Part 14 (2/2)

”I suppose not. I can't turn him on to my brother, Albert, anyway.

Albert's a weak, nervous sort of man and he'd have a fit if he thought Robert was coming to seek asylum with him.”

”The State must provide his asylum,” said Mark. ”His future is no longer any question for his relations. The best that we can hope is that he may soon be in a position of security, both for himself and other people. You will do well to see him, give him succour, and hear what he has to say. After that, Mr. Redmayne, if I may advise, you will leave the rest to me.”

Bendigo lost no time in writing the desired letter inviting Robert Redmayne to meet him in secret at one o'clock during the coming night and promising the fugitive, on oath, that he should be safe and free to depart again when he desired to do so. But, none the less, he expressed an earnest hope that his brother would stop at ”Crow's Nest,” and be advised as to his future actions. Some provisions were put into the launch and, with the letter in her pocket, Jenny again set out. She was prepared to go alone, for she could handle the boat as cleverly as Doria himself; but this her uncle would not permit.

It was already growing dusk before she left and Giuseppe drove the little vessel to its limit of speed.

Then Brendon was much surprised. He had been standing under the flagstaff with the master of ”Crow's Nest,” watching the launch, and when she had vanished westward into a grey, still evening, Bendigo challenged the detective with a proposition altogether unexpected.

”See here,” he said. ”I've got a d.a.m.ned, uneasy feeling about meeting my brother single-handed to-night. I can't tell you what it is. I'm not a coward and never s.h.i.+rked duty yet; but frankly I don't much like facing him for this reason. A madman's a madman, and we can't expect a madman to be any too reasonable if we oppose him, however tactfully. I should be powerless if he got off his head, or resented the advice I should have to give him, or went for me--powerless, I mean, to do anything but stop him with a bullet.

But if he's got to be stopped that way, I don't want to be the one to do it.

”I've promised to meet him alone and I shan't be telling the poor man a lie, because, if all's straight and he shows no violence, he needn't know anybody else is there. But if I was put into danger, I might tackle him mercifully with somebody to help, whereas if I was alone and he threatened to do me harm, it would very likely mean something I'd rather not think about.”

Brendon saw the force of this observation.

”A very reasonable thing indeed,” he answered, ”and in a case like this, you couldn't blame yourself even if you didn't keep the letter of your promise.”

”In the spirit I shall keep it, however. I've sworn to let him come and go again free, and that oath I must keep if he does nothing that forces me to break it.”

”You are wise and I quite agree with you,” said Mark. ”No doubt Doria is a man you can rely upon in every way and he is powerful too.”

But Bendigo shook his head.

”No,” he answered. ”I've left this question until Doria and my niece were out of the way, for a very good reason. I don't want them in this thing more than they are already; and I don't want them, or anybody, to know that I've got a friend hid along with me in the tower when Robert comes. They understand that I am to see him alone; and I've bade them keep out of the way and not show themselves for an instant. What I want up there is you and only you.”

Brendon considered.

”I confess the idea occurred to me as soon as we had your brother's offer; but seeing the terms, I couldn't press for it,” he said. ”Now I agree and, what's more, I think it would be very desirable if n.o.body--not even the household--knew I was here.”

”That can be done. If you send your car away and say you'll report to-morrow, then the police won't trouble us any more till we see what next. You can go up to the tower and get into the big case I keep my flags and odds and ends in. There are holes bored for ventilation at the height of a man's head from the ground, and if you're packed in there, you can see and hear everything and pop out in five seconds if my life is threatened.”

Brendon nodded.

”That's all right,” he said. ”I'm considering what follows. Your brother goes free presently; and no doubt Mrs. Pendean will only wait until he is off to come up to you. I can't stop all night in the cupboard.”

”It don't matter a b.u.t.ton after he's gone,” answered Bendigo. ”If you tell your car to go, that's all that signifies for the minute.

And all anybody but ourselves will believe is that you've gone back to Dartmouth, and won't be here again until to-morrow morning.”

Mark fell in with this plan. He dismissed the car and directed that Inspector Damarell should be told to do nothing more until further information reached him. Then, with the old sailor, he climbed to the tower room, inspected the great cupboard, and found that he could follow the course of events very comfortably from within.

Holes of the size of a half-penny piece were bored in each door of this erection and, with a three-inch support under his feet, Brendon found his eyes and ears at the needful level.

”The point is to know how I get clear afterward,” considered Brendon, returning to the sequel. ”As soon as your brother has left the house, it is certain that Mrs. Pendean, probably Doria also, will hasten to know what has happened and what you have determined.”

”Afterward nothing matters,” repeated Bendigo. ”I'll go down to the door with Robert and you can follow me and slip out as soon as he has got clear. Or else you can appear when he has gone and reveal yourself and tell Jenny that it was your own wish to stop without letting anybody know it but myself. That'll be the best way; and as soon as she finds you are here, she'll see that you have comfortable quarters for the rest of the night.”

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