“Wires can be cut and quickly repaired.”

“But this is no house to rob.  All my valuables, excepting these books, are in New York.  The average burglar isn’t of a literary turn of mind.  Still, if Laura has really heard something, all the more reason why you should make us a visit.  Wait a moment.  I’ve an idea.”  The admiral set the burglar alarm and tried it.  The expression on his face was blank.  “Am I getting deafer?”

“No bell rang,” said Fitzgerald quickly.

“By cracky, if Laura is right!  But not a word to her, mind.  When she goes up-stairs we’ll take a trip into the cellar and have a look at the main wire.  You’ve got to stay; that’s all there is about it.  This is serious.  I hadn’t tested the wires in a week.”

“Perhaps it’s only a fuse.”

“We can soon find out about that.  Sh!  Not a word to her!”

She entered with a tray and two steaming toddies, as graceful a being as Hebe before she spilled the precious drop.  The two men could not keep their eyes off her, the one with loving possession, the other with admiration not wholly free from unrest.  The daring manner in which she had lured him here would never be forgetable.  And she had known him at the start?  And that merry Mrs. Coldfield in the plot!

“I hope this will cheer you, father.”

“It always does,” replied the admiral, as he took the second glass.  “I have asked Mr. Fitzgerald to spend a week with us.”

“Thank you, father.  It was thoughtful of you.  If you had not asked him, the pleasure of doing so would have been mine.  Mrs. Coldfield pointed you out to me as a most ungrateful fellow, because you never called on your father’s or mother’s friends any more, but preferred to gallivant round the world.  You will stay?  We are very unconventional here.”

“It is all very good of you.  I am rather a lonesome chap.  The newspapers and magazines have spoiled me.  There’s never a moment so happy to me as when I am ordered to some strange country, thousands of miles away.  It is in the blood.  Thanks, very much; I shall be very happy to stay.  My hand-bag, however, is at Swan’s Hotel, and there’s very little in it.”

“A trifling matter to send to New York for what you need,” said the admiral, mightily pleased to have a man to talk to who was not paid to reply.  “I’ll have William bring the cart round and take you down.”

“No, no; I had much rather walk.  I’ll turn up some time in the morning, say luncheon, if that will be agreeable to you.”

“As you please.  Only, I should like to save you an unpleasant walk in the dark.”

“I don’t mind.  A dark street in a country village this side of the Atlantic holds little or no danger.”

“I offered to build a first-class lighting plant if the town would agree to pay the running expenses; but the council threw it over.  They want me to build a library.  Not much!  Hold on,” as Fitzgerald was rising.  “You are not going right away.  I shan’t permit that.  Just a little visit first.”