button instantly.

"You'd better keep it in your hand," he added, "ready for action. No
telling what we'll run across. And now come ahead."

He put his foot on the ladder, but I stopped him.

"Look here, Godfrey," I said, "do you realise that what we're about to
do is pretty serious? Swain might have a legal excuse, since the
daughter of the house invited him to a meeting; but if we go over the
wall, we're trespassers pure and simple. Anybody who runs across us in
the darkness has the right to shoot us down without asking any
questions--and we'd have no legal right to shoot back!"

I could hear Godfrey chuckling, and I felt my cheeks redden.

"You remind me of Tartarin," he said; "the adventurer-Tartarin urging
you on, the lawyer-Tartarin holding you back. My advice is to shake
the lawyer, Lester. He's out of his element here to-night. But if he's
too strong for you, why, stay here," and he started up the ladder.

Burning with vexation, I started after him, but suddenly he stopped.

"Listen!" he whispered.

I heard something rattle against the other side of the wall; then a
dark figure appeared on the coping.

I felt Godfrey press me back, and descended cautiously. A moment
later, something slid down the wall, and I knew that the person at the
top had lifted the other ladder over. Then the figure descended, and
then a distorted face stared into the circle of Godfrey's torch.

For a breath, I did not recognise it; then I saw that it was Swain's.

I shall never forget the shock it gave me, with its starting eyes and
working mouth and smear of blood across the forehead. Godfrey, I knew,
was also startled, for the light flashed out for an instant, and then
flashed on again.

"What is it, Swain?" I cried, and seized him by the arm; but he shook
me off roughly.

"Stand back!" he cried, hoarsely. "Who is it? What do you want?"

"It's Lester," I said, and Godfrey flashed his torch into my face,
then back to Swain's.

"But you're not alone."

"No; this is Mr. Godfrey."

"Mr. Godfrey?"

"Whose house we're staying at," I explained.

"Ah!" said Swain, and put one hand to his head and leaned heavily
against the ladder.

"I think we'd better go to the house," Godfrey suggested, soothingly.
"We all need a bracer. Then we can talk. Don't you think so, Mr.
Swain?"

Swain nodded vacantly, but I could see that he had not understood.
His face was still working and he seemed to be in pain.

"I want to wash," he