s has with her."

Radmore gave the child a long, steady look.

"Come, Timmy, you know as well as I do that Mrs. Crofton had no dog with
her."

"She had a dog with her," repeated Timmy obstinately. "It's not a dog
_you_ can see, but I see him and Flick sees him. I wanted to see if
Josephine would see him too. That's why I took her in there. So if she's
shot it will be all my fault." His voice broke, and, covering his face
with his hands, he turned his back on the bed and its occupant.

Radmore stared at the small heaving back. There could be no doubt that
Timmy was speaking the truth _now_. "All right," he said quickly. "I'll
do what you want, Timmy. So cheer up! I suppose you've got a big basket
in which you can put your cat and her kittens? While I put on some
clothes, you can go and get her ready. But I advise you for your own sake
to be quiet. Our game will be all up, if your mother wakes. I simply
shouldn't dare to disobey _her_, you know." He smiled quizzically at the
child, and, as he mentioned Janet, he lowered his voice instinctively.

CHAPTER XX

However long Radmore lives, he will never forget that strange drive
through the autumn night. Fortunately, from the two conspirators' point
of view, there were only old-fashioned stables at Old Place, and
Radmore's car was kept in the village in a barn which had been cleverly
transformed by the blacksmith into a rough garage.

While he dressed, and, indeed, after he joined the boy downstairs, he had
puzzled over Timmy--over the mixture of cruelty and kindness the child
had shown that evening. He could not but recall, with a feeling of
discomfort, the simple, innocent way in which the boy had explained why
he wanted to take his cat, Josephine, into the drawing-room--really
to do a kindness to the mistress of The Trellis House! It was somewhat
disagreeable to reflect how he, Radmore, who rather prided himself on
his knowledge of human nature, had been taken in.

Off the two started at last, creeping out of one of the back doors. But
in his agitation over the business of getting the cat and her kittens
safely out of Old Place, Timmy had forgotten to put on a coat. They
were halfway down the avenue before Radmore noticed that the boy was
shivering, and then, mindful of Janet, he ordered him to go back and get
the warmest coat he could.

And then, while he waited impatiently in the avenue, Radmore visualised
the extraordinary scene which had taken place in