friend," rejoined one of the newcomers, "'tis pleasant to
feel that so faithful a watch guards the entrance of this palace of
pleasure."

Thereupon the two visitors, who of a truth must have been guided either
by instinct or by intimate knowledge of the place, for not a gleam of
light illumined the entrance hall, groped their way to a flight of stone
stairs which led in a steep curve to the upper floors of the house.

A rickety banister which gave ominously under the slightest pressure
helped to guide the visitors in this utter darkness: but obviously the
warning uttered by that mysterious challenging voice below was not
superfluous, for having carefully counted sixteen steps in an upward
direction, the newcomers came to a halt, and feeling their way forward
now with uttermost caution, their feet met a yawning hole, which had
soon caused a serious accident to a stranger who had ventured thus far
in ignorance of pitfalls.

A grim laugh, echoed by a lighter one, showed that the visitors had
encountered only what they had expected, and after this brief episode
they continued their journey upwards with a firmer sense of security; a
smoky oil lamp on the first floor landing guided their footsteps by
casting a flickering light on the narrow stairway, whereon slime and
filth crept unchecked through the broken crevices between the stones.

But now as they advanced, the silence seemed more broken: a distinct hum
as of many voices was soon perceptible, and anon a shrill laugh,
followed by another more deep in tone, and echoed by others which
presently died away in the distance.

By the time the two men had reached the second floor landing these many
noises had become more accentuated, also more distinct; still muffled
and subdued as if proceeding from behind heavy doors, but nevertheless
obvious as the voices of men and women in lively converse.

The newcomers gave the distinctive raps prescribed by their first
mentor, on the thick panels of a solid oak door on their left.

The next moment the door itself was thrown open from within; a flood of
light burst forth upon the gloomy landing from the room beyond, the
babel of many voices became loud and clear, and as the two men stood for
a moment beneath the lintel a veritable chorus of many exclamations
greeted them from every side.

"Walterton! begad!"

"And Overbury, too!"

"How late ye come!"

"We thought ye'd fallen a victim to Noll's myrmidons!"

It was of a trut