Headed "_Amministrazione di Pubblica Sicurezza_" and bearing the number 28,280, it was, I saw, the Italian police record regarding an Englishman named James Harding Miller, son of William Miller, born at Studland, in Dorsetshire, widower, and resident in Rome. After the name and the statement that he was sometimes known as Milner, a minute description was given of the person whom the record concerned, and in that column headed "Connotati," or personal appearance, was the following:-- Statura: alto. Corporature: secco. Colorito: bruno. Capelli: castagna. Barba: c. Occhi: c. Naso: greco. Bocca: reg. Fronte: guista. Segni: porta lenti. The meaning of this was that Mr Milner, or Miller, was tall of stature, dark complexion, chestnut beard, hair and eyes, Greek nose, and that he habitually wore pince-nez. In fact upon the back of the document were pasted four photographs, taken in different positions, and probably by different photographers. The information contained in the record was, however, of more interest to me, and I read it through very carefully from end to end. Briefly, what was chronicled there was to the effect that the Englishman Miller had on several occasions been suspected of being implicated in various schemes of fraud in association with certain persons against whom were previous convictions. It appeared that so strong were the suspicions concerning him in the case of an extensive fraud upon French's bank in Florence by means of forged securities two years before that Miller was arrested, but after exhaustive inquiries was allowed his freedom as there was insufficient evidence. The lines of even writing went on to state: "The man's daughter, Lucie Lilian Miller, is constantly with him, and may participate in his schemes. There is, however, no direct allegation against her." Miller, it continued, evidently possessed a secret source of income which was believed to be derived from dishonest sources, though the actual truth had not yet been discovered. The record ended with the words added as a postscript in another handwriting: "After exhaustive inquiries made by the Questura in Rome, in Florence and in Leghorn, it is now established beyond doubt that the Englishman is in active communication with a clever international association of `sharpers'." After reading that I was compelled to accept the truth of Sammy's statement. The man Miller had evidently plotted and obtained the securities in the young Chilian's despatch-box. Yet had Lucie, I wondered, any knowledge of that dastardly conspiracy which had ended in a tragedy? CHAPTER EIGHT. "THE MYSTERIOUS MR MILLER." On the following day, about noon, I took a cab to the Italian Embassy, that fine stone-built mansion in Grosvenor Square.