heels of these, Dick followed. He had, of course, heard
no word of this conversation; but he had recognised in the second of the
speakers old Lord Shoreby himself, a man of an infamous reputation, whom
even Sir Daniel affected, in public, to condemn.

Presently they came close down upon the beach. The air smelt salt; the
noise of the surf increased; and here, in a large walled garden, there
stood a small house of two storeys, with stables and other offices.

The foremost torch-bearer unlocked a door in the wall, and after the
whole party had passed into the garden, again closed and locked it on
the other side.

Dick and his men were thus excluded from any farther following, unless
they should scale the wall and thus put their necks in a trap.

They sat down in a tuft of furze and waited. The red glow of the torches
moved up and down and to and fro within the enclosure, as if the
link-bearers steadily patrolled the garden.

Twenty minutes passed, and then the whole party issued forth again upon
the down; and Sir Daniel and the baron, after an elaborate salutation,
separated and turned severally homeward, each with his own following of
men and lights.

As soon as the sound of their steps had been swallowed by the wind, Dick
got to his feet as briskly as he was able, for he was stiff and aching
with the cold.

"Capper, ye will give me a back up," he said.

They advanced, all three, to the wall; Capper stooped, and Dick, getting
upon his shoulders, clambered on to the cope-stone.

"Now, Greensheve," whispered Dick, "follow me up here; lie flat upon
your face, that ye may be the less seen; and be ever ready to give me a
hand if I fall foully on the other side."

And so saying he dropped into the garden.

It was all pitch dark; there was no light in the house. The wind
whistled shrill among the poor shrubs, and the surf beat upon the beach;
there was no other sound. Cautiously Dick footed it forth, stumbling
among bushes, and groping with his hands; and presently the crisp noise
of gravel underfoot told him that he had struck upon an alley.

Here he paused, and taking his cross-bow from where he kept it concealed
under his long tabard, he prepared it for instant action, and went
forward once more with greater resolution and assurance. The path led
him straight to the group of buildings.

All seemed to be sorely dilapidated: the windows of the house were
secured by crazy shutters; the stables were open and empty