We stared at one another. Haldane, summoned by a voice from the passage turned to leave the room. Webster laughed—evidently the man’s oddities were known to him and he saw nothing out of the common in his manner. “Gad, Craven! You look surprised,” he said with a chuckle. “But Mr. Burton has a vast deal of information. He knows what is passing as well as any man, by Gad! Well, I must be going. See you at dinner? You had better be going soon, for the Chief is coming back, and he likes to have the room to himself.” Sharp as the shock had been, the moment of time that Webster’s words gained for me, helped me to collect myself. Before he was out of the room I spoke. “Yes, Mr. Burton,” I said, “we had better be going!” His eyes questioned me. “We’ll go to my quarters—in the first place,” I said. He had still a hope I think that I had no more than suspicion in my mind—that I did not know; for he fenced with me, his eyes on my face. “In an hour, sir,” he said, “I can be at your service. Heartily at your service, sir.” “In an hour,” I replied gravely, “it will be too late for either of us to be of service to the other. You know many things, Mr. Burton,” I continued, “but I know one thing. You will be wise to give me your arm and to come with me to my quarters at once. Will you go before me?” I made way for him and followed him closely from the room and the house. Outside I saw Paton seated on one of the benches before the door. “Paton,” I said, “come with me. I want you.” My tone surprised him, and reinforced by a glance at my face put him on the alert. He rose at once and joined us. By this time I had a pretty good notion what I should do, and when we had walked a few yards in silence, “Paton,” I said, “Mr. Burton is going to give me some information and we want no listeners and no interruption. I am going to take him to our quarters and I want you to keep the door below and to see that no one comes in or goes out while we are together. Do you understand?” Paton looked at me and looked at Burton and no doubt he saw that the thing, whatever it was, was serious. He whistled softly. “I understand!” he said. And then, “There is my man,” he added, “would you like him too?” “Yes, I would,” I said. “Bid him be within call.”