“I—­well, to tell you the truth, I can’t explain ’em myself!” Brellier said at last, clearing his throat with signs of genuine nervousness.  “They seem to be inexplicable.  I have seen them—­yes, many, many times.  And so has ’Toinette, but the stories afloat about them are rather—­unpleasant, and like a wise man I have kept myself free of investigation.  I do hope you’ll do the same, Sir Nigel.  One never knows, and although one cannot always believe the silly things which the villagers prattle about, it is as well to be on the safe side.  As you say, these things sometimes lack a rational explanation.  I should be sorry to think you were likely to run into any unnecessary danger.”  He bent his head and Merriton could see that his fingers twitched.

“Borkins actually told me stories of people who had disappeared in a mysterious manner and were never found again,” he remarked casually.

Brellier shrugged his shoulders.  He spread out his hands.

“Among the uneducated—­what would you?  But it is so, even since I myself have been in residence at Withersby Hall—­something like three and a half years—­there have been several mysterious disappearances, Sir Nigel, and all directly traceable to a foolhardy desire to investigate these phenomena.  For myself, I leave well enough alone.  I trust you are going to do likewise?”

His eyes searched Merriton’s face anxiously.  There was a worried furrow between his brows.

Merriton laughed, and at the sound, ’Toinette, who had sat perfectly still during the discussion of the mystery, gave a little cry of alarm and covered her ears with her hands.

“I beg of you,” she broke out excitedly, “please, please do not talk about it!  The whole affair frightens me!  Uncle will laugh I know, but—­I am terrified of those little flames, Sir Nigel, more terrified than I can say!  If you speak of them any more, I must go—­really!  Please, please don’t dream of trying to find out what they are, Sir Nigel!  It—­it would upset me very much indeed if you attempted so foolish a thing!”

Merriton’s first sensation at hearing this was pleasure that he was capable of upsetting her over his own personal welfare.  Then the something sinister about the whole story, which seemed to affect every one with whom he came into touch, swept over him.  A number of otherwise rational human beings scared out of their wits over some mysterious flames on the edge of the Fens at night time, seemed, in the face of this glorious summer’s afternoon, to be little short of ridiculous.  He tried to throw the idea off but could not.  ’Toinette’s pale face kept coming before him; the sudden dropping of her spoon struck an unpleasant chord in his memory.  Brellier’s attitude merely added fuel to the fire and soon they rose to go, Merriton following them to the door.

“Don’t forget, then, Miss Brellier, that you are booked to me for a ride on Thursday,” he said, laughingly.