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VII
The four men went to bed an hour later. They went up together. Rogers,
from the dining-room where he was setting the table for breakfast, saw
them go up. He heard them pause on the landing above.
Then the judge’s voice spoke.
‘I need hardly advise you, gentlemen, to lock your doors.’
Blore said:
‘And what’s more, put a chair under the handle. There are ways of turn-
ing locks from the outside.’
Lombard murmured:
‘My dear Blore, the trouble with you is you know too much!’
The judge said gravely:
‘Good night, gentlemen. May we all meet safely in the morning!’
Rogers came out of the dining-room and slipped half-way up the stairs.
He saw four figures pass through four doors and heard the turning of four
locks and the shooting of four bolts.
He nodded his head.
‘That’s all right,’ he muttered.
He went back into the dining-room. Yes, everything was ready for the
morning. His eye lingered on the centre plaque of looking-glass and the
seven little china figures.
A sudden grin transformed his face.
He murmured:
‘I’ll see no one plays tricks tonight, at any rate.’
Crossing the room he locked the door to the pantry. Then going through
the other door to the hall he pulled the door to, locked it and slipped the
key into his pocket.
Then, extinguishing the lights, he hurried up the stairs and into his new
bedroom.
There was only one possible hiding-place in it, the tall wardrobe, and he
looked into that immediately. Then, locking and bolting the door, he pre-
pared for bed.
He said to himself:
‘No more china-soldier tricks tonight. I’ve seen to that…’
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