w from his pocket his 'Book of Chances,' a volume as well
thumbed as the minister's Bible. 'This is a treatise on the subject,' he
said. 'I will teach it to you some day.'

The same evening Havill asked Dare to dine with him. He was just at
this time living en garcon, his wife and children being away on a visit.
After dinner they sat on till their faces were rather flushed. The talk
turned, as before, on the castle-competition.

'To know his design is to win,' said Dare. 'And to win is to send him
back to London where he came from.'

Havill inquired if Dare had seen any sketch of the design while with
Somerset?

'Not a line. I was concerned only with the old building.'

'Not to know it is to lose, undoubtedly,' murmured Havill.

'Suppose we go for a walk that way, instead of consulting here?'

They went down the town, and along the highway. When they reached the
entrance to the park a man driving a basket-carriage came out from the
gate and passed them by in the gloom.

'That was he,' said Dare. 'He sometimes drives over from the hotel, and
sometimes walks. He has been working late this evening.'

Strolling on under the trees they met three masculine figures, laughing
and talking loudly.

'Those are the three first-class London draughtsmen, Bowles, Knowles,
and Cockton, whom he has engaged to assist him, regardless of expense,'
continued Dare.

'O Lord!' groaned Havill. 'There's no chance for me.'

The castle now arose before them, endowed by the rayless shade with a
more massive majesty than either sunlight or moonlight could impart; and
Havill sighed again as he thought of what he was losing by Somerset's
rivalry. 'Well, what was the use of coming here?' he asked.

'I thought it might suggest something--some way of seeing the design.
The servants would let us into his room, I dare say.'

'I don't care to ask. Let us walk through the wards, and then homeward.'

They sauntered on smoking, Dare leading the way through the gate-house
into a corridor which was not inclosed, a lamp hanging at the further
end.

'We are getting into the inhabited part, I think,' said Havill.

Dare, however, had gone on, and knowing the tortuous passages from his
few days' experience in measuring them with Somerset, he came to the
butler's pantry. Dare knocked, and nobody answering he entered, took
down a key which hung behind the door, and rejoined Havill. 'It is
all right,' he said. 'The cat's away; and the mice are a