I was so thoroughly angry with myself that after

idling along the shores for an hour I lost my way in the

dark wood when I landed and brought up at the rear

door used by Bates for communication with the villagers

who supplied us with provender. I readily found

my way to the kitchen and to a flight of stairs beyond,

which connected the first and second floors. The house

was dark, and my good spirits were not increased as I

stumbled up the unfamiliar way in the dark, with, I

fear, a malediction upon my grandfather, who had built

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and left incomplete a house so utterly preposterous. My

unpardonable fling at the girl still rankled; and I was

cold from the quick descent of the night chill on the

water and anxious to get into more comfortable clothes.

Once on the second floor I felt that I knew the way to

my room, and I was feeling my way toward it over the

rough floor when I heard low voices rising apparently

from my sitting-room.

It was pitch dark in the hall. I stopped short and

listened. The door of my room was open and a faint

light flashed once into the hall and disappeared. I heard

now a sound as of a hammer tapping upon wood-work.

Then it ceased, and a voice whispered: "He'll kill me if he finds me here. I'll try again to-morrow.

I swear to God I'll help you, but no more

now-"

Then the sound of a scuffle and again the tapping of

the hammer. After several minutes more of this there

was a whispered dialogue which I could not hear.

Whatever was occurring, two or three points struck

me on the instant. One of the conspirators was an unwilling

party to an act as yet unknown; second, they

had been unsuccessful and must wait for another opportunity;

and third, the business, whatever it was, was

clearly of some importance to myself, as my own apartments

in my grandfather's strange house had been

chosen for the investigation.

Clearly, I was not prepared to close the incident, but

the idea of frightening my visitors appealed to my sense

of humor. I tiptoed to the front stairway, ran lightly

down, found the front door, and, from the inside,

opened and slammed it. I heard instantly a hurried

scamper above, and the heavy fall of one who had stumbled

in the dark. I grinned with real pleasure at the

sound of this mishap, hurried into the great library,

which was as dark as a well, and, opening one of the long

windows, stepped out on the balcony. At once from the

rear of the house came the sound of a stealthy step,

which increased to a run at the ravine bridge. I listened

to the flight of the fugitive through the wood until the

sounds died away toward the lake.




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