ence shook me now. At last the suspense grew
unendurable.

"It must be long past midnight," I whispered.

"It is," agreed Godfrey gravely; "we may as well go down."

He paused an instant longer to stare out into the darkness, then
descended quickly. I followed, and found him waiting, a dark shadow.
He put his hand on my arm, and stood a moment, as though in
indecision. For myself, I felt as though an intolerable burden had
been laid upon my shoulders.

"Well," I asked, at last, "what now?"

"We must see if Swain has returned," he answered. "If he has, all
right. If he hasn't, we'll have to go and look for him."

"What is it you fear, Godfrey?" I demanded. "Do you think Swain's in
danger?"

"I don't know what I fear; but there's something wrong over there.
This is the first night for a week that that light hasn't appeared."

"Still," I pointed out, "that may have nothing to do with Swain."

"No; but it's a coincidence that he should be in the grounds--and I'm
always afraid of coincidences. Let us see if he is back," and he
turned toward the house.

But I held his arm.

"If he's back," I said, "he'll have taken the ladders down from the
wall."

"That's true," and together we made our way forward among the trees.
Then we reached the wall, and there was the dim white line of the
ladder leaning against it. Without a word, Godfrey mounted it, stood
an instant at the top, and then came down again.

"The other ladder is still there," he said, and took off his cap and
rubbed his head perplexedly. I could not see his face, but I could
guess how tense it was. I had been with him in many trying situations,
but only once before had I seen him use that gesture!

"It won't do to alarm the house," he said, at last. "Do you know where
he was to meet Miss Vaughan?"

"At an arbour in one corner of the grounds," I answered.

"Then we'll start from there and take a quiet look for him. Wait here
for me a minute."

He melted into the darkness, and I stood holding on to the ladder as
though in danger of falling, and staring at the top of the wall, where
I had last seen Swain. An hour and a half had passed since then....

A touch on the arm brought me around with a start.

"Here, put this pistol in your pocket," said Godfrey's voice, and I
felt the weapon pressed into my hand. "And here's an electric torch.
Do you feel the button?"

"Yes," I said, and pressed it. A ray of light shot toward the wall,
but I released the