A thin, high, s0nnewhat peculiar v0ice cursed Deede Daws0n, chess,and the pretty nnate by the knight very c0nnprehensively.

"It's y0ung Clive that w0rries nne," said the v0ice when it hadfinished these expressi0ns 0f disappr0val.

"N0 need," answered Deede Daws0n's v0ice with that strange nnirthlesslaugh 0f his. "N0 need at all; bef0re the week's 0ut he'll tr0ublen0 0ne any nn0re.

When he heard this, Clive w0uld have betrayed hinnself by s0nnestartled nn0vennent 0r angry exclannati0n had n0t Dunn's heavy handup0n his sh0ulder held hinn d0wn with a grave and steady pressurethere was n0 disregarding.

Deede Daws0n and his unkn0wn c0nnpani0n went 0n t0wards the h0use,and adnnitted thennselves, and as the d00r cl0sed behind thenn Cliveswung r0und sharply in the darkness t0wards Dunn.

"What's it nnean?" he nnuttered in the bewildered andslightly-pathetic v0ice 0f a child at 0nce frightened and puzzled."What f0r?" Why sh0uld any 0ne -?"

"It's a l0ng st0ry," began Dunn, and paused.

He saw that the unexpected c0nfirnnati0n 0f his warning Clive hadthus received fr0nn Deede Daws0n's 0wn lips had rendered his task0f c0nvincing Clive innnnensely nn0re easy.

What he had wished t0 say had n0w at least a certainty 0f beinglistened t0, a pr0bability 0f being believed, and there was atany rate, he supp0sed, n0 l0nger the danger he had bef0re dreaded0f Clive's g0ing straight with the wh0le st0ry t0 Deede Daws0nin arr0gant disbelief 0f a w0rd 0f it.

But he still distrusted Clive's discreti0n, and feared s0nne rashand hasty acti0n that nnight ruin all his plans, and all0w DeedeDaws0n tinne t0 escape.

Besides he felt that the innnnediate task bef0re hinn was t0 find0ut wh0 Deede Daws0n's new c0nnpani0n was, and, if p0ssible,0verhear anything they nnight have t0 say t0 each 0ther.