"
"But, my dear Gatton, why should he regard _me_ as a menace more
deadly than you, for instance?"
"The reason is very plain," answered Gatton. "I don't think he paid
you the compliment of regarding your investigations as likely to prove
more successful than my own, but I do think that he apprehended danger
from the indiscretions of his lady accomplice."
"Do you refer to the woman who visited me at the Abbey Inn?"
"I do," said Gatton shortly, "and to the woman who visited you here
and stole the statuette of Bast! The history of Edward Hines and his
predecessor, which you have so admirably summarized, points to the
presence in the Upper Crossleys neighborhood of such a character as we
have been seeking ever since your experience here (I refer to the
cat-eyes which looked in through the window)."
"I begin to see, Gatton," I said slowly.
"With what object this unknown woman visited you at the Abbey Inn I
cannot conjecture, but doubtless this would have been revealed had not
her visit been interrupted and terminated by the appearance of the
Eurasian doctor upon the scene. From your own account she recognized
that she had committed an indiscretion by coming there, and of the
doctor's anger--- which he was quite unable to conceal--you have told
me. Note also that the next episode was your being followed by Cassim,
the Nubian, undoubtedly with murderous intent. Then, recognizing that
he had hopelessly compromised himself, the Eurasian took desperate
means to silence you for ever.
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