kind, I might have missed it altogether. But it was
quite loud enough for me to position the fellow, and the next instant I
flopped out of the darkness on to him. He gave a surprised little gasp,
a sort of sizzling like the air escaping out of a punctured tyre, and
went down on the mat underneath me. I had taken him so completely off
his guard that there was no need for me to use my gun. I got one hand on
his throat in the most approved style of the garrotte and just pressed.
He wriggled a little at first, but I kept up the same even pressure, and
presently he went limp. I knew then that he was harmless for the next
ten minutes, so I released my hold, slipped my useless Colt into my
pocket, and made to stand up. But at that precise moment the electric
light in the hall went on, and a silvery voice said, "Hands up, please!"

In the astonishment of the moment I shot my hands heavenwards and turned
round to view the new arrival. It was just as I thought. Moira had
blundered into my little surprise party, and she was doing her level
best to annex all the honors for herself. She was standing with one hand
on the light switch and the other held Bryce's automatic. Her face was
very pale, and the hand that held the revolver wasn't quite as steady as
I could have wished. She blinked a little at me--her eyes seemed blinded
by the sudden radiance--and I don't think she recognised me for the
moment, so much do one's ordinary clothes make the man.

It was clearly up to me to disillusion her and persuade her either to
put down the revolver or hold it in a way less calculated to alarm the
peaceful public.

"You'd better put down that infernal thing, Moira," I said calmly, "or
you'll be doing someone damage. The mere sight of you makes me nervous,
Diana."

There was a studied insult in the last word, but I think somehow she
must have missed it in the excitement of the moment, for she lowered her
gun and ran towards me.

"Oh, it's you!" she cried surprisedly.

"It's me," I said dourly, and I dropped my hands into a more convenient
position. "In fact it's so much me that I'd be obliged if you'd keep
quiet for a while and help me look after this gentleman on the floor. I
want to examine him, and I don't think I'll be able to do it in comfort
if you wake the rest of the family."

"Who is he?" she asked, showing by the subdued note of her voice that
she had taken my warning to heart.

"That's more than I can say," I answered. "I di