absolutely deserted. Doubtless the domestic staff had retired to bed. All
the same, it seemed strange to find no signs of life in the kitchen. The
stove was cold, and though the grate was full of cinders, it was quite
apparent that no fire had been lighted there for the past four and twenty
hours. Again, there was no furniture in the kitchen other than a large
table and a couple of chairs. The dressers were empty, and the shelves
deprived of their usual burden.

"This is odd," Venner murmured. "Perhaps we shall have better luck on the
dining-room floor. I suppose we had better not turn on the lights!"

"That would be too risky," Gurdon said. "However, I have plenty of
matches, which will serve our purpose equally well."

On cautiously reaching the hall a further surprise awaited the intruders.
There was absolutely nothing there--not so much as an umbrella stand. The
marble floor was swept bare of everything, the big dining-room which the
night before had been most luxuriously furnished, was now stripped and
empty; not so much as a flower remained; and the conservatory beyond
showed nothing but wooden staging and glittering glass behind that. A
close examination of the whole house disclosed the fact that it was
absolutely empty.

"If I did not know you as well as I do," Venner said grimly, "I should
say that you had been drinking. Do you mean to tell me that you sat in
this dining-room last night, and that it was furnished in the luxurious
way you described? Do you mean to tell me that you sat here, opposite
our cripple friend, waiting for him to shoot you? Are you perfectly
certain that we have made our way into the right house? You have no
doubt on that score?"