inquiring why he was wanted. To this he replied in a second telegram of
more length, which explained matters clearly. The next morning Corbario
telegraphed that he was starting.

The visiting physician came early and examined Marcello's head with the
greatest minuteness. After much trouble he found what he was looking
for--a very slight depression in the skull. There was no sign of a wound
that had healed, and it was clear that the injury must have been either
the result of a fall, in which case the scalp had been protected by a
stiff hat, or else of a blow dealt with something like a sandbag, which
had fractured the bone without leaving any mark beyond a bruise, now no
longer visible.

"It is my opinion," said the doctor, "that as soon as the pressure is
removed the man's memory will come back exactly as it was before. We
will operate next week, when he has gained a little more strength. Feed
him and give him plenty of air, for he is very weak."

So he went away for the day. But presently Regina came and demanded
admittance according to the promise she had received, and she was
immediately brought to the Superintendent's office, for he had given
very clear instructions to this effect in case the girl came again. He
had not told the Chief of Police about her, for he thought it would be
amusing to do a little detective work on his own account, and he
anticipated the triumph of finding out Marcello's story alone, and of
then laying the facts before the authorities, just to show what ordinary
common sense could do without the intervention of the law.

Regina was ushered into the high cool room where the Superintendent sat
alone, and the heavy door closed behind her. He was a large man with