"He always sits there," I said. "I suppose my uncle taught him to
originally, and now he thinks it belongs to him. We shall find him
in exactly the same place when we come down to breakfast."
Manning, who had been watching the dog's proceedings with a curious
intentness, rose slowly to his feet.
"I don't think I'll have a drink," he remarked. "It's a little early
and I haven't got your cast-iron constitution. Bed seems to me the
best notion. I've a sort of feeling that after I've finished this
cigarette I shall be able to put in a couple of hours' sleep."
"Well, as I told you before, take it easy," I replied. "The eggs and
bacon will keep till we're ready for them."
We set off up the staircase, and, pausing for a moment in the
passage, Manning once more expressed his apologies.
"You're a real sportsman, Dryden," he said. "I should have been
horribly peevish myself if anyone had dragged me out of bed at this
unholy hour."
"I generally wake up in an amiable mood," I replied. "It's only a
matter of good health and having the right kind of whisky."
I watched him go into his room and close the door, and then, feeling
uncommonly thankful that I had not got to be civil to him any longer,
I proceeded to follow his example.
I had bungled the business beyond any manner of doubt, and I was so
angry with my own stupidity that I very nearly hurled the poker into
the grate. It was maddening to think that if I had only displayed an
ounce of gumption I might by now have got to the bottom of the whole
infernal mystery. Instead of doing this, I had allowed Manning to
walk clean out of the trap, and no doubt, in the security of his own
room, he was laughing to himself over the easy way in which he had
outwitted me.
The only consolation that remained was the fact that there was no
further reason for keeping awake. I could at least turn into bed and
get a few hours' sleep, with the comforting assurance that I was not
neglecting my job. Whatever else Manning might have left in the
hall, he would certainly manage to do without it as long as Satan was
sitting on the mat.