"Plain water and a cold bath," answered Saunders promptly.
"Then perhaps you'll explain."
"It'll be easy. They can put the fire out after the lady has gotten away. The Minister is going to dinner to-night. Madame Minister--or whatever you call her--will be with him; so will his flock of girls, and so, of course, will His Excellency's secretary. The rest of his staff don't live there. I figure that the guards, and the servants, and Miss Atheson will be the only ones in the house. The fire will bring all but Miss Atheson to the back. A rope ladder skillfully thrown will do the rest. Now you see why I can't mix the Padre up in that. We may be arrested, though I don't think we shall. The Minister doesn't want anything of that kind. This morning I'll flash the night escape signal to Miss Atheson. She'll be ready to leave, and you may be sure she'll find a way to warn us if the guard is still around. To-night you make an excuse to the Padre and slip away. He's going to see a friend anyhow at the University out in Brookland. I heard him say so. Tell him not to worry if you happen to be out when he comes back. Fix it up any way you like, and we'll make the play and win."
"Who's to do the 'skillful throwing' of the ladder?"
"A friend of mine who used to be a fireman."
"Do you think you can get him?"
"I've engaged him already."
"H-m." Mark stared at the detective, then burst forth with, "What time did you get up?"
"I didn't have to get up. I haven't gone to bed yet."
Mark sat down in his chair to think. After a while he put out his hand to the detective.
"I believe you've got it, Saunders. I'll do it--but you'd better get some rest"
"Me for my little trundle bed." And Saunders, in high spirits, waved his hand as he went out the door.
Left alone, Mark proceeded to dress, but awaited Father Murray's return before going down to breakfast. The time seemed long after breakfast, but at length the priest prepared to leave the hotel.
Mark spoke nonchalantly. "Oh, Father, I'm going out in the country with some friends, and may not get back till quite late to-night."
"All right, Mark. I hope you have a pleasant trip."
It was so easy that Mark felt a trifle worried. His device was crude, and the priest had never before been so easily deceived.
It was midnight when a big automobile containing Saunders, his ex-fireman friend and Mark, drew up cautiously on a side street near the Ministry. The men at first walked quietly past the house. They saw a light in the apartment occupied by Ruth, but there seemed to be no other light within. They then walked around the block, passing a policeman at the corner, and entered the alley behind the Ministry on the other side, out of the bluecoat's sight. There was no one in the back yard, and Saunders easily effected an entrance into the garage, which was not far from the house. Taking from his pocket an ordinary hot-water bag, he knocked the lock off the gasoline tank and proceeded to fill the bag with gasoline. Then he turned to Mark.