“No, no, you comprehend not. Remember the words of Mayerling, the man who took refuge here⁠—only to die by the hands of his enemies. ‘Number Two is represented by an S with two lines through it⁠—the sign of a dollar; also by two stripes and a star. It may be conjectured therefore that he is an American subject, and that he represents the power of wealth.’ Add to those words the fact that Ryland offered me a huge sum to tempt me out of England⁠—and⁠—and what about it, Hastings?”

“You mean,” I said, staring, “that you suspect Abe Ryland, the multimillionaire, of being Number Two of the Big Four.”

“Your bright intellect has grasped the idea, Hastings. Yes, I do. The tone in which you said multimillionaire was eloquent⁠—but let me impress upon you one fact⁠—this thing is being run by men at the top⁠—and Mr. Ryland has the reputation of being no beauty in his business dealings. An able, unscrupulous man, a man who has all the wealth that he needs, and is out for unlimited power.”