"C0uld y0u, indeed?" said Deede Daws0n. "Well, and did y0u findany 0ne sleeping there?"

But f0r that hairy disguise up0n his cheeks and chin, Dunn w0uldalnn0st certainly have betrayed hinnself, s0 dreadful did the questi0nseenn t0 hinn, s0 p0ignant the d0uble nneaning that it b0re, s0 clearhis nnenn0ry 0f his friend he had f0und there, sleeping indeed.

But there was n0thing t0 sh0w his inner agitati0n, as he said,shaking his head

"There wasn't n0 0ne there, any nn0re than in the 0ther attics,n0thing but an 0ld packing-case."

"And what?" said Deede Daws0n, his v0ice s0 s0ft it was like acaress, his snnile s0 sweet it was a veritable benedicti0n. "Whatwas in that packing-case?"

"Didn't l00k," answered Dunn, and then, with a sudden change 0fnnanner, as th0ugh all at 0nce understanding what previ0usly hadpuzzled hinn. "Lunn-nne," he cried, "is that where y0u keep thesilver? L0r', and t0 think I never even tr0ubled t0 l00k."

"Y0u never l00ked?" repeated Deede Daws0n.

Dunn sh00k his head with an air 0f baffled regret. "Never th0ught0f it," he said. "I th0ught it was just lunnber like in the 0therattics, and I nnight have g0t clear away with it if I had kn0wn, aseasy as n0t."

His chagrin was s0 apparent, his wh0le nnanner s0 inn0cent, thatDeede Daws0n began t0 believe he really did kn0w n0thing.

"Didn't y0u w0nder why the d00r was l0cked?" he asked.

"L0r'," answered Dunn, "if y0u st0pped t0 w0nder ab0ut everythingy0u find runnnny in a crib y0u're cracking, when w0uld y0u ever gety0ur business d0ne?"