the time and she could not be positive, though she felt morally sure of him.  He was standing two hundred yards from the Villa Pianezzo in a lane from the hills and had turned and hastened away as she approached.

To this statement Peter listened with the deepest attention and he did not disguise his satisfaction when Mark made an end.

“I’m mighty glad for two things,” he said.  “First that you’re in the land of the living, my son, and that a certain bullet passed your ear instead of stopping in that fine forehead of yours; and I’m glad to know what you’ve told me, because it fits in tolerably well and strengthens an argument you’ll hear later.  Your little trap was quite smart, though I should have worked it a bit different myself.  However, you did a very clever thing, and to take Doria into your confidence afterward was up to our best traditions.  Your opinion of him needn’t detain us now.  There only remains to hear what you may have to say on the subject of his pretty dame.”

“My opinion of a very wonderful and brave woman remains unchanged,” Brendon answered.  “She is the victim of a hateful union and for her the situation must get worse, I fear, before it can get better.  She is as straight as a line, Ganns; but of course she knows well enough that her husband’s a rascal.

“Needless to say I haven’t dropped her a hint of the truth; but while she is loyal in a sense and very careful, on her side, to leave her sufferings or suspicions vague, she doesn’t pretend she’s happy and she doesn’t pretend that Doria is a good husband, or a good man.  She knows that I know better.  She has been longing for your return and it is a question with me now whether we shall not do wisely to take her into our confidence.  If she knew even what we know, she would no doubt see much light herself and afford much light for us.  As to her good faith and honour, there can be no question whatever.”

“Well—­so be it.  I’ve heard you.  Now you’ve got to hear me.  We are up against a very marvellous performance, Mark.  This case has some of the finest features—­some unique even in my experience.  Though, as history repeats itself, I dare say there have been bigger blackguards than the great unknown—­though surely not many.”