“I would rather not, if he will leave quietly,” said Ran. “But you must make no terms with a criminal. That would be ‘compounding a felony,’ a serious offense against English law.” “Well, is it settled? Shall we go to-morrow morning?” inquired Judy. “Yes, dear; certainly,” replied Ran. “And I will go down to the office and find a Bradshaw and see about our train,” said Mr. Will, picking up his hat and hurrying out of the room. He had scarcely disappeared when the door opened and Mike, Dandy and Longman entered the parlor. Judy ran forward to welcome them, while Ran turned up the gas. “We have been sitting in the dark to watch the scene in the square below,” Judy explained. “Well, boys, have you found comfortable quarters?” inquired Ran, as soon as they were all seated. “Illigant; and chape enough, too, be the same token, close by in the Strand; a very ginteel, dooble-bidded bidroom. Longman, being av a giant fit for a circus, do hev one bid all to himsilf. And Dandy and me, being av little fellows, do have the ithir to oursilves,” Mike explained. While they were still talking Mr. Will Walling returned to the room with a Bradshaw in his hand. He greeted the three visitors pleasantly, dropped into a chair and said: “Well, there is a train that leaves Euston Square Station at six in the morning and reaches Chuxton at three in the afternoon. After that there is no other parliamentary train until twelve noon, which would make it nine in the evening when it stops at Chuxton, and would be too late to go on to Haymore the same night.” “Oh, then, we will leave by the earlier train, if Judy has no objection,” said Ran. “I? Why, I never minded getting up early!” exclaimed Judy. “What do you say, boys?” inquired Ran. “The sooner the better for us, sir,” replied Dandy, speaking for the rest, who promptly assented. And then, as the hour was late, the visitors bade good-night, and the party left behind separated and retired to rest, to be ready for their early rising. CHAPTER XVIII AT HAYMORE HALL The whole party were up in the double darkness of a London winter morning before sunrise. They dressed and breakfasted by gaslight, and then entered a large carriage and drove to Euston Square Railway Station, where they were met by Mike, Dandy and Longman. “Had you not better telegraph to your housekeeper before we start to let her know that we shall certainly be at Haymore to-night so that there may be no mistake, and she will be sure to have beds aired, fires built and dinner ready for us when we get there?” suggested Mr. Walling, who was always directly on the lookout for his own personal comforts, and, incidentally, for those of others. Ran immediately acted on the suggestion, saying, when he rejoined his friends after sending the dispatch: “She will think the message comes from the other fellow in Paris and that he is in London on his way to Haymore.”