"I'll go into the bar and watch him," I volunteered, and rising, I went to a kind of pigeon-hole which gave access to the bar, and through which I could see into the room beyond. The man whom Miss Cranston had recognized as Hedley was smoking a cigarette and calmly drinking a whisky-and-soda. Afterwards I walked to the door and saw that the car was turned towards London, a reassuring fact which I reported to my companions. "Then he's going away from Frenbury, and won't be at home to-night!" cried the American girl gleefully. When he had gone we drove nearly to Petersfield, and it was considerably past midnight when, on our return, we descended that long hill which leads from Hindhead. Then, after turning off the main road for some time, we came to a narrow lane which led into a dark wood, where Houston suddenly stopped me and ordered me to switch out the lights. Scarcely had I done this when two men emerged mysteriously from the shadow, and one of them, addressing Houston, said: "You're pretty punctual, Teddy! Sam isn't here yet. He's walking from Haslemere." "No! he's here all right!" exclaimed a voice clearly in the darkness, as a third man came forward. "May is in the car," Houston explained. "Is everything ready?" "Yes; when you get along here fifty yards more you can see the house. The old fellow sleeps in the first-floor room on the corner. The light has just been switched off, so he's gone to bed all right." Meanwhile the American girl had stepped from the car, and, greeting them all as "boys," listened to what was said. "Let's hope the old boy will sleep comfortably, eh?" she laughed gayly. "If he doesn't it will be the worse for him! His wife is in Paris, or she might prove a bit of trouble to us." "I know the ground exactly," remarked one of the three men. "I wasn't in service here as footman for six weeks for nothing," he added with a laugh. "Well, come on," said Houston, who seemed to be the leader of the adventures. "Let's get to work," and, picking up a bag which one of the men had put down, he pressed into my hand a short, circular electric torch, saying: "Be careful not to press the button, because when the light is switched on the shot is fired! Only you might require it. One never knows! Come on." May Cranston walked noiselessly with us, while in front the three men stalked quietly, speaking only in low whispers. Soon we came to a path which led into a great park, which we skirted, keeping still in the shadow of the trees, for the moon, though nearly gone, still shed some unwelcome light. The silence was only broken by our footsteps on the leaves. Silhouetted against the sky was the magnificent old castle-like mansion with many turrets in which dwelt the world's mystery man of finance. At last we approached quite close to the house, and, crossing the broad terrace, we halted at the direction of our guide who had acted as footman there.