story I once read of a bed of that kind with a movable canopy that came
down in the night and smothered the occupant."

"Excellent," said Cardington. "The thing was worked, as I remember,
from the room above, and was used by the robber host to persuade his
guests to part peaceably with their valuables. But I fear that you are
going to show an irreverent attitude of mind toward the local
divinities."

"And what may they be?"

"Two in particular, an alliterative couple, Family and Furniture."

"Why not add Folly to the number?" Leigh suggested.

"An instinct of self-preservation should prevent such an addition.
That might be as injudicious as it would have been for some bright
young man in ancient Egypt, five thousand years before the Christian
era, to express a doubt concerning the divinity of the sacred bull.
The correctness of his conjecture would not have saved him from a
horrible death at the hands of the faithful." And he began to lead the
way downstairs.

As they entered the drawing-room, Miss Wycliffe closed her book with
satisfied emphasis and rose to meet them. The bishop was there also,
standing in the background and waiting his turn. His eyes were on his
daughter rather than on his guests, with a pride that was evident at
even a casual glance. Again Leigh encountered that look which had so
deeply attracted him. Her eyes were very dark, and almost misty in
their warm light, as if she were somewhat dazed by long perusal of the