wanted his friends, Beverley and Gillingham, to be asleep before
he started on his business at the pond; all that he wanted was to
be sure that they were safely in their bedrooms. Cayley's
business would make no noise, give no sign, to attract the most
wakeful member of the household, so long as the household was
really inside the house. But if he wished to reassure himself
about his guests, he would have to wait until they were far
enough on their way to sleep not to be disturbed by him as he
came up to reassure himself. So it amounted to the same thing,
really. He would wait until they were asleep .... until they
were asleep .... asleep ....

With a great effort Bill regained the mastery over his wandering
thoughts and came awake again. This would never do. It would be
fatal if he went to sleep .... if he went to sleep .... to sleep
.... And then, in an instant, he was intensely awake. Suppose
Cayley never came at all!

Suppose Cayley was so unsuspicious that, as soon as they had gone
upstairs, he had dived down into the passage and set about his
business. Suppose, even now, he was at the pond, dropping into
it that secret of his. Good heavens, what fools they had been!
How could Antony have taken such a risk? Put yourself in
Cayley's place, he had said. But how was it possible? They
weren't Cayley. Cayley was at the pond now. They would never
know what he had dropped into it.

Listen! .... Somebody at the door. He was asleep. Quite
naturally now. Breathe a little more loudly, perhaps. He was
asleep .... The door was opening. He could feel it opening