Going to bed uncommonly soon I woke correspondingly early in the morning; but I was no earlier than Hewitt, who was at my door, in fact, ere my breakfast was well begun.

“Well,” I asked eagerly, almost before my friend had entered, “have you got him at last?”

“Not yet,” Hewitt answered. “But he did exactly as I had expected. Plummer and I knocked up the bank manager, who lives over the premises at the Upper Holloway branch. He was a very decent fellow — rather young for the post — but he was naturally a bit surprised, possibly irritated, at being bothered by one and another after office hours. I showed him the cheque-book, and asked him if it belonged to any customer of his.

“‘Why, yes,’ he said, examining the numbers, ‘I remember this because it is the first of a new series, and we issued it the day before yesterday to a new customer. Where did you get it?’

“‘We are very anxious to see that customer,’ I said. ‘Has he been here this evening?’

“The manager seemed a trifle surprised, but answered readily enough. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘he was here not an hour ago.’

“‘Wanting to draw money?’ I asked. But that the manager wouldn’t tell me, of course. So that it was necessary for Plummer to step in and reveal the facts that this was a police matter, and that he was a detective-inspector. That made some difference. The manager told us that our man had opened an account at the bank only two days before; and I’d like you to guess what name he had opened it under.”

“Not Myatt?” I said. “After the chase ——”

“No, not Myatt.”

“Catherton Hunt?”

“No, nor Catherton Hunt. He had opened it in the name of Mayes!”

“What! his actual name?”

“His actual original name, according to Peytral. The account was transferred, it would seem, from another bank; and I have an idea we may find that he has been shifting his money about from one bank to another as safety suggested, using his real name with it. You remember we could find no trace of a banking account when the police raided and ransacked Calton Lodge after Mason was killed? Quite probably he has had small current accounts in other names at various times to aid in his schemes, but his main account has always stood in his real name; and by that, you see, we get some confirmation of Peytral’s story. Well, as I say, the account was opened in the name of Mayes, and the cheque-book was issued which we discovered last night. The Upper Holloway branch saw no more of its customer till yesterday evening, long after hours, when he drove up in a hansom.”

“Oh,” I said, “in a hansom, was it? The men left behind could get no news of him.”

“Yes, we ascertained that last night; we called back, of course, the last thing. I expect he got the first cab visible and drove off to a hatter’s a fair distance away, and then on to the bank. At any rate, he knocked up the manager and told him that he had a sudden need for money that very night; could he have some?

“The manager told him it would be impossible. Even if he had been willing to do it, against all regulations, it would still be impossible. For the strong-room and every cash receptacle in it was locked with two separate locks with different keys, and though he had one of these keys himself, it was useless without the other, which was in the possession of his second in command, who lived some distance out of London. This course is the usual precaution adopted in branch banks of this sort; opening and closing, morning and evening, have to be done by chief and assistant together. And I tell you, Brett, I believe that it was only the being informed of this fact that prevented Mayes from trying some of his hypnotic tricks on the bank manager; in which case there would have been a big bank robbery — perhaps something worse in addition.”

“Murder?”

“Murder with a tourniquet, perhaps — perhaps with some other weapon; but, at any rate, probably with the Red Triangle. You know, of course — indeed I told you, I think — that in most cases — not all — it is necessary to get the subject’s consent to the first exercise of hypnotism on him. I told you also it is possible for the practised hypnotist, while the subject is under the influence of the first experiment, to suggest to him a certain word or formula, or even a silent sign, which shall bring him under the influence at any other time, whenever the hypnotist chooses to rep............