"By Jove, Garrett! I'm glad to see you back. We began to fear that you'd met with foul play. What happened to you? Sit down, and tell me. Where's the car?" The chauffeur was compelled to admit his ignorance of its whereabouts, and then related his exciting and perilous adventure. "Yes," replied the handsome young adventurer, gaily. "It was a crooked bit of business, but we needn't trouble further about the car, Garrett, for the fact is we've exchanged our `forty' for that old hunchback's mysterious `sixty.' It's at Meunier's garage in Paris. But, of course," he laughed, "you didn't know who the hunchback really was. It was Finch Grey." "Finch Grey!" gasped Garrett, amazed, for he was the most renowned and expert thief in the whole of Europe. "Yes," he said, "we went to San Remo to meet him. It was like this. The Reverend Thomas was in Milan and got wind of a little _coup_ at the Banca d'Italia which Finch Grey had arranged. The plot was one night to attack the strong-room of the bank, a tunnel to which had already been driven from a neighbouring house. The proceeds of this robbery--notes and gold--were to be brought down to San Remo by Finch Grey in his `sixty,' the idea being to then meet the Princess and her niece, who were really only members of his gang. Our idea was to get friendly with the two ladies, so that when the car full of gold and notes arrived we should have an opportunity of getting hold of it. Our plans, however, were upset in two particulars, by the fact that a few days prior to my arrival the pair had quarrelled with the old hunchback, and secondly, because a friend of the Princess's, staying at the hotel, had recognised you as a `crook.' By some means the two women suspected that, on Finch Grey's appearance, our intention was either to demand part of the proceeds of the bank robbery or expose them to the police. Therefore they put something in your coffee, the girl drove the car to the spot where you found yourself, and then they escaped to Genoa, and on to Rome. Finch Grey, who did not know who we were, was highly concerned with us regarding the non-return of the ladies. We suggested that we should go out in his `sixty' with him to search for them, and he, fearing that you had met with an accident, consented. The rest was easy," he laughed. "How?"