"You might get excited, and do something you wouldn't do in cold blood," she insisted. "And I've got a sort of idea that the Monk doesn't want to hurt any of us."
Peter got into his coat, and buttoned it. "Where did you get that idea from, if I may ask?"
"I don't know. But I do feel that you oughtn't to leap to conclusions." She got up. "Well, I'll go along to Celia now. Good luck, you two." She went out, leaving her brother to frown after her.
"Strike you that Margaret takes an unduly sympathetic interest in the Monk?" he said. "I don't quite like it. That fellow, Strange, has been getting at her, if you ask me."
"She's too sensible," Charles said. "Are you ready?"
Together they went downstairs, and let themselves out by the front door. The night was rather overcast, but the waning moon shone fitfully through the clouds.
"Good: shan't need our torches," Charles said, slipping his into the pocket ofhis tweed coat. "The chapel is our goal, I think. That's where Flinders saw Duval."
They made their way to the ruin, and cautiously inspected it. No one was there, and a deep silence brooded over the place. They searched the ground all about it without success, and at last Peter said: "Look here, it's no use wandering aimlessly through the woods. It 'ud be more sensible if we walked down to Duval's cottage to see whether he's there or not. If he's tucked up in bed I think we can safely write him down a lunatic. If he's not there -well, he may still be a lunatic, but we can lie in wait for him on the road and see which direction he comes from. That'll narrow the field for us to-morrow night."
"All right," Charles said reluctantly. "Not that I think it helps much, but I agree we shan't do much good going on like this."
They started to walk down the right-of-way. "What's more," Peter pointed out, "it's just possible that he may not have ventured out yet. After all, he knew we had a dinner-party, and since he seems very loth to let anyone catch sight of him he'd be bound to give the party some time to break up." He flashed his torch on to his wristwatch. "It's only just on midnight. Duval might well think we should still be up."