urly fellows, who immediately took up their places
beside me, I fancy I should have made a dash for liberty. Under the
circumstances, however, to have attempted such a thing would have been
the height of folly. Five to one, that is to say, if I include the
coachman in the number, with the gates closed behind me, were too long
odds, and however hard I might have fought, I could not possibly have
been successful.

"Perhaps you will be kind enough to step into the house," said Hayle.
"The air is cold out here, and I am afraid lest you might take
a chill."

Before complying with his order I looked round me once more to see if
there was any chance of escape. But so far as I could see there was not
one. I accordingly followed one of my captors into the building, the
remainder bringing up the rear.

From what I could see of the house with the help of the light from a
solitary candle hanging in a sconce upon the wall, it had once been a
handsome building. Now, however, it had fallen sadly to decay. The
ceiling of the hall had at one time been richly painted, but now only
blurred traces of the design remained. Crossing the hall, my guide
opened a door at the further end. In obedience to a request from Hayle,
I entered this room, to find myself standing in a fine apartment, so far
as size went, but sadly lacking in comfort where its furniture was
concerned. There was a bed, a table, three rough chairs, and an entirely
inadequate square of carpet upon the floor. I have already said that it
was a large room, and when I add that it was lighted only by two
candles, which stood upon the table in the centre, some idea will be
afforded of its general dreariness.

"Now look here, Mr. Hayle," I said, "the time has come for us to have a
serious talk together. You know as well as I do that in kidnapping me
you are laying yourself open to very serious consequences. If you think
that by so doing you are going to prevent me from eventually running you
to earth, you are very much mistaken. You have obtained a temporary
advantage over me, I will admit; but that advantage will not last. Do
not flatter yourself that it will."

"I am not so sure upon that point," said Hayle, lighting a cigarette as
he spoke. "If I did not think so I should not have gone to all this
trouble and expense. But why make such a fuss about it? You must surely
understand, Mr. Fairfax, that your profession necessarily entails risks.
This is one of them. You have been