“No,” admitted Shield. “He did underrate me a trifle.”
Ludovic perched on the edge of the table, swinging one leg. “Oh, so you think it’s a trap, do you? Nonsense! Why should you? He can never have had more than a suspicion of my being here, and you may depend upon it we have convinced him that he was mistaken.”
“I do not depend upon anything of the kind,” replied Shield. “In fact, I am astonished at the crudity of this trap. Consider a moment, Ludovic! He has told me that he will be in London tonight, that he has given his servants leave of absence, and that the bolt is off one of the library windows. If you are fool enough to swallow that, at least give me credit for having more common sense!”
“Oh well!” said Ludovic airily. “One must take a risk now and again, after all. Basil daren’t lay a trap for me in his own house. Damn it, man, he can’t take me prisoner and hand me over to the Law! It wouldn’t look well at all.”
“Certainly not,” answered Sir Tristram. “I have no fear of Basil himself coming into the open, but you are forgetting that he has a very able deputy in the shape of that valet of his. If his servants were to catch you in the Dower House, and hand you over to the Law as a common thief, you would be identified, and beyond any man’s help, while Basil was still discreetly in London. He would dispose of you without incurring the least censure from anyone.”
“Well, they may try and take me prisoner if they like,” said Ludovic. “It’ll go hard with them if they do.”
Miss Thane regarded him in some amusement. “Yes, Ludovic, but it will make everything very awkward if you are to leave a trail of corpses in your wake,” she pointed out. “I cannot help feeling that Sir Tristram is right. He is one of those disagreeable people who nearly always are.”
Ludovic thrust out his chin a little. “I’m going to take a look in that priest’s hole if I die for it!” he said.
“If you go, you’ll go alone, Ludovic,” said Sir Tristram.
Ludovic’s eyes flashed. “Ratting, eh? I’ll get Clem in your stead.”