When Parrawhite never turns up that morning, you--and
Pratt--conclude that he's the thief, and that he's run away.
"7. If you want some proof of the correctness of this last suggestion,
you'll find it in the fact that no use has ever been made of those blank
cheques, and that--in all probability--the stolen bank-notes have never
reached the Bank of England. On that last point I'm making inquiry--but
my feeling is that Pratt destroyed both cheques and bank-notes when he
stole them.
"8. This man Parrawhite out of the way, Pratt has a clear field. He's
got the will. He's already acquainted Mrs. Mallathorpe with that fact,
and with the terms of the will--whatever they may be. We may be sure,
however, that they are of such a nature as to make her willing to agree
to his demands upon her--and, accidentally, to go to any lengths--upon
which we needn't touch, at present--towards getting possession of the
will from him.
"9. And the present situation--from Pratt's standpoint of yesterday--is
this. He's so sure of his own safety that he doesn't mind revealing to
the daughter that the mother's in his power. Why? Because Pratt, like
most men of his sort, cannot believe that self-interest isn't paramount
with everybody--it's beyond him to conceive it possible that Miss
Mallathorpe would do anything that might lose her several thousands a
year.
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