He flung down his pen at last, leaned back in his chair, and poured himself out some more wine. He held it up to the light to admire its ruby colour, and then tasted it appreciatively. 'H'm! not bad. About the best thing in the place now its master's away. Heigho!--heigho! this is very slow, which, by-the-way, is rhyme.' He spoke the words aloud, and the hound on the bearskin by the fire rose, stretched itself, and came slowly to lay its great head on his knee. 'Well, old girl, I daresay you'd like a little hunting for a change. Upon my soul it's almost a pity we're so very clever in keeping our literary achievements dark. We should have something exciting then at anyrate, and I'd give anything for a little excitement.' 'You're likely to have as much as you care about, then,' said another voice, which made Percival leap to his feet as the purple curtains that hung across the arched entrance to the sleeping-room were flung back, and a tall figure, muffled in furs, strode forward. The dog sprang at it. 'Down, Olga! Quiet, quiet, old lady!' The coat was thrown off, and fell with a flop to the ground; and Litvinoff held out his hand to his secretary, who had started back and caught up the manuscripts, and was holding them behind him. 'Good heavens!' said Percival. 'Litvinoff, what is it? Are they after you? How did you come in?' 'I came in the way we must go out before another half-hour. They've found out the distinguished author of the "Vision," and they're anxious to secure the wonder. Lock that door; we don't want the servants.' 'It is locked. I don't do work of this sort with unlocked doors.' Litvinoff glanced at the manuscript on the oak writing-table. 'We must collect all this and burn it, though I don't think we could be deeper damned than we are, even if we left it alone.' 'But where have you come from?' asked Percival, laying his hand on the other's shoulder. 'You're wet through. Have a drink,' and he poured out a tumbler of the Burgundy. Litvinoff took it, and as he set down the glass replied, 'I fell into some water. There was snow enough to hide the ice.' 'Well, then, the very first thing is to change your clothes. Shall I get you dry ones, or will you go?' 'No, no; neither of us must leave this room. There may be a traitor in the house for aught I know. No one saw me come in. I shall do well enough.' 'You may as well be executed at once as be frozen to death in the course of the night. You must make shift with some of my things. You change while I see to the papers. We can talk while you're changing.'