g her the miniature his wife wore of
their little son and heir. The old duchess's maid says that she met him
on the stairs as she was coming down, and told him that her mistress was
sitting in her tea-gown taking her regular glass of hot whisky-and-water
before getting into bed; so he would have to be quick if he wished to
speak to her for, as soon as she had finished that, she would lock and
bolt the door and go to bed forthwith.

"He says, however, that when he got to the room the door was already
locked, that in answer to his knocking and appealing the old duchess had
merely told him to go about his business. She said she paid her rates
and taxes to support unions and workhouses for paupers, and that she
wasn't going to support any on the outside.

"After that, he says, he came away, knowing that it was hopeless, went
down and rejoined his wife, and in five or ten minutes' time they said
good-night to their host and hostess and went home. That was the very
last interview, so far as anybody has been able to discover, that any
one had with the Dowager Duchess of Heatherlands. On account of the weak
state of Mrs. Glossop's health, the entertainment broke up early. At
half-past twelve the final guest took his departure; at one, Captain
Glossop's man helped his master to undress and get into his bed. At the
same moment Mrs. Glossop's maid performed a like office for her
mistress, saw her in hers, put out the light, and in another ten minutes
every soul in the house was between sheets and asleep.

"At three o'clock, however, a startling thing occurred. Godwin, the
cook, waking thirsty and finding her water-bottle empty, rose and went
downstairs to fill it. She returned in a panic to rouse the housekeeper,
Mrs. Condiment, and tell her that there was a light burning in the old
duchess's room, its reflection being clearly visible under the door and
through the keyhole. She, the cook, had knocked on the door to inquire
if anything was wanted, as she knew the duchess's maid was asleep in
another part of the house. But she had been unable to get any sort of a
response.

"Well, to make a long story short, my dear Cleek," went on Narkom, "the
household was roused, the door of the duchess's room was found to be
both locked and bolted on the inside--so securely that, all other
efforts to open it proving unavailing, an axe had to be procured and the
barrier hacked down. When the last fragment fell and the captain and his
servants