Past Renwood’s cottage she sped, shuddering as she recognized the stone steps and path that ran up the hillside to the haunted house.  Ghosts, witches, hobgoblins fell into the procession of pursuers, cheered on by the shrieking wind that grew more noisome as her feet carried her higher up the mountain.  Now she was on new ground.  She had never before explored so far as this.  The hill was steep and the road had black abysses out beyond its edges....

She was breathless, half dead from fatigue and terror when at last her feet stumbled up the broad steps leading to his porch.  Trembling, she sank into the rustic bench that stood against the wall.  The lantern clattered to her feet, and the bag with her jewels, her letter of credit, and her curling irons slid to the floor behind the bench.  Here was his home!  What cared she for the storm?

Even as she lay there gasping for breath, her eyes on the shadowy moon that was breaking its way through the clouds, three men raced from the stables at Bazelhurst Villa bent on finding the mad young person who had fled the place.  Scarcely knowing what direction he took, Lord Bazelhurst led the way, followed by the duke and the count, all of them supplied with carriage lamps, which, at any other time, would have been sickening in their obtrusiveness.  Except for Lady Evelyn, the rest of the house slept the sleep of ease.

Gradually Penelope recovered from the effects of the mad race up the hill.  The sputtering flame in the lantern called her into action.  Clutching it from the floor of the porch, she softly began a tour of inspection, first looking at her watch to find that it was the unholy hour of two!  Had some one yelled boo! she would have swooned, so tense was every nerve.  Now that she was here, what was she to do?  Her heart came to her mouth, her hand shook, but not with fear; a nervous smile tried to wreak disaster to the concern in her eyes.

The house was dark and still.  No one was stirring.  The porch was littered with rugs and cushions, while on a small table near the end stood a decanter, a siphon, and two glasses.  Two?  He had said he was alone except for the housekeeper and the servants.  A visitor, then.  This was not what she had expected.  Her heart sank.  It would be hard to face the master of the house, but—­a stranger?  Cigarette stubs met her bewildered, troubled gaze—­many of them.  Deduction was easy out there in the lonely night.  It was easy to see that Shaw and his companion sat up so late that the servants had gone to bed.

Distractedly she looked about for means of shelter on the porch until daylight could abet her in the flight to the village beyond.  The storm was sure to come at no far distant time.  She knew and feared the violence of the mountain rains.

“By all that’s holy,” came in a man’s voice, low-toned and uncertain; “it isn’t a dream, after all!”