emed,
appalling abruptness, Rip barked.

Although the bark was half stifled in rug, both Valentine and Julian
started perceptibly.

"'Sh!" Valentine hissed to the little dog. "'Sh! Rip! Quiet!"

The response of Rip was, with a violent scramble, to disentangle himself
from his covering, emerging from which he again barked with shrill and
piercing vehemence, at the same time leaping to the floor. By the sound,
which he could locate, Valentine felt certain that the dog had gone over
to the door.

"What on earth is he barking at?" Julian said in the darkness.

"I can't imagine. Hush, Rip! S-sh!"

"Val, turn on the light, quick! You're nearest to it."

Valentine stretched out his hand hastily, and in a flash the room sprang
into view. He was right. Rip was crouched--his front legs extended along
the floor, his hind legs standing almost straight--close to the door,
and facing it full. His head was down, and moving, darting this way and
that, as if he were worrying the feet of some person who was trying to
advance from the door into the centre of the room. All his teeth showed,
and his yellow eyes were glaring fiercely.

Julian, who had thrown a hasty and searching glance round the room when
the light was turned on, sprang forward and bent down to him.

"Rip! Rip!" he said. "Silly! What's the matter? Silly dog!" and he began
to stroke him.

Either this action of his, or something else not known by the young men,
had an effect on the terrier, for he suddenly ceased barking, and began
to snuffle eagerly, excitedly, at the bottom of the door.

"It's as if he were mad," said Julian, turning round. "Hulloh, Val! What
the devil's come to you?"

For he found Valentine standing up by the table with an expression of
deep astonishment on his face.

He pointed in silence to the door.

"By Jove! that curtain again!" said Julian, with an accent of amazement.
"I'm damned!"

The curtain was, in fact, drawn back from the door. Valentine struck a
match and put it to a candle. Then he opened the door. Rip immediately
darted out of the room and pattered excitedly down the passage, as if
searching for something, his sharp nose investigating the ground with a
vehement attention. The young men followed him. He ran to the front door,
then back into Valentine's bedroom; then, by turns, into the four other
apartments--bedroom, drawing-room, bathroom and kitchen--that formed the
suite. The doors of the two latter were opened by Valen