fled
feet beat the floor to a quicker measure. In sudden panic I sprang out
of bed and flung open my door. A light burnt low on the landing, and by
it I could see Mackenzie swaying and staggering in a silent tussle with
some powerful adversary.

"Hold this man!" he cried, as I appeared. "Hold the rascal!"

But I stood like a fool until the pair of them backed into me, when,
with a deep breath I flung myself on the fellow, whose face I had seen
at last. He was one of the footmen who waited at table; and no sooner
had I pinned him than the detective loosed his hold.

"Hang on to him," he cried. "There's more of 'em below."

And he went leaping down the stairs, as other doors opened and Lord
Amersteth and his son appeared simultaneously in their pyjamas. At
that my man ceased struggling; but I was still holding him when Crowley
turned up the gas.

"What the devil's all this?" asked Lord Amersteth, blinking. "Who was
that ran downstairs?"

"Mac--Clephane!" said I hastily.

"Aha!" said he, turning to the footman. "So you're the scoundrel, are
you? Well done! Well done! Where was he caught?"

I had no idea.

"Here's Lady Melrose's door open," said Crowley. "Lady Melrose! Lady
Melrose!"

"You forget she's deaf," said Lord Amersteth. "Ah! that'll be her maid."

An inner door had opened; next instant there was a little shriek, and a
white figure gesticulated on the threshold.

"Ou donc est l'ecrin de Madame la Marquise? La fenetre est ouverte.
Il a disparu!"

"Window open and jewel-case gone, by Jove!" exclaimed Lord Amersteth.
"Mais comment est Madame la Marquise? Est elle bien?"

"Oui, milor. Elle dort."

"Sleeps through it all," said my lord. "She's the only one, then!"

"What made Mackenzie--Clephane--bolt?" young Crowley asked me.

"Said there were more of them below."

"Why the devil couldn't you tell us so before?" he cried, and went
leaping downstairs in his turn.

He was followed by nearly all the cricketers, who now burst upon the
scene in a body, only to desert it for the chase. Raffles was one of
them, and I would gladly have been another, had not the footman chosen
this moment to hurl me from him, and to make a dash in the direction
from which they had come. Lord Amersteth had him in an instant; but
the fellow fought desperately, and it took the two of us to drag him
downstairs, amid a terrified chorus from half-open doors. Eventually
we handed him over to two other footmen