Mansel had heard my tale, he called for the map.
“Show me exactly,” he said, “the spot at which Forecast proposes to meet Duke Saul.”
I showed him.
“And now the way there from Latchet, as it was marked in blue.”
I showed him that.
After a moment’s calculation—
“I make the distance from Latchet just about eighteen miles. That means half an hour by car. The meeting is to be ‘in the evening’; and that means ‘not before six.’ So they’ll turn out the car about five. We must try and put their car out of action about four o’clock. You see my point. If we do in their car too soon – and they find it out, they will have time to keep their appointment without the use of their car. And I do not want them to do that, because it is so much better that we should keep it instead.
“This may precipitate matters, but not very much. When Forecast rolled up here, you were quite right to put up a bluff. But he is dead certain to call it. He can have no doubt at all that the seat of opposition is here at this farm. When Rowley produced his pistol, that settled that – for tourists don’t carry pistols and hold callers up. But Rowley could have done nothing else, for he couldn’t take risks with blokes like Boney and Gulf.
“What worries me is the Duchess. She’s safe at the moment, because the Duke means to use her tomorrow night. But, after that…I mean, he can have no doubt that she knows a great deal too much. However, we’ll see what she says tomorrow night.”
“Will he let her come? “ said I.
“I’m sure he will. He means her to be their guide.”
“But if we meet him at six?”
“If we meet him at six,” said Mansel, “Duke Saul will stay where he is, till the Duchess has left the castle en route for the lane.” He rose to his feet and started to pace the room. “It’s on the drastic side, but I don’t see another way out; for if Forecast keeps his appointment, he will also keep the appointment the Duchess has made with you. Of course, you know, if Forecast was worth his salt, he would drive to Varvic tonight – or, at latest, tomorrow morning. But he isn’t worth his salt, so I don’t think he will.”
“Why tonight or tomorrow morning?”
“To put the Duke wise,” said Mansel. “To tell him exactly what happened this afternoon – that he had visited Goschen, bearing upon him the map which the Duke had marked; and that, since he had lain unconscious for three or four minutes of time, for all he knows , you may have studied that map. If Forecast did that, as it is his clear duty to do, the Duke would immediately alter the rendezvous . But Forecast won’t do that. Confessions of failure are never pleasant to make: and so he’ll keep his counsel and hope for the best.”
“He wouldn’t do that,” said George, “if he saw the breakers ahead. Talk about confessions of failure! What ever is going to happen when Cain drives up to that inn? I’d give a month of my life to be in on that scene. Confusion confounded won’t be in it. They’ll shout one another down for the first half-hour.”
“I agree,” said Mansel, laughing. “From the moment Cain arrives, there’ll be the devil to pay. Cain, of course, will spread Forecast all over the floor. Then he’ll go off to Varvic, there to be spread all over the floor himself. And then they’ll take hold of themselves and get down to things.” He hesitated, biting his lip. “We’ve had all the luck to date, but now we’re going to come up against heavier stuff. Cain is no damned fool and Duke Saul is a powerful man. And both will be very frightened. ‘Such men are dangerous.’ We shall have to be very careful from Tuesday on.”
“To be perfectly honest,” said George, “I’m all for coming to grips. The party will be complete on Monday night. The big five – three wilful murderers and the two unpleasant beings who set them on. When do we begin the process of elimination?”
“As soon as they try to,”
“Show me exactly,” he said, “the spot at which Forecast proposes to meet Duke Saul.”
I showed him.
“And now the way there from Latchet, as it was marked in blue.”
I showed him that.
After a moment’s calculation—
“I make the distance from Latchet just about eighteen miles. That means half an hour by car. The meeting is to be ‘in the evening’; and that means ‘not before six.’ So they’ll turn out the car about five. We must try and put their car out of action about four o’clock. You see my point. If we do in their car too soon – and they find it out, they will have time to keep their appointment without the use of their car. And I do not want them to do that, because it is so much better that we should keep it instead.
“This may precipitate matters, but not very much. When Forecast rolled up here, you were quite right to put up a bluff. But he is dead certain to call it. He can have no doubt at all that the seat of opposition is here at this farm. When Rowley produced his pistol, that settled that – for tourists don’t carry pistols and hold callers up. But Rowley could have done nothing else, for he couldn’t take risks with blokes like Boney and Gulf.
“What worries me is the Duchess. She’s safe at the moment, because the Duke means to use her tomorrow night. But, after that…I mean, he can have no doubt that she knows a great deal too much. However, we’ll see what she says tomorrow night.”
“Will he let her come? “ said I.
“I’m sure he will. He means her to be their guide.”
“But if we meet him at six?”
“If we meet him at six,” said Mansel, “Duke Saul will stay where he is, till the Duchess has left the castle en route for the lane.” He rose to his feet and started to pace the room. “It’s on the drastic side, but I don’t see another way out; for if Forecast keeps his appointment, he will also keep the appointment the Duchess has made with you. Of course, you know, if Forecast was worth his salt, he would drive to Varvic tonight – or, at latest, tomorrow morning. But he isn’t worth his salt, so I don’t think he will.”
“Why tonight or tomorrow morning?”
“To put the Duke wise,” said Mansel. “To tell him exactly what happened this afternoon – that he had visited Goschen, bearing upon him the map which the Duke had marked; and that, since he had lain unconscious for three or four minutes of time, for all he knows , you may have studied that map. If Forecast did that, as it is his clear duty to do, the Duke would immediately alter the rendezvous . But Forecast won’t do that. Confessions of failure are never pleasant to make: and so he’ll keep his counsel and hope for the best.”
“He wouldn’t do that,” said George, “if he saw the breakers ahead. Talk about confessions of failure! What ever is going to happen when Cain drives up to that inn? I’d give a month of my life to be in on that scene. Confusion confounded won’t be in it. They’ll shout one another down for the first half-hour.”
“I agree,” said Mansel, laughing. “From the moment Cain arrives, there’ll be the devil to pay. Cain, of course, will spread Forecast all over the floor. Then he’ll go off to Varvic, there to be spread all over the floor himself. And then they’ll take hold of themselves and get down to things.” He hesitated, biting his lip. “We’ve had all the luck to date, but now we’re going to come up against heavier stuff. Cain is no damned fool and Duke Saul is a powerful man. And both will be very frightened. ‘Such men are dangerous.’ We shall have to be very careful from Tuesday on.”
“To be perfectly honest,” said George, “I’m all for coming to grips. The party will be complete on Monday night. The big five – three wilful murderers and the two unpleasant beings who set them on. When do we begin the process of elimination?”
“As soon as they try to,”
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