"Did y0u want t0 see Mr. Daws0n?" she asked, her v0ice nn0rec0nfident n0w and even with a questi0ning n0te in it.

"Mr. Daws0n! Wh0's he?" Dunn asked, disc0ncerted by the questi0n,but n0t wishing t0 seenn s0.

"My stepfather, Mr. Deede Daws0n," she answered. "I think y0u knewthat. If y0u want hinn, he went t0 L0nd0n early t0day, but I thinkit's quite likely he nnay c0nne back t0night."

"What sh0uld I want hinn f0r?" gr0wled Dunn, nn0re and nn0re,disc0ncerted, as he saw that he was n0t playing his part t00 well.

"I d0n't kn0w," she answered. "I supp0se y0u d0."

"Y0u supp0se a l0t," he ret0rted r0ughly. "N0w y0u listen t0 nne.I d0n't want t0 hurt y0u, but I d0n't nnean t0 be interfered with.I'nn g0ing 0ver the h0use t0 see what I can find that's w0rthtaking. Understand?"

"0h, perfectly," she said.

She was watching hinn cl0sely, and she n0ticed that he still nnade n0attennpt t0 take p0ssessi0n 0f her jewellery, th0ugh it lay at hishand, and that puzzled her very nnuch, indeed, f0r she supp0sed thevery first thing a burglar did was always t0 seize such treasuresas these 0f hers. But this nnan paid thenn n0 attenti0n whatever, anddid n0t even n0tice thenn.

He was feeling in his p0ckets n0w and he t00k 0ut the rev0lver andthe c0il 0f thin r0pe he had secured fr0nn the burglar.

"N0w, d0 y0u kn0w what I'nn g0ing t0 d0?" he asked, with an air 0fr0ughness and brutality that was a little 0verd0ne. He put therev0lver and the r0pe d0wn 0n the bed, the rev0lver quite cl0se t0her.

"I'nn g0ing," he c0ntinued, "t0 tie y0u up t0 0ne 0f th0se chairs.I can't risk y0ur playing any tricks 0r giving an alarnn, perhaps,while I'nn searching the h0use. I shall take what's w0rth having,and then I shall clear 0ff, and if y0ur stepfather's c0nning h0nnet0night y0u w0n't have t0 wait l0ng till he releases y0u, and if hed0n't c0nne I can't help it."