l, he had said. More like a nightingale, he
reflected--a bird which in the flesh he had never met.

Mrs. Morran had the lamp lit and a fire burning in her cheerful
kitchen. The sight of it somewhat restored Dickson's equanimity, and
to his surprise he found that he had an appetite for supper. There was
new milk, thick with cream, and most of the dainties which had appeared
at tea, supplemented by a noble dish of shimmering "potted-head." The
hostess did not share their meal, being engaged in some duties in the
little cubby-hole known as the back kitchen.

Heritage drank a glass of milk but would not touch food.

"I called this place Paradise four hours ago," he said. "So it is, but
I fancy it is next door to Hell. There is something devilish going on
inside that park wall, and I mean to get to the bottom of it."

"Hoots! Nonsense!" Dickson replied with affected cheerfulness.
"To-morrow you and me will take the road for Auchenlochan. We needn't
trouble ourselves about an ugly old house and a wheen impident
lodge-keepers."

"To-morrow I'm going to get inside the place. Don't come unless you
like, but it's no use arguing with me. My mind is made up."

Heritage cleared a space on the table and spread out a section of a
large-scale Ordnance map.

"I must clear my head about the topography, the same as if this were a
battle-ground. Look here, Dogson.... The road past the inn that we
went by to-night runs north and south." He tore a page from a
note-book and proceeded to make a rough sketch.... "One end we know
abuts on the Laver glen, and the other stops at the South Lodge. Inside
the wall which follows the road is a long belt of plantation--mostly
beeches and ash--then to the west a kind of park, and beyond that the
lawns of the house. Strips of plantation with avenues between follow
the north and south sides of the park. On the sea side of the House
are the stables and what looks like a walled garden, and beyond them
what seems to be open ground with an old dovecot marked, and the ruins
of Huntingtower keep. Beyond that there is more open ground, till you
come to the cliffs of the cape. Have you got that?... It looks possible
from the contouring to get on to the sea cliffs by following the Laver,
for all that side is broken up into ravines.... But look at the other
side--the Garple glen. It's evidently a deep-cut gully, and at the
bottom it opens out into a little harbour. There's deep water there,