“I beg your pardon, sir. I didn’t hear you come in, and I didn’t know you were standing just behind me.”
Mr. Isaacstein who had been the victim of the impact waved his hand in a friendly fashion.
“No harm done, my good fellow. I assure you no harm done.”
Tredwell retired looking contemptuous, and Isaacstein came forward and dropped into an easy-chair.
“Hullo, Cade, so you’re back again. Been hearing all about last night’s little show?”
“Yes,” said Anthony. “Rather an exciting weekend, isn’t it?”
“I should imagine that last night was the work of local men,” said Isaacstein. “It seems a clumsy, amateurish affair.”
“Is there anyone about here who collects armour?” asked Anthony. “It seems a curious thing to select.”
“Very curious,” agreed Mr. Isaacstein. He paused a minute, and then said slowly: “The whole position here is very unfortunate.”
There was something almost menacing in his tone.
“I don’t quite understand,” said Anthony.
“Why are we all being kept here in this way? The inquest was over yesterday. The prince’s body will be removed to London where it is being given out that he died of heart failure. And still nobody is allowed to leave the house. Mr. Lomax knows no more than I do. He refers me to Superintendent Battle.”
“Superintendent Battle has something up his sleeve,” said Anthony thoughtfully. “And it seems the essence of his plan that nobody should leave.”
“But, excuse me, Mr. Cade, you have been away.”
“With a string tied to my leg. I’ve no doubt that I was shadowed the whole time. I shouldn’t have been given a chance of disposing of the revolver or anything of that kind.”
“Ah, the revolver,” said Isaacstein thoughtfully. “That has not yet been found, I think?”
“Not yet.”
“Possibly thrown into the lake in passing.”
“Very possibly.”
“Where is Superintendent Battle? I have not seen him this afternoon.”
“He’s gone to London. I met him at the station.”
“Gone to London? Really? Did he say when he would be back?”
“Early tomorrow, so I understood.”
Virginia came in with Lord Caterham and Mr. Fish. She smiled a welcome at Anthony.
“So you’re back, Mr. Cade. Have you heard all about our adventures last night?”
“Why, trooly, Mr. Cade,” said Hiram Fish. “It was a night of strenuous excitement. Did you hear that I mistook Mrs. Revel for one of the thugs?”
“And in the meantime,” said Anthony, “the thug—?”
“Got clear away,” said Mr. Fish mournfully.
“Do pour out,” said Lord Caterham to Virginia. “I don’t know where Bundle is.”
Virginia officiated. Then she came and sat down near Anthony.
“Come to the boathouse after tea,” she said in a low voice. “Bill and I have got a lot to tell you.”
Then she joined lightly in the general conversation.
The meeting at the boathouse was duly held.
Virginia and Bill were bubbling over with their news. They agreed that a boat in the middle of the lake was the only safe place for confidential conversation. Having paddled out a sufficient distance, the full story of last night’s adventure was related to Anthony. Bill looked a little sulky. He wished Virginia would not insist on bringing this Colonial fellow into it.
“It’s very odd,” said Anthony, when the story was finished. “What do you make of it?” he asked Virginia.
“I think they were looking for something,” she returned promptly. “The burglar idea is absurd.”
“They thought the something, whatever it was, might be concealed in the suits of armour, that’s clear enough. But why tap the panelling? That looks more as though they were looking for a secret staircase, or something of that kind.”
“There’s a Priest’s Hole at Chimneys, I know,” said Virginia. “And I believe there’s a secret staircase as well. Lord Caterham would tell us all about it. What I want to know is, what can they have been looking for?”
“It can’t be the memoirs,” said Anthony. “They’re a great bulky package. It must have been something small.”
“George knows, I expect,” said Virginia. “I wonder whether I could get it out of him. All along I’ve felt there was something behind all this.”
“You say there was only one man,” pursued Anthony, “but that there might possibly be another, as you thought you heard someone going towards the door as you sprang to the window.”
“The sound was very slight,” said Virginia. “It might have been just my imagination.”
“That’s quite possible, but in case it wasn’t your imagination the second person must have been an inmate of the house. I wonder now—”
“What are you wondering at?” asked Virginia.
“The thoroughness of Mr. Hiram Fish who dresses himself completely when he hears screams for help downstairs.”
“There’s something in that,” agreed Virginia. “And then there’s Isaacstein who sleeps through it all. That’s suspicious too. Surely he couldn’t?”
“There’s that fellow Boris,” suggested Bill. “He looks an unmitigated ruffian. Michael’s servant, I mean.”
“Chimneys is full of suspicious characters,” said Virginia. “I dare say the others are just as suspicious of us. I wish Superintendent Battle hadn’t gone to London. I think it’s rather stupid of him. By the way, Mr. Cade, I’ve seen that peculiar-looking Frenchman about once or twice, spying round the park.”
“It’s a mix up,” confessed Anthony. “I’ve been away on a wild-goose chase. Made a thorough ass of myself. Look here, to me the whole question seems to resolve itself into this: Did the men find what they were looking for last night?”
“Supposing they didn’t?” said Virginia. “I’m pretty sure they didn’t, as a matter of fact.”
“Just this, I believe they’ll come again. They know, or they soon will know, that Battle’s in London. They’ll take the risk and come again tonight.”
“Do you really think so?”
“It’s a chance. Now we three will form a little syndicate. Eversleigh and I will conceal ourselves with due precautions in the Council Chamber—”
“What about me?” interrupted Virginia. “Don’t think you’re going to leave me out of it.”
“Listen to me, Virginia,” said Bill. “This is man’s work—”
“Don’t be an idiot, Bill. I’m in on this. Don’t you make any mistake about it. The syndicate will keep watch
