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It was nearly eleven o'clock e reached this final stage of our night's adventures We had left the daht was fairly fine A ind blew from the ard, and heavy cloudsoccasionally through the rifts It was clear enough to see for some distance, but Thaddeus Sholto took down one of the side-laht upon our way

Pondicherry Lodge stood in its own grounds, and was girt round with a very high stone wall topped with broken glass A single narrow iron-clauide knocked with a peculiar postruff voice from within

"It is I, McMurdo You surely knowsound and a clanking and jarring of keys The door swung heavily back, and a short, deep-chested ht of the lantern shining upon his protruded face and twinkling distrustful eyes

"That you, Mr Thaddeus? But who are the others? I had no orders about them from the master"

"No, McMurdo? You surprisesome friends"

"He ain't been out o' his room to-day, Mr Thaddeus, and I have no orders You know very well that I ulations I can let you in, but your friends must just stop where they are"

This was an unexpected obstacle Thaddeus Sholto looked about him in a perplexed and helpless uarantee the lady, too She cannot wait on the public road at this hour"

"Very sorry, Mr Thaddeus," said the porter, inexorably "Folk may be friends o' yours, and yet no friends o' the master's He pays me well to do my duty, and my duty I'll do I don't know none o' your friends"

"Oh, yes you do, McMurdo," cried Sherlock Holotten ht three rounds with you at Alison's rooht of your benefit four years back?"

"Not Mr Sherlock Holhter "God's truth! how could I have mistook you? If instead o' standin' there so quiet you had just stepped up and given me that cross-hit of yours under the jaw, I'd ha' known you without a question Ah, you're one that has wasted your gifts, you have! You h, if you had joined the fancy"