shrewd blow, Charlie, for here is a clean cut through the cloth,
and a patch of fresh blood on the white lining. How did he get you
down, lad?"

"He fell so suddenly, when I hit him, that I thought I had either
killed or stunned him; but of course I had not, for it was but a
moment after, when I was speaking to you, that I felt my ankles
seized, and I went down with a crash. I heard him make off through
the bushes; but I was, for the moment, almost dazed, and could do
nothing to stop him."

"Was the window open when he came?"

"Yes, sir, two or three inches."

"Then it was evidently a planned thing.

"Well, gentlemen, we may as well go indoors. The fellow is well out
of our reach now, and we may be pretty sure he will never again
show his face here. Fortunately he heard nothing, for the serving
men had but just left the room, and we had not yet begun to talk."

"That is true enough, Sir Marmaduke," one of the others said. "The
question is: how long has this been going on?"

Sir Marmaduke looked at Charlie.

"I know nothing about it, sir. Till now, I have not had the
slightest suspicion of this man. It occurred to me, this afternoon,
that it might be possible for anyone to hear what was said inside
the room, by listening at the windows; and that this shrubbery
would form a very good shelter for an eavesdropper. So I thought,
this evening I would take up my place here, to assure myself that
there was no traitor in the household. I had been here but five
minutes when the fellow stole quietly up, and placed his ear at the
opening of the casement, and you may be sure that I gave him no
time to listen to what was being said."

"Well, we had better go in," Sir Marmaduke said. "There is no fear
of our being overheard this evening.

"Charlie, do you take old Banks aside, and tell him what has
happened, and then go with him to the room where that fellow slept,
and make a thorough search of any clothes he may have left behind,
and of the room itself. Should you find any papers or documents,
you will, of course, bring them down to me."

But the closest search, by Charlie and the old butler, produced no
results. Not a scrap of paper of any kind was found, and Banks said
that he knew the man could neither read nor write.

The party below soon broke up, considerable uneasiness being felt,
by all, at the incident of the evening. When the last of them had
left, Charlie was sent for.

"Now, then, Charlie, let me hear