“Tell him to come to me the instant he returns. I had no doubt that the signature was yours. I couldn’t doubt it.” “Well, you must doubt it now. I declare to you positively that I did not write the letter which put you on the track of that Rua Catania business.” “I am bound to say I thought it strange that, having been only a few hours in the city, you should have got secret information which my people have been trying in vain to get for weeks.” I let this go without a reply, but he guessed my reason for silence. “Had you any such information in your possession?” he asked, shooting a quick questioning glance at me. “I think I would rather not answer that question.” “That means that you had, of course, and makes the matter all the stranger.” “Well, I’ll admit I knew something,” I said on second thoughts, reflecting that I should have to explain the previous night’s affair. “These are the facts. You remember warning me not to be in the streets at night. I disregarded the warning and on the second night I got into the middle of a fight between the mob and the police, and had to run for it. By chance I found shelter in that house in the Rua Catania and afterwards learnt the character of the place.” “You saw some of these villains there, of course?” “Yes, and had a bit of trouble, but I got out all right.” “Do you know the men?” “Yes,” I said, after considering. “But the position is this. I only got away by passing my word of honour not to speak of anything or any person I had seen there.” “Of course such a pledge given under those circumstances is not to be considered binding. Do you know the names of any of them or----” I shook my head. “I must keep the word I gave, M. Volheno.” “Would you keep your word to a murderer who spared your life on condition that you kept secret a murder you had seen him commit?” “That case has not arisen and I would prefer not to discuss questions of casuistry.” “But these men are assassins and worse. They are enemies of the State ripe for any evil work. I must press you to tell me all you know.” “My lips are sealed. And to that fact I owe my escape from worse trouble last night.” “Well, tell me that then,” he said, with a deep frown of vexation. “The letter you received in my name was really intended to fix on me a charge of having broken my pledge;” and I went on to give him a short and carefully worded account of what had passed, laying particular stress upon my treatment by the police. He put the last point aside with a short promise that the matter should be sifted, and then questioned me at great length and with all the pressure he could exert to get me to give the names of the men I had seen, or a description of them.