eady?"

Stuteley nodded as he entered on pointed toes.

"From the window," explained Robin, pushing him towards the lattice. A
faint starry radiance illumined the sky, and dim shadows held the angles
and nooks of the court below them.

A dense ivy clung to and covered the walls of the house. To one of light
and agile body it gave fair footing. Robin had hands and feet in it in
a moment; and cautiously, adroitly came to the ground, and signalled to
Will Stuteley.

The little ex-tumbler would have liked to have done tricks and shown his
cleverness in the business, had there been time for it: as it was, Will
dropped beside Robin lightly and easily, and instantly the two began to
cross the court.

It was necessary for them to climb over the stables at their left hand.
Some dogs, hearing these quiet, stealthy footfalls, began to bay
furiously: and both the youths stayed themselves until the beasts went
grumbling and suspicious back to the kennels.

They then renewed their journey, and, under the better light, made a
safe crossing of the stable-roofs.

They managed at length to win the gardens, and then raced across the
open ground to gain the shelter of the yew-trees bordering the bower.
The pleasance, in the soft moonlight, looked ghostly enough: the statues
and stone ornaments placed about the place seemed to be instinct with
life and to wave signals of horror to Will's starting eyes.

At last they approached the hut, and Robin saw in the bright moonlight
that the door gaped black at them. There was no sign to betray either
Warrenton or Geoffrey to him. Robin entered the hut, dragging the
unwilling esquire after him.

A draught of chill air puffed in their faces as they entered; and a
great owl blundered screamingly out into the night, the rush and noise
of it startling Will to a cold ecstasy of terror. He would have plunged
madly back to the hall had not Robin held firmly to him.

"Be not so foolish, friend," said Fitzooth, crossly. His voice took his
father's tone, as always happened when he was angered.

They moved thereafter cautiously about the hut, groping before and about
them to find something to show that Warrenton had fulfilled his mission.
Presently Will stumbled and fell, pulling down Robin atop of him.

Robin, putting out his hand to save himself, found that his fingers
grasped nothing but air. They were upon the verge of an open trap, in
the far corner of the hut; and Stuteley had tripped over t