“Yes,” answered Eric. “She’s gone up to the house.”
He walked on and they hurried forward towards Friocksheim.
“She’s gone to have another look at the cabinet, I expect,” said Westenhanger. “Well, since she’s in the house, we may as well strike while the iron’s hot. I’ll not keep you on tenterhooks much longer. As a matter of fact, there’s no more mystery in the business.”
Chapter XII
At the door of Friocksheim, Westenhanger gave Eileen his directions.
“I must get rid of these, first of all,” he explained, tapping his binoculars. “While I’m upstairs, will you go along to the Corinthian’s Room and wait for me there? I shan’t be a minute.”
When he rejoined her, he had a brown paper parcel in his hand, and from its shape she inferred that it contained the stolen articles.
“Now we can get to business, Eileen.”
With a gesture, he invited her to come with him to the cabinet of the Talisman, and to her astonishment, he opened one of the doors and withdrew the armlet from beneath the bell. Putting it aside with a warning not to touch it, he took from his pocket the replica which they had discovered in the hollow tree; and this he placed on the velvet bed, arranging it as nearly as possible in the position previously occupied by its duplicate. He then covered it with the bell and closed the door of the cabinet.
“Now the trap’s baited,” he said, putting the second armlet in his pocket with no particular precautions. “But we can’t risk the chance of a fresh mouse nibbling the cheese before we’re ready. I’ll have to stay here on guard. Your business will be to go off, now, and collect all the people you can. It doesn’t much matter who they are, so long as Mrs. Caistor Scorton’s one of them. Bring half a dozen at least. Tell them anything you like to get them here. I’ll guarantee to keep them, once they arrive.”