house had a nervous dread of fire, and from every floor he had a series
of rope ladders arranged. See, there is one fixed to this chimney. I have
only to throw it over, and you can reach the garden without delay; then I
will pull the ladder up again and no one will be any the wiser. Please,
leave me without any further delay, in the absolute assurance that I
shall be back again within an hour."

A few minutes later Gurdon was in the street again, making his way back
to the hotel where Venner was waiting for him.

It was a strange story that he had to tell; a very thrilling and
interesting adventure, but one which, after all, still further
complicated the mystery and rendered it almost unintelligible.

"And you mean to say that you have been actually face to face with our
cripple friend?" Venner said. "You mean to say that he would actually
have murdered you if Vera had not interfered in that providential manner?
I suppose I must accept your assurance that she is absolutely safe,
though I can't help feeling that she has exaggerated her own position. I
am terribly anxious about her. I have an idea which I should like to
carry out. I feel tolerably sure that this picturesque cripple of ours
could tell us everything that we want to know. Besides, unless I do
something I shall go mad. What do you say to paying the interesting
cripple a visit to-morrow night, and forcing him to tell us everything?"

Gurdon shook his head; he was not particularly impressed with the
suggestion that Venner had made.

"Of course, we could get into the house easily enough," he said. "Now
that I have learned the secret of the cellar, there will be no