He walked to the corner of the street and was turning up the hill away from me when he changed his mind and came straight towards me. I drew back against the wall to avoid him, and he had all but passed when he caught sight of me. The start he gave showed that he recognized me as the man from whom he had bought the matches. He paused a moment, put his hand to his head, as if he had forgotten something and turned to retrace his steps. He meant to warn the others in the house, of course; and as I had to prevent this at any cost, I stepped forward quickly and grabbed him by the wrist. “What do you want with me, you old fool?” he said roughly, trying at the same time to shake off my hold. “You are my prisoner,” I said sternly. “Who are in that house there?” “I don’t know what you mean. Which house?” “The one you have just left. I know you. Answer at once.” His answer was both clever-witted and quick. He flung the overcoat he carried over my head and made a fierce snatch to break away from me, while reaching at the same time for a weapon. I held on, however, and managed to trip him up. As we fell together the coat dropped away and I was in time to seize the barrel of a revolver he had succeeded in drawing, and drag it out of his hand. “It’s no use, Marco,” I said. He knew me then. “The Englishman!” he cried with an oath of unbounded amazement. “Yes, the Englishman,” I said. CHAPTER XXXV THE PROBLEM OF AN EMPTY HOUSE The discovery of my identity, combined no doubt with the fact that I had disarmed Marco, put an end to any thought of resistance, so I pulled him up and forced him against the wall, and kicked his bag and coat close to his feet. “Now, Marco, tell me who is in that house and be quick about it.” “Will you let me go if I do?” “I’ll hand you to the police if you don’t. You went to the railway station to-night and took some tickets. I saw you and then followed you here. You went into the second house across the road. Now who are in there?” “Barosa, Maral, Countess Inglesia and Mademoiselle Dominguez,” he said sullenly after a slight pause. “Who else?” “No one.” “What have you come out for now?” “If I tell you everything, will you let me go?” I repeated my question. “To fetch a carriage. Mademoiselle Dominguez is in no danger,” he added, thinking probably to appease me. “She is going to leave with us, and her mother is to join us at the station. I took a letter to her this evening. If I tell you everything, will you let me go?” As a matter of fact I wished to get rid of him now that I had obtained the information I needed. But I did not let him know it. “No,” I answered fiercely with an oath. “You tried to murder me yesterday, you villain, and you shall pay for it with your life. I have the police in hiding close here and I’ll give you to them!” Then I made a pretence of hauling him away, but at the time I stooped as if to pick up his bag and loosened my hold of him.