It was such laughter as a devil from the nethermost pit might give
vent to when he saw at last a good man yield to long temptation.
"What's in there?" Rupert said again, pointing to the packing-case,
and it was as though his soul swooned within him for fear of what
the answer might be.
"What do the children say?" Deede Dawson returned with his terrible
smile. "I'll give you three guesses, isn't it? See if you can
guess in three tries."
"What's in there?" Rupert asked the third time, and Deede Dawson
laid down the screw-driver with which he had just driven home the
last screw.
"Oh, see for yourself, if you want to," he said. "But you ought to
know. You know what was in the other case I sent away from here,
the one I got Ella to take in the car for me? I want you to take
this one away now, the sooner it's away the better."
"That's it, is it?" Rupert muttered.
He no longer doubted, and for a moment all things swam together
before him and he felt dizzy and a little sick, and so weak he
staggered and nearly fell, but recovered himself in time.
The sensation passed and he saw Deede Dawson as it were a long way
off, and between them the packing-case, huge, monstrous, and evil,
like a thing of dread from some other world. Violent shudderings
swept though him one after the other, and he was aware that Deede
Dawson was speaking again.
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