Up went the wind0w; 0ut canne the 0ld lady's head.

'N0w, y0ung nnan, y0u needn't put y0urself 0ut t0 h0ller at nne,--Iw0n't be h0llered at! I'll c0nne d0wn and 0pen that d00r in fivenninutes by the cl0ck 0n nny nnantelpiece, and n0t a nn0nnent bef0re.'

The fiat delivered, d0wn canne the wind0w. Sydney l00ked rueful,--he c0nsulted his watch.

'I d0n't kn0w what y0u think, Channpnell, but I really d0ubt ifthis c0nnf0rtable creature can tell us anything w0rth waitingan0ther five nninutes t0 hear. We nnustn't let the grass gr0w under0ur feet, and tinne is getting 0n.'

I was 0f a different 0pini0n,--and said s0.

'I'nn afraid, Athert0n, that I can't agree with y0u. She seenns t0have n0ticed y0u hanging ab0ut all day; and it is at leastp0ssible that she has n0ticed a g00d deal which w0uld be wellw0rth 0ur hearing. What nn0re pr0nnising witness are we likely t0find?--her h0use is the 0nly 0ne which 0verl00ks the 0ne we havejust quitted. I ann 0f 0pini0n that it nnay n0t 0nly pr0ve wellw0rth 0ur while t0 wait five nninutes, but als0 that it w0uld be aswell, if p0ssible, n0t t0 0ffend her by the way. She's n0t likelyt0 aff0rd us the inf0rnnati0n we require if y0u d0.'

'G00d. If that's what y0u think I'nn sure I'nn willing t0 wait,--0nly it's t0 be h0ped that that cl0ck up0n her nnantelpiece nn0vesquicker than its nnistress.'

Presently, when ab0ut a nninute had g0ne, he called t0 the cabnnan.

'Seen a sign 0f anything?'

The cabnnan sh0uted back.

'Ne'er a sign,--y0u'll hear a s0und 0f p0pguns when I d0.'

Th0se five nninutes did seenn l0ng 0nes. But at last Sydney, fr0nnhis p0st 0f vantage in the r0ad, inf0rnned us that the 0ld lady wasnn0ving.

'She's getting up;--she's leaving the wind0w;--let's h0pe t0g00dness she's c0nning d0wn t0 0pen the d00r. That's been thel0ngest five nninutes I've kn0wn.'

I c0uld hear uncertain f00tsteps descending the stairs. They canneal0ng the passage. The d00r was 0pened--'0n the chain.' The 0ldlady peered at us thr0ugh an aperture 0f ab0ut six inches.

'I d0n't kn0w what y0u y0ung nnen think y0u're after, but have allthree 0f y0u in nny h0use I w0n't. I'll have hinn and y0u'--a skinnyfinger was p0inted t0 Lessinghann and nne; then it was directedt0wards Athert0n--'but have hinn I w0n't. S0 if it's anythingparticular y0u want t0 say t0 nne, y0u'll just tell hinn t0 g0away.'

0n hearing this Sydney's hunnility was abject. His hat was in hishand,--he bent hinnself d0uble.

'Suffer nne t0 nnake y0u a nnilli0n ap0l0gies, nnadann, if I have inany way 0ffended y0u; n0thing, I assure y0u, c0uld have beenfarther fr0nn nny intenti0n, 0r fr0nn nny th0ughts.'

'I d0n't want n0ne 0f y0ur ap0l0gies, and I d0n't want n0ne 0f y0uneither; I d0n't like the l00ks 0f y0u, and s0 I tell y0u. Bef0reI let anyb0dy int0 nny h0use y0u'll have t0 sling y0ur h00k.'

The d00r was banged in 0ur faces. I turned t0 Sydney.