ough the snow to the house. The hall fire
smouldered as pleasantly as it had done before they had set forth, yet an
interminable period seemed to have elapsed. Silas Blackburn went close to
the fire. He sank in a chair, trembling.

"I'm so cold," he whined. "I've never been so cold. What is the matter
with me? For God's sake tell me what is the matter! Katherine--if--if
nothing happens, we'll close the Cedars. We'll go to the city where there
are lots of lights."

"If you'd only listened to Bobby and me and gone long ago," she said.

Robinson stared at the fire.

"I'm about beaten," he muttered wearily.

Rawlins, with an air of stealth, walked upstairs. Graham, after a
moment's hesitation, followed him. Bobby wondered why they went. He
caught Robinson's eye. He indicated he would like to speak to him in the
library. As he left the hall he saw Paredes, who had not removed his hat
or coat, start for the front door.

"Where are you going?" he heard Robinson demand.

Paredes's reply came glibly.

"Only to walk up and down in the court. The house oppresses me more than
ever to-night. I feel with Mr. Blackburn that it is no place to stay."

And while he talked with Robinson in the library Bobby caught at times
the crunching of Paredes's feet in the court.

"Why does that court draw him?" Robinson asked. "Why does he keep
repeating that it is full of ghosts? He can't be trying to scare us with
that now."

But Bobby didn't answer.

"I've come to tell you the truth," he burst out, "everything I know. You
may lock me up. Even that would be better than this uncertainty. I must
have an answer, if it condemns me; and how could I have had anything to
do with what has happened to-night?"

He withheld nothing. Robinson listened with an intent interest. At the
end he said not unkindly:

"If the evidence and Howells's report hadn't disappeared I'd have
arrested you and considered the case closed before this miracle was
thrown at me. You've involved yourself so frankly that I don't believe
you're lying about what went on in the old room when you entered to steal
those exhibits. Can't say I blame you for trying that, either. You were
in a pretty bad position--an unheard-of position. You still are, for that
matter. But the case is put on such an extraordinary basis by what has
happened to-night that I'd be a fool to lock you up on such a confession.
I believe there's a good deal more in what has gone on in that room and
in