This attempt upon me at once proved that I was on the right scent, and according to Rayne's instructions I that day followed Madame and Lola back to Salerno. On changing trains at the Central Station at Rome I bought a newspaper, and the first heading that met my eyes was one which told of a mysterious robbery of the wonderful pearls of the Princess di Acquanero. With avidity I read that the young Princess, as noted for her beauty as for her jewels, the only daughter of the millionaire Italian shipowner Andrea Ottone, of Genoa, who had married the Prince a year ago, had been robbed of her famous string of pearls under most mysterious circumstances. Two days before she had been staying at the great Castello di Antigniano, near Bari, where her uncle, the Baron Bertolini, had been entertaining a party of friends. On dressing for dinner she found that her jewel-case had been rifled and the pearls, worth twenty thousand pounds sterling, were missing! "The police have a theory that the guilty person was introduced into the castello by one of the many servants," the report went on. "The thief, whoever it was, must, however, have had great difficulty in reaching the Princess' room, as the Baron, knowing that his lady guests bring valuable jewelry, always sets a watch upon the only staircase by which the ladies' rooms can be approached." With the paper in my hand the train slowly drew out of Rome on its way south. My mind was filled with suspicion. I was wondering vaguely whether the Marchesa Romanelli had been among the guests, for I recollected those words of Fra Pacifico that "the woman had committed sacrilege in the House of God." Could it be possible that he knew the Marchesa to be a thief who had stolen some valuable church plate from one or other of the ancient churches in Italy? If so, then, though the wife of the Admiral, she was also a thief. On arrival at Salerno I took Madame aside, and telling her of my adventure with the man Hauser, I showed her the newspaper and declared my suspicions. "It may be so," she said. "If she is so friendly with this banker whose past is quite obscure, it may be her hand which takes the stuff and passes it on to Zuccari, who in turn sells it to Hauser." With that theory I agreed. On the following day I took train into Naples, and that afternoon I called upon the Marchesa. Fortunately I found her alone, and when I was shown into her _salon_ I thought she looked rather wan and pale, but she greeted me affably and expressed delight that I should call before returning to England. As we chatted she let drop, as I expected she would, the fact that she had been staying at the Castello di Antigniano. "You've seen in the papers, I suppose, all about the pearls of the Princess di Acquanero?" she went on. "A most mysterious affair!" I looked the pretty woman straight in the face, and replied: "Not so very mysterious, Marchesa." "Why not?" she asked, opening her big, black eyes widely.