hem mulberry
trees is so blessed thick. You don't notice the place till you come
smack on to it, on account of furze bushes and ivy along the foot of the
wall. You can creep up till you're almost on it, though, without a body
seein' of you, 'specially if you go before the party comes back."

"Right you are," said Cleek in reply. "I'll act on that tip, my lad.
Now, then, listen here. There's a ruin in the grounds of this place, and
that ruin I particularly wish to have closely watched to-night. For one
thing, the man who murdered the Common keeper made his way to that place
and buried his victim's clothing there; and for another--oh, well, never
mind. That will keep for later. Miss Lorne"--he turned to Ailsa, who all
along had remained silent and closely huddled back in the shadow of the
wall-angle and the trees--"Miss Lorne, we shall have to defer our stroll
on the Common until later, I'm afraid. I shall have to look into the
matter of this mysterious woman in pink before we can give any further
thought to Lady Clavering and her possible anxiety over her stepson. In
the meantime, will you, as silently and as expeditiously as you can,
steal back through the grounds and show Dollops the way to the ruin?
Afterward, you and I can meet again here. And you, Dollops, listen
closely to what I say. The chances are that some one, either man or
woman, will secretly visit that ruin to-night. Keep yourself well hidden
and your eyes wide open. If a woman comes, slip away from the place as
quietly as you can, come round to the shrubbery near the front entrance
to the house, and hoot like an owl three times in succession; then lie
low until I come out and join you. But if, on the other hand, it should
be a man who puts in an appearance--here, lay hold of this pair of
handcuffs--look sharp! At all costs, at any hazard, get those things on
him and then blow your police whistle as a signal to me. I'll be with
you like a shot. Now, then, cut along with you. Show him the way, Miss
Lorne, and be as quiet as you can in your movements, both of you."

"Mice'll be fools to us, sir," whispered Dollops.

Cleek waited a minute to let them get well on their way, then stooped in
the darkness, crept to the wall door, opened it cautiously, and went
down on all-fours upon the strip of grass and the row of furze bushes
that flanked that wall upon the outer side and made a narrow black alley
between it and the crowded mulberry trees.

The moon had ridd