e thing in the world which is likely to upset a
nervous man more than anything, it is to be designated "scared" in that
precise tone of voice. It is from such efforts that heroes are made.
Dollops, whose heart had turned to water within him, found it instantly
hardening at the butler's joking tone, and the bantering look upon the
man's rosy face settled the matter. He squared his shoulders and threw
back his head, though his jaw was chattering like a chimpanzee's.

"Course I ain't--stoopid!" he said stammeringly. "Show us the way, and
I'm orf at once. Any other entrance but this one?"

"Yes. Through the courtyard and down the stone steps. But it ain't never
used. Your gentleman went dahn yesterday mornin' with Miss Maud, just
for a bit of fun like. I'm needin' a couple er bottles er best port up,
if you've a mind ter fetch 'em fer me, an' when yer gets back I'll give
yer a swallow er Burgundy ter warm yer. 'Ere's the keys. Bottom of the
steps and first door ter yer right. You'll see a lot of others, but I
wouldn't meddle with them if I was you. Them's _'er_ preserves. I
believe you're scared stiff--even at this time of day?"

Dollops favoured him with a withering look, being perfectly unable to
find his voice, and then proceeded to the door with steady step, flung
it open, and straightway began to descend the staircase to the cellar,
his rubber-soled shoes making no sound upon the wooden stairs with
their carpeting of thick felt and with his heart literally in his gaping
mouth. Down, down, down the stairs led him, and then he heard a laugh
from the top of them, turning suddenly to see Jarvis's smiling face
above, framed in the open doorway, heard the door slam loudly, and the
key grate in the lock, and realized that he had been the victim of a
pleasant little practical joke.

The palms of his hands went wet. He felt a mad impulse to bound up the
stairs again and hammer upon the door until he gained admittance, but
his pride held him back.

"No, I'll see 'im in 'ell first, the blinkin' practical joker!" he
apostrophized the absent butler in tones of blackest rage, and then,
curiosity getting the better of him, seeing that there was no other
alternative but to go down and then return by the _other_ way, "which
was scarcely ever used," proceeded on his journey into blackness, which
grew each second more black, until he was stepping carefully, with one
hand pressed against the stone of the wall and his eyes goggling thr