"Did he mention Mr. and Mrs. Pendean?"

"Not a word. He was full up with his young woman. They meant to be
married in late autumn and go abroad for a run to see my brother
Albert."

"He may correspond with Miss Reed if he gets to France?"

"I can't say what he'll do. Suppose you catch him presently? How
would the law stand? A man goes mad and commits a murder. Then you
nab him and he's as sane as a judge. You can't hang him for what he
did when he was off his head, and you can't shut him up in a lunatic
asylum if he's sane."

"A nice problem, no doubt," admitted Brendon, "but be sure the law
will take no risks. A homicidal maniac, no matter how sane he is
between times, is not going to run loose any more after killing a
man."

"Well, that's all there is to it, detective. If I hear again, I'll
let the police know; and if you take him, of course you'll let me
and his brother know at once. It's a very ugly thing for his family.
He did good work in the war and got honours; and if he's mad, then
the war made him mad."

"That would be taken very fully into account, be sure. I'm sorry,
both for him and for you, Mr. Redmayne."

Bendigo looked sulkily from under his tangled eyebrows.