on't you?"

"I'm sure you could, sir, if you would only forget about being nervous."

"I must try," said the lieutenant. "We are very near now."

They were now where the lamps had grown fewer, and consequently the road
between was much darker; but there was light enough for Dick to see that
they were passing a series of detached houses, built upon the same plan,
standing back some forty yards from the road, and approached by
semicircular carriage drives from gate to gate. Trees were plentiful in
the grounds, and overhung and darkened the footpath; so that, as they
passed the second gateway, the lieutenant gave a violent start, for from
close up to the wall there came a gruff voice--

"Night, gentlemen!"

"Eh! You quite startled me," said the lieutenant. "I didn't see you."

"No, sir. Don't want to be seen," replied the man. "Get some queer
customers down here sometimes, and obliged to keep a sharp look-out."

"Yes; quite right," said the lieutenant, feebly; and he walked straight
on for about a hundred yards before speaking.

"It's all over, Smithson!" he whispered at last.

"All over, sir?"

"Yes; that's the house, and there's the policeman on the watch."

"That's awkward," said Dick; "but he'll soon go, sir."

"Soon go, man! Who's to go and play a duet with a policeman keeping his
eye upon you all the time? I couldn't do it, Smithson."

"Let's walk on a little farther, sir, and then turn back."

"No; we must give it up for to-night. How terribly strange things are
turning up! And, besides, it's getting so late."

They walked on a quarter of a mile and then turned back, hardly a word
being said, the lieutenant filling up the time by uttering the peculiar
sound expressed by the word _tut_ repeated rapidly.

"Shall I go on first, sir, and see if the policeman is there?" said Dick
at last.

"No, no; it would look so suspicious. He might take us for bad
characters. We must walk by together."

"Very well, sir," replied Dick; and they strolled slowly along the now
deserted road, with the lights in the upper windows of the houses
gradually dying out one by one, as if to prove that the lieutenant's
words about being late were correct.

To their great satisfaction, though, the lights were still plainly to be
seen in the last house but one of those standing back, and as they
passed the swing gates no policeman was visible.

But they walked on back towards the town for another hundred yards, and