“Wait here a few minutes until I return. She shall be ready to go,” she whispered and then turned to the door. “Inez! Quick. For God’s sake!” cried Barosa; and the next moment I was alone again. I rose and paced the room to shake off the lingering effects of the cramp caused by the cords. My legs were still stiff, but a few turns across the room put me all right. Presently I opened the door and stood listening for Inez’ return. Although I was within a few minutes of complete success, I was in a fever of impatience. There was no sound anywhere in the house, and it was all dark. I fetched the lamp from my room and went to the stairhead. Was it after all nothing but some fresh ruse? I examined the revolver Inez had given me. It was loaded. I was mystified. I began to descend the stairs, but paused. If I carried a light I should be an easy mark for any one having a fancy to make a target of my body. Setting the lamp down I felt my way by the balustrade and crept down in the dark, careful to make as little noise as possible and halting every now and again to listen. In this way I descended two storeys, and tried in vain to remember how many flights I had been carried up, that I might know on which floor I stood. Feeling in my pockets I found my matches and was about to strike one when I heard a footstep followed by a smothered exclamation, as if some one had stumbled in the dark. The sound came from some distance below. Instinctively I shrank back against the wall and stood holding my breath and listening intently. All was as still as a vault. My eyes had now grown sufficiently accustomed to the dark to enable me to make out that I was on a wide landing on to which several rooms opened. I felt my way round and listened cautiously at each. Not a sound. Two of the doors were ajar, but each of the rooms was in darkness. I hesitated when I reached the stairs again what to do. That stumbling footstep below had been full of unpleasant suggestion. But it was useless to stop where I was, so I continued my descent, more cautiously and slowly than before. When I reached the next floor I paused again, waiting a long time and straining my ears for some clue to the baffling situation. Not hearing a sound, I again made a circuit of the landing, feeling my way by the wall. There were three doors here, and each was ajar, and all three rooms in darkness. Feeling my way back to the stairs, I stumbled against a low pedestal placed at some little distance from the wall. There was a large plant on it and in preventing it from falling, the leaves shook with a rustling noise almost disconcerting in the dead stillness of the house.