had left nothing
in doubt--nothing whatever. He had been driven out of his mind almost by
an extraordinary performance, which for you or me it would be difficult
to take as seriously meant, but which produced a great impression
obviously on him."

The Assistant Commissioner then imparted briefly to the great man, who
sat still, resting his eyes under the screen of his hand, Mr Verloc's
appreciation of Mr Vladimir's proceedings and character. The Assistant
Commissioner did not seem to refuse it a certain amount of competency.
But the great personage remarked:

"All this seems very fantastic."

"Doesn't it? One would think a ferocious joke. But our man took it
seriously, it appears. He felt himself threatened. In the time, you
know, he was in direct communication with old Stott-Wartenheim himself,
and had come to regard his services as indispensable. It was an
extremely rude awakening. I imagine that he lost his head. He became
angry and frightened. Upon my word, my impression is that he thought
these Embassy people quite capable not only to throw him out but, to give
him away too in some manner or other--"

"How long were you with him," interrupted the Presence from behind his
big hand.

"Some forty minutes Sir Ethelred, in a house of bad repute called
Continental Hotel, closeted in a room which by-the-by I took for the
night. I found him under the influence of that reaction which follows
the effort of crime. The man cannot be defined as a hardened criminal.
It is obvious that he did not plan the death of that wretched lad--his
brother-in-law. That was a shock to him--I could see that. Perhaps he
is a man of strong sensibilities. Perhaps he was even fond of the
lad--who knows? He might have hoped that the fellow would get clear
away; in which case it would have been almost impossible to bring this
thing home to anyone. At any rate he risked consciously nothing more but
arrest for him."

The Assistant Commissioner paused in his speculations to reflect for a
moment.

"Though how, in that last case, he could hope to have his own share in
the business concealed is more than I can tell," he continued, in his
ignorance of poor Stevie's devotion to Mr Verloc (who was _good_), and of
his truly peculiar dumbness, which in the old affair of fireworks on the
stairs had for many years resisted entreaties, coaxing, anger, and other
means of investigation used by his beloved sister. For Stevie was loyal.
.