“No, they were not searching for Ludovic,” he said. “But what were they searching for? What can you have that the Beau wants so desperately?”
Sir Hugh caught the name and said: “Do you mean to tell me that this outrage was committed by this cousin of Lavenham’s who broke in last night?”
“I am afraid so,” replied Shield, smiling a little at Sir Hugh’s face of Jovean wrath.
“Then understand this, Sally!” said Sir Hugh. “Not a yard from this place do I stir until I have that fellow laid by the heels! It’s bad enough when he comes creeping into the house to try to stick a knife into young Lavenham, but when he has the infernal impudence to turn my room into a pigsty, then I say he’s gone a step too far!”
“The knife!” exclaimed Eustacie. “He came for the knife, of course! Sir Hugh seized it last night, Tristram!”
“Where was it put?” asked Shield. “Has it been taken?”
Nye said: “We’ll soon see that, sir. Sir Hugh left it on the coffee-room table, and thinking we might need to produce it as evidence I put it away this morning in my china cupboard—the same them Runners blew the lock out of, sir.”
“Go and see if it’s there,” commanded Sir Tristram. “It may have been that—I suppose it must have been that, yet somehow—” He broke off, obviously puzzled.
“But yes, Tristram, he does not wish to be known to have come here last night, naturellement, therefore he must recover his dagger for fear we might recognize it!”
“It seems to me a most unnecessary risk to run,” said Sir Tristram. “As matters now stand we cannot bring him to book for breaking in here any more than he can bring us to book for breaking into the Dower House. He must know that! He’s not a fool.”