Although the window is at least nine feet high, Poopendyke stooped as he came through. He always does it, no matter how tall the door. It is a life-long habit with him. Have I mentioned that my worthy secretary is six feet four, and as thin as a reed? I remember speaking of his knees. He is also a bachelor. "It is a dreadful distance down there," he murmured, flattening himself against the wall and closing his eyes. A pair of slim white hands at that instant indolently readjusted the thick mass of hair and quite as casually disappeared. I failed to hear Mr. Poopendyke's remark. "I think, sir," he proceeded, "it would be a very good idea to get some of our correspondence off our hands. A great deal of it has accumulated in the past few weeks. I wish to say that I am quite ready to attend to it whenever--" "Time enough for letters," said I, still staring. "We ought to clean them all up before we begin on the romance, sir. That's my suggestion. We shan't feel like stopping for a lot of silly letters--By the way, sir, when do you expect to start on the romance?" He usually spoke of them as romances. They were not novels to Poopendyke. I came to my feet, the light of adventure in my eye. "This very instant, Poopendyke," I exclaimed. His face brightened. He loves work. "Splendid! I will have your writing tablets ready in--" "First of all, we _must_ have a ladder. Have you seen to that?" "A ladder?" he faltered, putting one foot back through the window in a most suggestive way. "Oh," said I, remembering, "I haven't told you, have I? Look! Up there in that window. Do you see _that_?" "What is it, sir? A rug?" "Rug! Great Scott, man, don't you know a woman's hair when you see it?" "I've never--er--never seen it--you might say--just like that. Is it _hair_?" "It is. You _do_ see it, don't you?" "How did it get there?" "Good! Now I know I'm not dreaming. Come! There's no time to be lost. We may be able to get up there before she hears us!" I was through the window and half way across the room before his well-meant protest checked me. "For heaven's sake, Mr. Smart, don't be too hasty. We can't rush in upon a woman unexpectedly like this. Who knows? She may be entirely--" He caught himself up sharply, blinked, and then rounded out his sentence in safety with the word "deshabille." I was not to be turned aside by drivel of that sort; so, with a scornful laugh, I hurried on and was soon in the courtyard, surrounded by at least a score of persons who madly inquired where the fire was, and wanted to help me to put it out. At last we managed to get them back at their work, and I instructed old Conrad to have the tallest ladder brought to me at once. "There is no such thing about the castle," he announced blandly, puffing away at his enormous pipe. His wife shook her head in perfect serenity. Somewhat dashed, I looked about me in quest of proof that they were lying to me. There was no sign of anything that even resembled a ladder.