AN APHORISM
"No," Dunn agreed after a long pause."No, I don't see myself how failure is possible; I don't see what there is to go wrong.All the same, I shan't be sorry when it's all over; I suppose I'm nervous, that's the truth of it.But Deede Dawson's hardly the sort of man I should have expected to lay all his cards on the table so openly.""Oh, I think that's natural enough," answered Walter."Quite natural - he thinks you are in with him and he tells you what he wants you to do.But I don't quite see the object of your visit to the Abbey the other day.You gave me the shock of my life, I think.
I hadn't the least idea who you were - that beard makes a wonderful difference."Dunn laughed quietly.
"It's a good disguise," 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."Ican 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, Iexpect.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 plans are perfect, I think.""It's easy enough to make plans when you know just what the other side are going to do," observed Dunn."There's one point more.
Miss Cayley - I mentioned her in one of the notes I sent you through Burns.""Yes, I remember - Deede Dawson's step-daughter," said Walter."Isuppose she is in it?"
"She is not; she knows nothing," declared Dunn vehemently.
"But it was she who took away poor Charley's body, wasn't it?" asked Walter."But for that you would have had evidence enough to act on at once, wouldn't you?""She did not know what she was doing," Dunn replied."And now she is in danger herself.I am convinced Deede Dawson is growing afraid of her, he dropped hints; I'm sure he is planning something, perhaps he means to murder her as well.So besides these other arrangements I want to see that there's a trustworthy man watching here.I don't anticipate that there's any immediate danger - it's almost certain that if he means anything he will wait till he sees how this other business is turning out.But I want some one trustworthy to be at hand in case of need.You will see to that?""Oh, yes, I can spare Simmonds; I'll send him," answered Walter.
