Of old it was fenced in by a high stone wall, for the house which it succeeded was built by an ancestor of mine in the days when a great house far away from a centre had to be prepared to defend itself.  Here, then, is a place so well adapted to our needs that it might have been prepared on purpose.  I shall explain it to you when we are all there.  This will not be long, for already our movement is in train.  I have sent word to Marvin to have all preparation for our transport ready.  He is to have a special train, which is to run at night so as to avoid notice.  Also a number of carts and stone-wagons, with sufficient men and appliances to take all our packing-cases to Paddington.  We shall be away before the Argus-eyed Pressman is on the watch.  We shall today begin our packing up; and I dare say that by tomorrow night we shall be ready.  In the outhouses I have all the packing-cases which were used for bringing the things from Egypt, and I am satisfied that as they were sufficient for the journey across the desert and down the Nile to Alexandria and thence on to London, they will serve without fail between here and Kyllion.  We four men, with Margaret to hand us such things as we may require, will be able to get the things packed safely; and the carrier’s men will take them to the trucks.

“Today the servants go to Kyllion, and Mrs. Grant will make such arrangements as may be required.  She will take a stock of necessaries with her, so that we will not attract local attention by our daily needs; and will keep us supplied with perishable food from London.  Thanks to Margaret’s wise and generous treatment of the servants who decided to remain, we have got a staff on which we can depend.  They have been already cautioned to secrecy, so that we need not fear gossip from within.  Indeed, as the servants will be in London after their preparations at Kyllion are complete, there will not be much subject for gossip, in detail at any rate.

“As, however, we should commence the immediate work of packing at once, we will leave over the after proceedings till later when we have leisure.”

Accordingly we set about our work.  Under Mr. Trelawny’s guidance, and aided by the servants, we took from the outhouses great packing-cases.  Some of these were of enormous strength, fortified by many thicknesses of wood, and by iron bands and rods with screw-ends and nuts.  We placed them throughout the house, each close to the object which it was to contain.  When this preliminary work had been effected, and there had been placed in each room and in the hall great masses of new hay, cotton-waste and paper, the servants were sent away.  Then we set about packing.