"But why this urgency?" I asked again. "I admit that we have some very horrible natural phenomena to deal with; but, apart from the fact that some wretched poacher has stolen a dog, we have no human element to fear. I don't see how he can help, and he might run a risk himself."
"Never mind--fetch him or send for him. If you could have seen yourself start when you returned to the pool yonder to find me missing, you would realise that your nervous system would be the better for a little congenial companionship. Frankly, Mr. Ewart, I don't like the idea of you being left alone here during the next few days with a blind girl and an old man--if you'll pardon me for being so blunt."
"But you'll be here," I said; "and I hope you will have something to say to us that will put nerves out of the question when you have examined Myra."
Garnesk rose to his feet and laid a friendly hand on my arm.
"As soon as I've seen what this place looks like at a quarter-past four to a quarter-past five in the afternoon I shall leave you."
"But--good heavens, man!" I cried, aghast, "you won't leave us like that. We hoped for so much from your visit. You can't realise, man, what it may mean to--to us all! You see----"
"My dear chap," said my companion, cutting me short with a laugh, "it is just because I do realise that my presence here may be dangerous to Miss McLeod that I propose to leave."
"Dangerous to her?" I gasped. "What on earth do you mean now?" The whole world seemed to have taken leave of its senses, and I mentally vowed that I should wire for Dennis first thing in the morning.
"I say that because her dog has been drugged and taken away."
"But some fool of a poacher was responsible for that!" I cried.
My companion looked at me thoughtfully as he puffed at his pipe.
"I was the cause of the dog's disappearance," he said quietly.
"I see what you're driving at," I said. "You pretended to steal the dog because you were afraid Myra would make overwhelming objections to your vivisecting him, or whatever you want to do. Of course, now I see you would be the only person about Invermalluch Lodge likely to have chloroform. But even then I don't see what you mean by saying that your presence here would be dangerous to Miss McLeod."