uise," he admitted. "I didn't quite know myself
first time I looked in a mirror. We went to the Abbey to prepare for a
burglary there."

"Oh, is that on the cards, too?" exclaimed Walter. "I didn't expect
that."

"Yes," answered Dunn. "My own idea is that Deede Dawson sees an
opportunity for making a bit on his own. After all of us are disposed of
and his friend has got the title and estates, he won't dare to prosecute
of course, and so Deede Dawson thinks it a good opportunity to visit
the Abbey and pick up any pictures or heirlooms or so-so he can that it
would be almost impossible to dispose of in the ordinary way, but that
he expects he will be able to sell back at a good price to the new owner
of the property. I think he calculates that that gentleman will be ready
to pay as much as he is asked. I don't know, but I think that's his idea
from something he said the other day about the uselessness of even good
stuff from a big house unless you knew of a sure market, or could sell
it back again to the owner."

"Jolly clever idea if it works all right," said Walter slowly. "I can
see Mr. Deede Dawson is a man who needs watching. And I suppose we had
better be on the look-out at the Abbey tomorrow night?"

"Evening," corrected Dunn. "It's planned for the dinner-hour."

"Right," said Walter. "We shall see some crowded hours tomorrow, I
expect. Well, it's like this, as I understand it--we had better be sure
everything is quite clear. Their idea is that you will meet and murder
Rupert Dunsmore, who they have no notion is really your own self, at
Brook Bourne Spring at four tomorrow afternoon, and the unknown somebody
who is behind all this business will be in hiding there to make sure
you do your work properly. Our idea is to watch all the roads leading to
Ottam's Wood and to have men in ambush near the spring to seize any one
hiding there at that time. Then we shall know who is at the bottom of
all these plots and shall be able to smash the whole conspiracy. In
addition, Deede Dawson and this other man you speak of, Allen, are going
to break into the Abbey tomorrow evening and we are to be ready for them
and catch them in the act?"

"Yes," said Dunn, "that's the idea; you can manage all right?"

"Oh, yes," answered Walter. "It's all simple enough--you've planned it
out so jolly well there's nothing much left for me to do. And I don't
see what you're nervous about; there's nothing that can go wrong very
well--your p