the light and lock us in, so that there may be no danger of anybody
finding out that we are here. No doubt Miss Wyvern and her sister will
go to bed earlier than usual on this particular occasion. Let them do
so. Send the servants to bed, too. You and Miss Lorne go to your beds at
the same time as the others--or, at least, let them think that you have
done so; then come down and let us out."

To this Sir Horace assented, and, taking Miss Lorne with him, went at
once to the picture-gallery and joined his daughters, with whom they
remained until eleven o'clock. Promptly at that hour, however, the house
was locked up, the bride-elect and her sister went to bed--the servants
having already gone to theirs--and stillness settled down over the
darkened house. At the end of a dozen minutes, however, it was faintly
disturbed by the sound of slippered feet coming along the passage
outside the consulting-room, then a key slipped into the lock, the door
was opened, the light switched on, and Sir Horace and Miss Lorne
appeared before the eager watchers.

"Now, then, lively, my men--look sharp!" whispered Narkom. "A man to
each window and each staircase, so that nobody may go up or down or in
or out without dropping into the arms of one of you. Confine your
attention to this particular floor, and if you hear anybody coming, lay
low until he's within reach, and you can drop on him before he bolts. Is
this the door of the picture-gallery, Sir Horace?"

"Yes," answered Sir Horace, as he fitted a key to the lock. "But surely
you will need more men than you have brought, Mr. Narkom, if it is your
intention to guard every window individually, for there are four to this
room--see!"