‘I did not suppose that he was. But if he had been it would have been only a just punishment.’
‘Had we not better carry him to the house, sir?’ Richard suggested quietly.
‘As you wish,’ said Raphael. ‘It appears that you have taken charge of our affairs.’
‘Mr. Redgrave is here at my urgent request, father,’ said Teresa.
‘You!’ Raphael gazed at her hard. ‘You! Shall I curse you as I cursed your sister?’
Nevertheless, he helped Richard to carry the body of the detective up the path and into the field—a task of considerable difficulty. When they reached the electric car they put the lifeless organism into the back part of it.
‘Take him,’ said Mr. Craig to Richard succinctly—‘take him off.’
‘And you?’ said Richard.
‘I will follow.’
Richard and Teresa got into the electric car and moved off down the field. They spoke not a word. Arrived at the house, the detective was taken upstairs and put into a bed by the three women. The lamps had been relighted. The little man had regained consciousness, but he was too feeble to give any utterance to his thoughts. He pointed weakly to his head, whereon his nurses found a lump, but no other sign of injury. They surmised that he was suffering from concussion of the brain, how caused they could only guess. He drank a little brandy-and-water, and lay extended on the bed as though unwilling almost to put himself to the exertion of breathing.