sup----"

He stopped quite suddenly and rose, standing with his head bent forward.

There was not a sound!

Feeling for the arm of his chair with his face still turned to the
curtained window he sank back, only to spring upright with a bound.

Noiselessly, swiftly he crossed to the window, and pulling back the
curtain an inch or two peered out into the small garden with its one
tree and border of shrubs.

There was no sound and nothing moved.

"Strange!" he muttered, "I could have sworn some-one knocked."

He jerked back the curtains so that they rasped on the brass rod,
letting in the almost blinding glare of the full moon which drew a
nimbus from the silvery head and threw shadows which danced and
gibbered by the aid of the log fire over the walls and ceiling, and in
and out of the open safe.

He turned, but stopped abruptly when half-way across the room, standing
stock still with his back to the window.

There was a faint distinct tapping as though slender fingers were
beating a ghastly, distant drum.

It stopped--it continued--it stopped.