“Of course it would,” said Alison, who had followed Jaikie’s exposition with appreciative nods.
“I’m certain I’m right. They want to compromise you. They and Allins believe that Mr Craw is at Castle Gay. They know that you are at Knockraw, and they know that what they hoped for has happened, and that his Royal Highness is here. They are waiting to find just the kind of compromising situation they want. And they’re desperate men, so they won’t stick at much to bring it about. I have no doubt at all that Mastrovin has ways and means of mobilising some pretty tough elements in Portaway. Remember, too, that the election is on Friday, and the Canonry will be all upside down that day.”
“By God, I believe the boy is right,” said Casimir, and the Professor acquiesced with a solemn nod.
“I’ve got it,” Jaikie cried. “I believe Friday—the day after to-morrow—is the day they’ve chosen to act. The countryside, as I say, will be upside down, the police will all be at the polling stations, and there will be a good chance for high-handed proceedings. I can’t just guess what these will be, but you may take it that they will be adequate.”
“But they won’t find Mr Craw,” put in Alison.
“I don’t think that that will matter. If they can get you somehow connected with Castle Gay, we’ll never be able to persuade people that Mr Craw was not there, or at any rate was not privy to the meeting. Not after that interview in the Wire,” and he looked across at Alison. “The world knows his opinions, and will assume Barbon to have his authority. No, Allins has been lucky, and things up to now have turned out rather well for him.”
“What do you advise?” It was Prince John who spoke. He looked at Jaikie as at another young man, who might be more useful than middle-age.
“Well, sir, if we know what they intend—and I think my guess is right—we start with one big advantage. Besides, I may find out a great deal in the next two days. But there’s one thing to be done at once. We must shorten our front of defence, and get rid of Knockraw.”
“Will you please explain?” said Casimir.
“You must give up your mission. You must see that it’s impossible. You can’t do anything with Mr Craw. Even if he were hot on your side, and not scared to death at the very mention of you, you can do nothing with him now. Your business is to prevent this mission of yours becoming a deadly blow to your cause and setting Britain violently against you. You see that?”
The silence proved that they did see it.
“May I ask, Mr Galt,” Casimir spoke, “what exactly is your position in this affair? Are you one of Mr Craw’s journalists, like Mr Crombie?”
“No, thank Heaven. I’ve nothing to do with journalism. My position is the same as Miss Westwater’s. We like Mr Craw and we don’t like Allins, and we’re going to do our best to protect the one and down the other. Our attitude to you is one of benevolent neutrality, but we’re for you against the other blighters.”
Prince John laughed. “That is candid and fair. Go on, sir. What is your plan?”
“You must leave Knockraw, and the sooner the better. It’s a rotten place to defend. It’s as open as a cricket-field. You and your household must clear out. You’ve no local people indoors, so you should be able to do that unostentatiously. But you mustn’t take his Royal Highness with you. You must depart exactly the same party as you arrived. We must take no chances. Nobody knows that he is with you except Allins and his friends, and nobody else must ever know. He can join you in London, where nothing matters.”
“And meantime what is to become of him?”
“You must entrust him to us. Miss Westwater and I will undertake to get him somehow quietly into England—and alone. What do you say, sir?”
“I will gladly entrust myself to Miss Westwater,” said Prince John with a bow.
“Then you must be the first to leave, sir,” said Jaikie. “Every hour you spend in this house and in this company increases the danger. I think Castle Gay is the right place for you, for it’s not very easy for anybody to get near it. But we’ll have to move cautiously. I think that the best place to go first will be the Mains.”
Casimir brightened. “I have a high regard for Mrs Brisbane-Brown,” he announced. “She might be of the utmost service.”
“I’ll back Aunt Harriet to put anything through,” said the loyal Alison.
Jaikie was aware that four pairs of eyes were scrutinising him closely, and small wonder. He had wandered in out of the rain an hour ago, a complete stranger, and here he was asking four men of ripe experience and high position to put their fortunes in his hands. He faced the scrutiny with his serious, gentle eyes, very little perturbed, for he had a purpose now, and, as was his custom, was wholly absorbed in it. They saw his small wedge-shaped countenance, his extreme youthfulness, his untidy hair, his shabby clothes, but, being men of penetration, they saw something else—that sudden shadow which seemed to run over his face, tightening it into a mask of resolution. Every line of Jaikie spoke of a brisk purpose. He looked extraordinarily dependable.
Prince John spoke first.
“I was never much in love with this venture, my dear Casimir, and now I have only one wish—to be well out of it. We shall be well advised if we are guided by Mr Galt. You and I must clearly separate and not reunite till London. I am the compromising article, but I shall be much less conspicuous alone.”
“We go—when?” said Casimir, looking at Jaikie.
“I should advise to-night—a moonlight flitting, as we say. You can send the keys to the lawyers—say you were called home suddenly—anything. It’s a foul day, so you’d better stop indoors, or if you go out leave word with your servants to keep a good watch and let nobody in. You have two cars, I think, and they’re both hired from Portaway. Leave them in a Gledmouth garage and catch the night train to London. I’ll arrange with the Portaway people to send for them—they’re friends of mine.”
“And his Royal Highness?”
“I want him out of this house now. This dirty weather will help us. Miss Westwater can arrange for a groom from the Castle to fetch his kit— he’d better come in a dogcart, as if he were on an errand to the servants. Our first job is to get the Prince out of Knockraw and safe in the Mains without any mortal eye seeing him… I’m ready, if you are, sir.”
Jaikie stood up stiffly, for the armchair had been very deep and his legs were rather cramped, and the others rose with him. He asked one more question: “Was the Prince out of doors yesterday?” and was told that he had been on the moor for some rough shooting. He had worn a different suit from that which he was now wearing, and a white mackintosh. “Good,” said Jaikie. “I want him now to put on the oldest and dingiest waterproof you can raise. But you must be sure to have that white mackintosh sent to Castle Gay.” A plan was vaguely building itself up in his head.
Jaikie arranged the departure with an eye to the observation-points on the hill and in the by-road. The mere exit from Knockraw was not a difficult problem; the real trouble would come when they were beyond the policies and in the rough pastures which stretched to the eastern wall of Castle Gay park. Once at that wall they were safe for a time, for there was a gate of which Alison had the key, and inside the park there were Mackillop and his myrmidons to ward off strangers.
Alison had her pony brought round, and set off at a canter down the avenue. Her arrival had been observed, and her going must be not less conspicuous. She rode fast through the drizzle till she reached the steading of Kirnshaw, which is one of the Castle farms. There she left her pony, and returned on foot to a clump of birches at the edge of a broomy common, where she was to meet the others. Her local knowledge could not be