aside the window
was not shut by three or four inches. I will have a look through the
shrubbery. That fellow may have come back again. Pull the curtains to
after me."

"I will go with you, Mark."

"I would rather you didn't, father; it would only make me nervous. I
shan't go into the shrubbery and give them a chance of getting first
shot. I shall hide up somewhere and listen. It is a still night, and if
there is anyone moving I am pretty sure to hear him."

The Squire turned down the lamp, drew the curtains, and seated himself
by the fire. It was three quarters of an hour before Mark returned. He
shut the window, and fastened it carefully.

"I fancy you must have been mistaken, Mark."

"I suppose that shot through the window has made me nervous. I certainly
did fancy I heard a noise there; it may have been a dead bough snapping,
or something of that sort; and of course, the window being partly open,
even though only three or four inches, any little noise would come in
more plainly than it otherwise would do. However, everything has been
perfectly quiet since I went out, and it is hardly likely indeed that
the fellow would have returned so soon after the hot chase I gave him."

"It is very stupid--the window being left open," the Squire said. "I
shall question Martha about it in the morning; it was her duty to see
that it was shut and fastened before drawing the curtains. Just at
present one can scarcely be too careful. I don't mean to deny that
whether there was a window open or not a burglar who wanted to get into
the house could do so, still there is no use in making their work more
easy for them. I know, as a rule, we are careless about such things;
there has not been a burglary in this part for years, and until lately
the front door has never been locked at night, and anyone could have
walked in who wanted to. Of course the servants don't know that there is
any reason for being more careful at present than usual.

"I was thinking the other day of having shutters put to all these
downstair rooms. Some of them have got them, and some have not; still,
even with shutters, burglars can always get in if they want to do so.
They have only to cut round the lock of a door or to make a hole in a
panel to give them room to put an arm through and draw back a bolt, and
the thing is done. I know that all the silver is locked up every night
in the safe, for Ramoo sees to that, and I have never known him neglect
anything u