Part 45 (2/2)

”He says, to watch his wife.”

”What is she here for?”

”She says she has letters written to her husband by some member of this household, which have aroused her suspicions.”

”That sounds more promising. Who is this person?”

”A woman of course--but she only knows her Christian name.”

”And that is?”

”She will not tell me.”

”Ah!” said Kent-Lauriston drily.

”I've sources of information about Darcy, which I'm not at liberty to give you,” resumed Stanley, ”but you're not on the right track, believe me.”

”Time will prove the correctness of some of my theories, at least,”

replied his mentor, ”and I shall be better able to talk when I've seen the marriage register. Now let's have something to drink, and go to bed;” and he pressed the bell.

An interval having elapsed without an answer, he rang again, but no servant appeared.

”It must be later than I thought. We'll have to s.h.i.+ft for ourselves.

There'll be something going in the billiard-room.”

”Hark!” said Stanley. ”There's somebody in the hall; it's probably the butler shutting up for the night.”

They both listened, and a peculiar, shuffling, sc.r.a.ping sound became audible.

”That's a curious noise,” said the Secretary. ”Let's see what it means,”

and, suiting the action to the word, he threw open the smoking-room door.

The light in the hall was turned out, and the sombre black oak panelling made the great apartment seem darker than it really was. Absolute stillness reigned. It was, to all appearance, empty.

”Must have been rats,” said the Secretary. ”Everyone seems to have retired.”

”Have they?” said Kent-Lauriston.

”Listen!”

And both could have sworn that they heard, far up the hall, the dying rustle of a skirt. But there were some things that Stanley had no wish to know, and he set his face and his steps towards the stairs, continuing:--

”As I was saying, we are the only people up.

”Then we'd better go to bed.”

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