and lit a candle. Obviously it was my
duty to inform Lord Ragnall of what had happened and that as soon as
possible. But I had no idea in what part of that huge building his
sleeping place might be, nor, for patent reasons, was it desirable
that I should disturb the house and so create talk. In this dilemma I
remembered that Lord Ragnall's confidential servant, Mr. Savage, when he
conducted me to my room on the previous night, which he made a point of
doing perhaps because he wished to talk over the matter of the snakes
that had found their way into his pockets, had shown me a bell in it
which he said rang outside his door. He called it an "emergency bell." I
remarked idly that it was improbable that I should have any occasion for
its use.

"Who knows, sir?" said Mr. Savage prophetically. "There are folk who say
that this old castle is haunted, which after what I have seen to-night
I can well believe. If you should chance to meet a ghost looking, let us
say, like those black villains, Harum and Scarum, or whatever they call
themselves--well, sir, two's better company than one."

I considered that bell but was loath to ring it for the reasons I have
given. Then I went outside the room and looked. As I had hoped might be
the case, there ran the wire on the face of the wall connected along its
length by other wires with the various rooms it passed.

I set to work and followed that wire. It was not an easy job; indeed
once or twice it reminded me of that story of the old Greek hero who
found his way through a labyrinth by means of a silken thread. I forget
whether it were a bull or a lady he was looking for, but with care and
perseverance he found one or the other, or it may have been both.

Down staircases and various passages I went with my eye glued upon the
wire, which occasionally got mixed up with other wires, till at length
it led me through a swing door covered with red baize into what appeared
to be a modern annexe to the castle. Here at last it terminated on
the spring of an alarming-looking and deep-throated bell that hung
immediately over a certain door.

On this door I knocked, hoping that it might be that of Mr. Savage and
praying earnestly that it did not enclose the chaste resting-place of
the cook or any other female. Too late, I mean after I had knocked,
it occurred to me that if so my position would be painful to a degree.
However in this particular Fortune stood my friend, which does not
always happ