my friend," he said. "And who was to tell you that
the guest would not drink at all?"

Then he turned on his heel suddenly and left the room.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

THE OPEN WINDOW

He had scarcely taken a dozen steps down the hallway, however, before he
encountered General Raynor, who had just then reentered the house by the
front door.

His rugged old face wore a look of deep anxiety, as though the exciting
scene through which he had so recently passed bore heavily upon his
spirits, despite Cleek's attempt to allay his distress by branding
Dollops as a possible sneak thief; but he brightened perceptibly and
made a valiant effort to appear quite at his ease when he looked up and
saw Cleek.

"Get your call over the telephone all right, Mr. Barch?" he inquired
pleasantly.

"Yes, thanks," said Cleek serenely, still keeping up his "Johnnie" air.
"Awfully obliged to you, I'm sure. Dickens of an important message.
Should have been in no end of a hole if I hadn't received it. But I say,
General, you ought to be more careful, you know, especially with sneak
thieves about."

"As how, Mr. Barch?"

"Why, that blessed swing window in the library. I found the thing
unfastened, don't you know."

He hadn't, of course, for he had not been near it. But his statement
undeniably agitated the General, though he made a brave effort to
disguise it.

"Did you?" he said. "That's peculiar. I never noticed it. I must speak
to Johnston about it; it's his duty to see that it is locked, and I
supposed he had done so. Still, it's of no great consequence as it
happens. The sneak thief didn't enter by that way, I am sure."

"No, but he might easily have done so; and if he had come in there while
you were alone you might have had a warm time of it; don't you think so,
eh, what?"

"I fancy _he_ would have had a warm time of it, as you express it, Mr.
Barch. I'm not so old but I know how to take care of myself, believe
me."

"No, I suppose not," said Cleek. "Had a jolly lot of practice in your
young days--with the gloves and all that. Forty-fifth Queen's Own used
to have a national reputation for the best boxers and wrestlers in the
service, I'm told. Suppose it was the same in your day; and you got a
lot of practice out there in Simla in your subaltern days."

"You are wrong in both particulars. I did not belong to the Forty-fifth
Queen's Own, Mr. Barch, and I was not billeted to India. I passed out of
Sandhurst into the Imp