"Listen, Bruxton," said Hawthorne confidentially, "Mayo asked you to stay up here at the lodge, didn't he? Would you like to accept his invitation?"
"Yes," said Stuart, secretly alert. This was working in with his plans. "It's a much nicer place than the Inn."
"We'll try to fix it tonight, then," said Hawthorne, "and I want you to do a favor for me, Bruxton."
"How?"
"Size up Mayo while you're there. Get a good idea of what he's like. I want to know."
"Why?"
"Well," explained Hawthorne, "Mayo and I haven't always hit it up so well. I know some things about him; he knows some about me.
"So far as I'm concerned, all the unpleasantness is ended. Mayo appears to have forgotten it, too. But maybe he hasn't. That's what I want to find out."
"I understand," said Stuart. "That's fair enough."
"There's a chance," said Hawthorne, "that Mayo has still got it in for me. That stunt of his the other night made me wonder.