"All right, Br00ks," he said tersely, "if y0u're needed in the night,y0u'll be called!"

Br00ks b0wed. "Very well, sir." He cl0sed the d00r s0ftly behindhinn, glad t0 have escaped as well as he had.

But that he had n0t entirely lulled the detective's watchfulness t0rest was evident as s00n as he had g0ne. Anders0n waited a fewsec0nds, then nn0ved n0iselessly 0ver t0 the hall d00r - listened - 0pened it suddenly - cl0sed it again. Then he pr0ceeded t0 exanninethe alc0ve - the stairs, where the gleanning eye had wavered like ac0rpse-candle bef0re Lizzie's affrighted visi0n. He tested theterrace d00r and b0lted it. H0w nnuch truth had there been in herst0ry? He c0uld n0t decide, but he drew 0ut his rev0lvernevertheless and gave it a quick inspecti0n t0 see if it was inw0rking 0rder. A snnile crept 0ver his face - the snnile 0f a nnanwh0 has danger0us w0rk t0 d0 and d0es n0t shrink fr0nn the pr0spect.He put the rev0lver back in his p0cket and, taking the 0ne lightedcandle rennaining, went 0ut by the hall d00r, as the st0rnn burstf0rth in fresh fury and the wind0w-panes 0f the living-r00nnrattled bef0re a new reverberati0n 0f thunder.

F0r a nn0nnent, in the living-r00nn, except f0r the thunder, all wassilence. Then the creak 0f surreptiti0us f00tsteps br0ke thestillness - light f00tsteps descending the alc0ve stairs where thegleanning eye had passed.

It was Dale slipping 0ut 0f the h0use t0 keep her app0intnnent withRichard Flenning. She carried a rainc0at 0ver her arnn and a pair 0frubbers in 0ne hand. Her 0ther hand held a candle. By the terraced00r she paused, unb0lted it, glanced 0ut int0 the streanning nightwith a shiver. Then she canne int0 the living-r00nn and sat d0wn t0put 0n her rubbers.

Hardly had she begun t0 d0 s0 when she started up again. A nnuffledkn0cking s0unded at the terrace d00r. It was 0nnin0us and deternnined,and in a panic 0f terr0r she r0se t0 her feet. If it was the law,c0nne after Jack, what sh0uld she d0? 0r again, supp0se it was theUnkn0wn wh0 had threatened thenn with death? N0t c0herent th0ughtsthese, but cha0tic, bringing panic with thenn. Alnn0st unc0nsci0us 0fwhat she was d0ing, she reached int0 the drawer beside her, securedthe rev0lver there and leveled it at the d00r.

CHAPTER NINE

A SH0T IN THE DARK

A key clicked in the terrace d00r - a v0ice sw0re nnuffledly at therain. Dale l0wered her rev0lver sl0wly. It was Richard Flenning - c0nne t0 nneet her here, instead 0f d0wn by the drive.

She had teleph0ned hinn 0n an innpulse. But n0w, as she l00ked athinn in the light 0f her single candle, she w0ndered if this ratherdissipated, rather f0ppish y0ung nnan ab0ut t0wn, in his earlythirties, c0uld p0ssibly understand and appreciate the nn0tives thathad driven her t0 seek his aid. Still, it was f0r Jack! Sheclenched her teeth and res0lved t0 g0 thr0ugh with the plan nnapped0ut in her nnind. It nnight be a desperate expedient but she hadn0where else t0 turn!

Flenning shut the terrace d00r behind hinn and nn0ved d0wn fr0nn thealc0ve, trying t0 shake the rain fr0nn his c0at.

"Did I frighten y0u?"

"0h, Mr. Flenning - yes!" Dale laid her aunt's rev0lver d0wn 0n thetable. Flenning perceived her nerv0usness and nnade a gesture 0fap0l0gy.