covered the window. Outside, the fog was rolling between the
house-fronts, both rain and snow were falling heavily, and a
solitary gas-lamp showed only a deserted and dripping street.
Cautiously Ford lit a match and for an instant let the flame flare.
He was almost at once rewarded by the sight of an answering flame
that flickered from a dark doorway. Ford closed the window,
satisfied that his line of communication with the outside world was
still intact. The faithful Cuthbert was on guard.

Ford rapidly reviewed each possible course of action. These were
several, but to lead any one of them to success, he saw that he
must possess a better acquaintance with the interior of the house.
Especially was it important that he should obtain a line of escape
other than the one down the stairs to the front door. The knowledge
that in the rear of the house there was a means of retreat by a
servants' stairway, or over the roof of an adjoining building, or
by a friendly fire- escape, would at least, lend him confidence in
his adventure. Accordingly, in spite of Prothero's threat, he
determined at once to reconnoitre. In case of his being discovered
outside his room, he would explain his electric bell was out of
order, that when he rang no servant had answered, and that he had
sallied forth in search of one. To make this plausible, he
unscrewed the cap of the electric button in the wall, and with his
knife cut off enough of the wire to prevent a proper connection. He
then replaced the cap and, opening the door, stepped into the hall.

The upper part of the house was, sunk in silence, but rising from
the dining-room below, through the opening made by the stairs, came
the voices of Prothero and Pearsall. And mixed with their voices
came also the sharp hiss of water issuing from a siphon. The sound