lseness of the man. None the
less, the accusation troubled him and chilled him to the heart, as
though with the touch of the finger of death.

"You remember that packing-case," Deede Dawson added. "The one you
helped me to get away from here the night you came. Well, she knew what
was in it, though you would never have thought so, to look at her, would
you?"

His cold eyes were very intent and keen as he said this, and Dunn
thought to himself that it had been said more to test any possible
knowledge or suspicion of his own than for any other reason. With a
manner of only slight interest, he answered carelessly:

"Did she? Why? Wasn't it your stuff? Had it been pinched? But she
was safe enough, the police would never stop a smart young lady in a
motor-car, except on very strong evidence."

"Perhaps not," agreed Deede Dawson. "That's one reason why Ella's so
useful. But I've been thinking things out, and trying to make them work
in together, and I think the first thing to do is for you to drive Allen
and Ella over to Wreste Abbey this afternoon, so that they may have a
good look around."

"Oh, Miss Cayley and Allen," Dunn muttered.

The new-comer, Allen, had been making himself very much at home at
Bittermeads since his arrival, though he had not so far troubled to
any great extent either Ella in the house or Dunn outside. His idea of
comfort seemed to be to stay in bed very late, and spend his time when
he did get up in the breakfast-room in the company of a box of cigars
and a bottle of whisky.

The suggestion that he and Ella should pay a visit together to Wreste
Abbey was one that greatly surprised Dunn.

"All right," he said. "This afternoon? I'll get the car ready."

"This is the afternoon the Abbey is thrown open to visitors, isn't it?"
asked Deede Dawson. "Allen and Ella can get in as tourists, and have a
good look round, and you can look round outside and get to know the lie
of the land. There won't be long to wait, for Rupert Dunsmore will be
back from his little excursion before long, I expect."

He laughed in his mirthless way, and walked off, and Dunn, as he got the
car ready, seemed a good deal preoccupied and a little worried.

"How can he know that Rupert Dunsmore is coming back?" he said to
himself. "Can he have any way of finding out things I don't know about?
And if he did, how could he know--that? Most likely it's only a guess to
soothe me down, and he doesn't really know anything at all a