g means by which McVay could be secured in his absence--if
he went.

At length he rose suddenly to his feet.

"I'll go," he said, "but before I go, I'll tie you up so safely that, if
I don't come back, you'll starve to death before you'll be able to get
out or make any one hear you. On these terms do you still want me to
go?"

"Oh, yes, I want you to go," said McVay, "only for goodness sake be
careful. If you should feel any temptation to lie down and go to sleep
don't yield to it; they say it's fatal. The great thing is to keep on
walking--"

"Oh, shut up," said Geoffrey. In view of the possibility that he was
going to meet death at the hands of his fluent companion's accomplices
he found this friendly advice unbearable.

"This hut, I take it," he said, "is an old woodcutter's shanty in the
north woods?"

"Yes, something over a mile and a half north of here."

"I know the place," said Geoffrey, "now come along, and we'll see how I
can fix you up until I come back."

He had in mind a heavy upstairs cedar-closet. It had been designed by a
thoughtful architect for the storing of summer wearing apparel, and was
strongly built. It had besides the advantage of having a door that
opened in and so was difficult to break open from the inside. Here,
having removed a complete burglar's outfit from his pockets, Geoffrey
disposed McVay, being met with a readiness on McVay's part that seemed
to prove either that he was sincere in his belief in Holland's safe
return, or else was perfectly confident of being able to open the door
as soon as Geoffrey's back was turned.

"But he'll find himself mistaken," Geoffrey murmured as, having locked
the door, he turned away. At this instant a faint knocking was audible,
and, gathering that McVay had some final instructions to give, Geoffrey
again opened the door.

"By the way," said the burglar, and for the first time a certain
constraint, amounting almost to embarrassment, was discernible in his
manner, "my sister has no idea about--it would be a great shock to
her--in fact, you understand, she has not discovered exactly how our
money comes to us."

"Do you expect me to believe that?" asked Geoffrey.

"I grant it does not sound likely," returned McVay, "and indeed would
not be possible with any other man than myself. But I hit upon a pretty
good yarn,--worked out well everyway. I told her--"

"I don't want to hear your infernal lies."

"But it might be convenient for you to k