The floor above was so high that the rays of her lantern could not reach it, but she was sure there was another floor because of the ladder, which obviously must lead somewhere. Joey thought she would go up it presently and see for herself, but at present the ground floor of the tower presented attractions. It was strewn with a quantity of loose stones and débris of all kinds, except in one place--one can hardly say corner in a round tower--where it would seem to have been swept smooth. Joey, having wandered round the loose-jointed grey walls, examining them with interest, came to the place where the débris was comparatively scanty, and held her lantern down to light the place. A voice came up to her from below the floor, a rather thin, peevish voice that sounded exceedingly tired, and had a curious accent. "You are at least two hours earlier than you said you would be; how can you then expect me to be ready?" Joey quite jumped--the voice was so entirely unexpected. Then she realised that she must be taken for somebody else. "I can't be anyone you expected two hours later, because I didn't know myself about walking home and this old fog," she said. "Do tell me, are you down a trap-door, or what?" A square of floor lifted with some difficulty, and a head appeared--the head of a pale, unhealthy-looking young man, with large, startled, blue eyes. "I say, I hope I didn't frighten you coming in like this," Joey said politely. "But the fog--the sea-roke, I think they call it, is so beastly, and I couldn't find my way back." The young man came altogether out from the trap-door. Joey didn't think much of his nerves; his hands were trembling and he looked as though Gavin could have knocked him down quite easily. "Do you live here?" Joey asked, as he did not speak. "I hope you don't mind my coming in like this; but Noreen, one of the Redlands girls, tells me that the Deeps are really rather dangerous when the roke is about." The young man seemed to recover his breath. "You are a Redlands young lady, are you? Surely your mistress does not know that you are wandering about the Deeps alone?" "Miss Conyngham? No, I don't suppose she does," Joey said easily. "I didn't know myself till it happened, but of course I ought to have come by the road." [Illustration: "I HOPE I DIDN'T FRIGHTEN YOU COMING IN LIKE THIS," JOEY SAID POLITELY]