ay of welcoming the coming and speeding the parting guest," threw in
Cleek with a laugh. "I'm going to shove down the latch now, so watch
him, my friend. Here goes!"

He sent the door clanging to with a vigorous pull, but--not a sound rang
out over the still air. Rhea had failed in his duty for once in his
whole long, dutiful lifetime. Cleek spun round and looked at him, face
gone suddenly blank.

"What the--that's the funniest thing! It's never failed before, except
last night, when I found it conveniently ajar," he ejaculated, staring
up at the sky. "Unless--perhaps it would have failed last night, too.
There's no knowing. But Miss Duggan assured me positively that the
thing had never been stopped. But if it _had_ been stopped for this very
happening last night, to silence the approach of an unwanted visitor,
what's to prevent 'em from swaddling the clapper up--and not had time to
undo it again? And yet, when the Inspector came it rang all right.
No--_that_ theory won't hold water, my friend."

"What's that you're mumbling about, Cleek?" threw in Mr. Narkom at this
juncture. "Clapper swaddled up? You surely don't think the bell's been
stopped for any purpose?"

"No--simply to protect the sensitive ears of the housekeeper," threw
back Cleek with a contemptuous laugh; and then whirled around upon him
and caught him by the shoulder. "Forgive me, old friend. My tongue
scampers ahead of my heart sometimes, which is a very poor trait for a
policeman to possess. What I mean to say is simply this: Up to yesterday
that bell rang--even when we came here for the first time--for I have
the evidence of my own ears to prove it. And now--it doesn't ring. So
what's prevented it? I'm going up to see."

"Cleek, my dear fellow!--to climb that height! And in daylight, too!"

"What's the harm? say I--if you'll keep watch and tell me of approaching
visitors. Here goes! Keep your eyes peeled upon the high-road, Mr.
Narkom, because it wouldn't do to be seen, y'know and if any one
approaches, whistle 'God Save the King,' and I'll slip into a
hiding-place somewhere until the coast's clear. And don't tell any
strangers who you are, will you?"

Mr. Narkom acceded to all these requests with a quick nod, took up his
post by the gateway leading out upon the road, and let his startled eyes
travel backward now and again at Cleek's nimble, crawling figure
climbing steadily up the sides of the huge gates, like a lizard upon a
wall. Up, up, up h