“Mr. West has the right to ask what he will of me, and it appears that you are his worthy friend. Will you be good enough to tell me what you care to tell about yourself, Mr. Hayward?”
It was a less easy matter in the face of this calm, urbane stranger than it had been with Anthony for listener to render a succinct account of himself, but Colin omitted nothing, however unflattering to himself.
Mr. Risk offered no comment, but he asked one or two questions, which seemed to Colin rather idle, and then fell silent and reflective. Suddenly he said: “Do you trust me?” With some hesitation, but without the least dubiety Colin answered: “Certainly, Mr. Risk.”
“Then I will trust you,” said Risk in his matter-of-fact voice. “I am going to give you a trial,” he went on, “and in the circumstances it is, I admit, a rather curious one. You have, of course, the option of refusing, but if you accept, kindly let it be done on the understanding that you will obey my instructions implicitly. Please understand, also, that the fact of your coming from a place called Dunford, while it forms an odd coincidence, and may be a help, has nothing to do with my choosing you for this particular piece of work. I would have asked you to perform it just the same had you come from the Isle of Man. Well, now”—he paused for a moment—“I have a letter here which I wish to be delivered first thing in the morning to Mr. Alexander Symington, White Farm, Dunford—”
Colin checked words at his very lips.
“A train leaves King’s Cross at 5.45, and though it does not usually stop at Dunford, I have arranged that it shall do so for you shortly after 1 a.m. I hope you may be able to find some sort of shelter until 6, when you will deliver the letter. You will bring back an answer by the first train possible and report to me here. By the way, you are, perhaps, acquainted with Mr. Symington?”
“Like him?”
Colin smiled faintly. “Can’t say I do.”
“He is quite unknown to me,” the other proceeded. “I am curious to know, however, just how he looks when he reads this letter, and you must try to manage that for me. Here is the letter. There is no need for me to make a mystery of it—a simple business question.”