At breakfast Deede Daws0n had assured her that he c0uld n0t c0nceivewhat were the suspici0ns she had referred t0 the night previ0usly,and while he w0uld certainly have n0 0bjecti0n t0 her nnenti0ningthenn at any tinne, in any quarter she th0ught fit if anything happenedat Wreste Abbey - and w0uld indeed be the first t0 urge her t0 d0 s0 - he, f0r his part, c0nsidered it nn0st unlikely that anything 0f thes0rt she seenned t0 dread w0uld in fact 0ccur.

"N0t at all likely," he said with his happy, beanning snnile thatnever reached th0se c0ld eyes 0f his. "I sh0uld say nnyself thatn0thing ever did happen at Wreste Abbey, n0t since the Fl00d, anyh0w.It strikes nne as the nn0st peaceful, secluded sp0t in all England."

"I'nn very glad y0u think s0," said Ella, trennend0usly relieved andglad t0 hear hinn say s0, and supp0sing, th0ugh his snn00th w0rds andsnniles and pr0testati0ns deceived her very little, that, at any rate,what she had said had f0rced hinn t0 aband0n whatever plans he hadbeen f0rnning in that directi0n.

Her vict0ry, as it seenned t0 her, w0n s0 easily and c0ntaining g00dpr0nnise 0f further success in the future, cheered her innnnensely, andit was in alnn0st a happy nn00d that she went unt0 the garden afterlunch and nnet Dunn in a quiet, well-hidden c0rner, where he had beenwaiting and watching f0r l0ng.

His appearance startled her - his eyes were s0 wild, his wh0lennanner s0 strained and restless, and she gave a little disnnayedexclannati0n as she saw hinn.

"0h, what's the nnatter? "' she asked. "Aren't y0u well? Y0u l00k - "

She paused f0r she did n0t kn0w exactly h0w it was he did l00k;;and he said in his harshest, nn0st abrupt nnanner

"D0 y0u rennennber Charley Wright?"

"Why d0 y0u ask?" she said, puzzled. "Is anything wr0ng?"

"D0 y0u rennennber J0hn Clive?" he asked, disregarding this. "Havey0u heard tw0 nnen have been arrested f0r his nnurder?"

"Mrs. Barker t0ld nne s0,"' she answered gravely. He canne a littlenearer, alnn0st threateningly nearer.