ourself even if you didn't keep the letter
of your promise."

"In the spirit I shall keep it, however. I've sworn to let him come
and go again free, and that oath I must keep if he does nothing that
forces me to break it."

"You are wise and I quite agree with you," said Mark. "No doubt
Doria is a man you can rely upon in every way and he is powerful
too."

But Bendigo shook his head.

"No," he answered. "I've left this question until Doria and my niece
were out of the way, for a very good reason. I don't want them in
this thing more than they are already; and I don't want them, or
anybody, to know that I've got a friend hid along with me in the
tower when Robert comes. They understand that I am to see him alone;
and I've bade them keep out of the way and not show themselves for
an instant. What I want up there is you and only you."

Brendon considered.

"I confess the idea occurred to me as soon as we had your brother's
offer; but seeing the terms, I couldn't press for it," he said. "Now
I agree and, what's more, I think it would be very desirable if
nobody--not even the household--knew I was here."

"That can be done. If you send your car away and say you'll report
to-morrow, then the police won't trouble us any more till we see
what next. You can go up to the tower and get into the big case I
keep my flags and odds and ends in. There are holes bored for
ventilation at the height of a man's head from the ground, and if
you're packed in there, you can see and hear everything and pop out
in five seconds if my life is threatened."

Brendon nodded.

"That's all right," he said. "I'm considering what follows. Your
brother goes free presently; and no doubt Mrs. Pendean will only
wait until he is off to come up to you. I can't stop all night in
the cupboard."

"It don't matter a button after he's gone," answered Bendigo. "If
you tell your car to go, that's all that signifies for the minute.
And all anybody but ourselves will believe is that you've gone back
to Dartmouth, and won't be here again until to-morrow morning."

Mark fell in with this plan. He dismissed the car and directed that
Inspector Damarell should be told to do nothing more until further
information reached him. Then, with the old sailor, he climbed to
the tower room, inspected the great cupboard, and found that he
could follow the course of events very comfortably from within.
Holes of the size of a half-penny piece were bored in each door of