a
mansion, three ordinary houses, a rambling building like a public
institution, and a nondescript structure difficult to classify.

"I find," said Mr. Holden, when the _mise-en-scene_ was quite to his
liking, "that a good map, and a few realistic models of the principal
buildings dealt with in my discourse, give a lucidity and a coherence
otherwise foreign to the narrative."

Even Winter became restive under this style of address. Brett caught his
eye, and moved by common impulse, they lessened the whisky-mark in a
decanter of Antiquary.

"Allow me to remark," interpolated Brett, "that your telegrams were
admirably terse and to the point."

"Thank you, sir. Many eminent judges have complimented me on my manner of
giving evidence. And now to business. I arrived at the railway station
here" (touching the non-descript building), "and took a room in the Villa
Nuova here" (he laid a finger on the mansion), "which, as you see, is
quite close to the Hotel de Londres here" (a flourish over the hotel), "at
which, as I expected, Mr. Capella took up his abode. According to your
instructions I obtained a competent assistant, a native of Naples, and we
both awaited Mr. Capella's arrival. He reached Naples at 10.30 a.m. the
day following my advent at night, and after breakfast drove straight to
the Reclusorio, or Asylum for the Poor, situated here" (he indicated the
institution), "close to the Botanical Gardens. Mr. Capella arranged with
the authorities to withdraw from the poorhouse an elderly woman named
Maria Bresciano. It subsequently transpired that she was a nurse employed
by a certain English gentleman named Fraser Beechcroft, who became
entangled with a beautiful Italian girl named Margarita di Orvieto some
twenty-eight years ago."

Mr. Holden paid not the remotest attention to the looks of amazement
exchanged between Brett and Winter. He merely paused to take breath and
peer benignantly at the map, following lines thereon with the index finger
of his right hand.

"It appears further," he resumed, "that the Englishman and the Signorina
di Orvieto could not marry, on account of some foolish religious scruples
held by the young lady, but they entertained a very violent passion for
each other, met clandestinely, and a female child was born, whose baptism
is registered, under the name of Margarita di Orvieto, in the church of
the village of La Scutillo here." (He tapped a tiny spired edifice on the
edge of the map.)

"T