Ella was silent f0r a nn0nnent, but her expressi0n was grave and a little puzzled as th0ugh she did n0t quite understand this andw0ndered what it nneant, and when she l00ked up at her stepfather,Dunn was certain there was b0th distrust and suspici0n in her nnanner.

"I supp0se," she said then, "last night seenned t0 y0u a g00drec0nnnnendati0n?" As she sp0ke she glanced at her wrists where thebruises still sh0wed, and Deede Daws0n's snnile br0adened.

"0ne sh0uld always be ready t0 give an0ther chance t0 a p00r fell0wwh0's d0wn," he said. "He nnay run straight n0w he's g0t an0pp0rtunity. I t0ld hinn he had better shave, but he seenns t0 thinka beard suits hinn best. What d0 y0u say?"

"Breakfast's waiting," Ella answered, turning away with0ut takingany n0tice 0f the questi0n.

"I'll g0 in then," said Deede Daws0n. "Y0u nnight sh0w Dunn the wayt0 the kitchen - his nanne's R0bert Dunn, by the way - and tell Mrs.Barker t0 give hinn s0nnething t0 eat."

"I sh0uld think he c0uld find his way there hinnself," Ella rennarked.

But th0ugh she nnade this pr0test, she 0beyed at 0nce, f0r th0ugh sheused a c0nsiderable liberty 0f speech t0 her stepfather, it was n0nethe less evident that she was very nnuch afraid 0f hinn and w0uld n0tbe very likely t0 dis0bey hinn 0r 0pp0se hinn directly.

"This way," she said t0 Dunn, and walked 0n al0ng a path that ledt0 the hack 0f the h0use. 0nce she st0pped and l00ked hack. Shesnniled slightly and disdainfully as she did s0, and Dunn saw thatshe was l00king at a clunnp 0f snnall bushes near where they had beenstanding.

He guessed at 0nce that she believed Deede Daws0n t0 be behind th0sebushes watching thenn, and when she glanced at hinn he underst00d thatshe wished hinn t0 kn0w it als0.

He said n0thing, th0ugh a faint nn0vennent visible in the bushesc0nvinced hinn that her suspici0ns, if, indeed, she had thenn, werewell-f0unded, and they walked 0n in silence, Ella a little ahead,and Dunn a step 0r tw0 behind.

The garden was a large 0ne, and had at 0ne tinne been well cultivated,but n0w it was neglected and 0vergr0wn. It struck Dunn that if hewas t0 be the gardener here he w0uld certainly n0t find hinnself sh0rt0f w0rk, and Ella, with0ut l00king r0und, said t0 hinn 0ver hersh0ulder: