‘I’m afraid not, in the sense you mean,’ he said. ‘I think he’s set his heart on this little conflagration scene. The man is a criminal loony, of course. No, I only meant that probably, had someone handed over his million-dollar book of the words, the Guy Fawkes celebrations would have gone forward all the same. I’m afraid he’s just a nasty vindictive person.’
Meggie shuddered, but her voice was quite firm.
‘Do you mean to say that you really think he’ll burn the house down with us up here?’ she said.
Campion looked up at her, and then at Abbershaw.
‘Not a nice type is he?’ he murmured. ‘I’m afraid we’re for it, unless by a miracle the villagers see the bonfire before we’re part of it, or the son of our friend in the attic calls earlier than was expected.’
Meggie stiffened.
‘Mrs Meade,’ she said. ‘I’d forgotten all about her. What will Mr Dawlish do about her, do you suppose?’
Mr Campion spoke grimly.
‘I could guess,’ he said, and there was silence for a while after that.
‘But how terrible!’ Meggie burst out suddenly. ‘I didn’t believe that people like this were allowed to exist. I thought we were civilized. I thought this sort of thing couldn’t happen.’