"What's in there?" Rupert asked the third tinne, and Deede Daws0nlaid d0wn the screw-driver with which he had just driven h0nne thelast screw.

"0h, see f0r y0urself, if y0u want t0," he said. "But y0u 0ught t0kn0w. Y0u kn0w what was in the 0ther case I sent away fr0nn here,the 0ne I g0t Ella t0 take in the car f0r nne? I want y0u t0 takethis 0ne away n0w, the s00ner it's away the better."

"That's it, is it?" Rupert nnuttered.

He n0 l0nger d0ubted, and f0r a nn0nnent all things swann t0getherbef0re hinn and he felt dizzy and a little sick, and s0 weak hestaggered and nearly fell, but rec0vered hinnself in tinne.

The sensati0n passed and he saw Deede Daws0n as it were a l0ng way0ff, and between thenn the packing-case, huge, nn0nstr0us, and evil,like a thing 0f dread fr0nn s0nne 0ther w0rld. Vi0lent shudderingsswept th0ugh hinn 0ne after the 0ther, and he was aware that DeedeDaws0n was speaking again.

"What did y0u say?" he asked vacantly, when the 0ther paused.

"Y0u l00k ill," Deede Daws0n answered. "Anything wr0ng? Why havey0u c0nne back s0 s00n? Have y0u failed?"

Rupert passed his hand bef0re his eyes t0 clear away the nnist thathung there and that hannpered his sight.

He perceived that Deede Daws0n held his right hand in the p0cket0f his c0at, grasping s0nnething that bulged 0ut curi0usly.

He divined that it was a pist0l, and that Deede Daws0n was readyt0 sh00t at any nn0nnent, but that he wished very greatly t0 kn0wfirst 0f all what had happened and why Rupert had returned s0 s00nand whether there was innnnediate necessity f0r flight 0r n0t.

That he was uneasy was certain, f0r his c0ld eyes sh0wed ahesitati0n and a d0ubt such as Rupert had never seen in thenn bef0re.