"

Sir Timothy, choosing a moment's respite from the inflowing stream of
guests, came once more across to them.

"I am going to leave you, my honoured guests from The Sanctuary," he
said, with a faint smile, "to yourselves for a short time. In the room
to your left, supper is being served. In front is the dancing-gallery.
To the right, as you see, is the lounge leading into the winter-garden.
The gymnasium is closed until midnight. Any other part of the place
please explore at your leisure, but I am going to ask you one thing.
I want you to meet me in a room which I will show you, at a quarter to
twelve."

He led them down one of the corridors which opened from the hall. Before
the first door on the right a man-servant was standing as though
on sentry duty. Sir Timothy tapped the panel of the door with his
forefinger.

"This is my sanctum," he announced. "I allow no one in here without
special permission. I find it useful to have a place to which one can
come and rest quite quietly sometimes. Williams here has no other duty
except to guard the entrance. Williams, you will allow this gentleman
and these two ladies to pass in at a quarter to twelve."

The man looked at them searchingly.

"Certainly, sir," he said. "No one else?"

"No one, under any pretext."

Sir Timothy hurried back to the hall, and the others followed him in
more leisurely fashion. They were all three full of curiosity.

"I never dreamed," Margaret declared, as she looked around her, "that
I should ever find myself inside this house. It has always seemed to
me like one great bluebeard's chamber. If ever my father spoke of it at
all, it was as of a place which he intended to convert into a sort of
miniature Hell."

Sir Timothy leaned back to speak to them as they passed.

"You will find a friend over there, Ledsam," he said.

Wilmore turned around and faced them. The two men exchanged somewhat
surprised greetings.

"No idea that I was coming until this afternoon," Wilmore explained. "I
got my card at five o'clock, with a note from Sir Timothy's secretary. I
am racking my brains to imagine what it can mean."

"We're all a little addled," Francis confessed. "Come and join our
tour of exploration. You know Lady Cynthia. Let me present you to Mrs.
Hilditch."

The introduction was effected and they all, strolled on together.
Margaret and Lady Cynthia led the way into the winter-garden, a palace
of glass, tall palms, banks of exotics, flowe