ought that it would be nice for us to begin the world with. I told
her that she must not allow her mind to dwell upon things of this sort;
being wholly against the last commandment set up in our church at Oare.

Now one evening towards September, when the days were drawing in,
looking back at the house to see whether Lorna were looking after me,
I espied (by a little glimpse, as it were) a pair of villainous fellows
(about whom there could be no mistake) watching from the thicket-corner,
some hundred yards or so behind the good Earl's dwelling. 'There is
mischief afoot,' thought I to myself, being thoroughly conversant with
theft, from my knowledge of the Doones; 'how will be the moon to-night,
and when may we expect the watch?'

I found that neither moon nor watch could be looked for until the
morning; the moon, of course, before the watch, and more likely to be
punctual. Therefore I resolved to wait, and see what those two villains
did, and save (if it were possible) the Earl of Brandir's pewter box.
But inasmuch as those bad men were almost sure to have seen me leaving
the house and looking back, and striking out on the London road, I
marched along at a merry pace, until they could not discern me; and
then I fetched a compass round, and refreshed myself at a certain inn,
entitled The Cross-bones and Buttons.

Here I remained until it was very nearly as dark as pitch; and the house
being full of footpads and cutthroats, I thought it right to leave them.
One or two came after me, in the hope of designing a stratagem; but I
dropped them in the darkness; and knowing all the neighbourhood well, I
took up my position, two hours before midnight, among the shrubs at the
eastern end of Lord Brandir's mansion. Hence, although I might not see,
I could scarcely fail to hear, if any unlawful entrance either at back
or front were made.

From my own observation, I thought it likely that the attack would be
in the rear; and so indeed it came to pass. For when all the lights were
quenched, and all the house was quiet, I heard a low and wily whistle
from a clump of trees close by; and then three figures passed between me
and a whitewashed wall, and came to a window which opened into a part
of the servants' basement. This window was carefully raised by some one
inside the house; and after a little whispering, and something which
sounded like a kiss, all the three men entered.

'Oh, you villains!' I said to myself, 'this is worse th