“MydearGerald！“heexclaimedreprovingly。“Youwouldleaveussoabruptly？Beforeyoursister，too！WhatwillMr。Hamelthinkofourcountryways？Prayresumeyourseat。“
Foramomenttheboystoodquitestill，thenheslowlysubsidedintohischair。Mr。Fentolinpassedaroundadecanterofwinewhichhadbeenplaceduponthetablebythebutler。Theservantshadnowlefttheroom。
“Youmustexcusemynephew，ifyouplease，Mr。Hamel，“hebegged。
“Geraldhasaboy’scuriousaversiontopraiseinanyform。Iamlookingforwardtohearingyourverdictuponmyport。Thecollectionofwineandpictureswasahobbyofmygrandfather’s，forwhichwe，hisdescendants，canneverbesufficientlygrateful。“
Hamelpraisedhiswine，asindeedhehadeveryreasonto，butforafewmomentsthesmoothconversationofhishostfellupondeafears。Helookedfromtheboy’sface，paleandwrinkledasthoughwithsomesortofsuppressedpain，tothegirl’sstill，stonyexpression。Thiswasindeedahouseofmysteries！Therewassomethinghereincomprehensible，somethingabouttherelationsofthesethreeandtheirknowledgeofoneanother，utterlybaffling。
Itwasthequeeresthousehold，surely，intowhichanystrangerhadverbeenprecipitated。
“Theplantingoftreesandthelayingdownofportaretwovirtuesinourancestorswhichhaveneverbeenproperlyappreciated，“Mr。
Fentolincontinued。“Letus，atanyrate，freeourselvesfromthereproachofingratitudesofarasregardsmygrandfather-GeraldFentolin-towhomIbelieveweareindebtedforthiswine。Wewilldrink-“
Mr。Fentolinbrokeoffinthemiddleofhissentence。Theaugustcalmofthegreathousehadbeensuddenlybroken。Fromup-stairscamethetumultofraisedvoices，theslammingofadoor，thefallingofsomethingheavyuponthefloor。Mr。Fentolinlistenedwithagrimchangeinhisexpression。Hissmilehaddeparted，hislowerlipwasthrustout，hiseyebrowsmet。Heraisedthelittlewhistlewhichhungfromhischain。Atthatmoment，however，thedoorwasopened。DoctorSarsonappeared。
“Iamsorrytodisturbyou，Mr。Fentolin，“hesaid，“butourpatientisbecomingalittledifficult。Theconcussionhaslefthim，asI
feareditmight，inastateofnervousexcitability。Heinsistsuponaninterviewwithyou。“
Mr。Fentolinbackedhislittlechairfromthetable。Thedoctorcameoverandlaidhishanduponthehandle。
“Youwill，Iamsure，excusemeforafewmoments，Mr。Hamel，“
hishostbegged。“Mynieceandnephewwilldotheirbesttoentertainyou。Now，Sarson，Iamready。“
Mr。Fentolinglidedacrossthedim，emptyspacesofthesplendidapartment，followedbythedoctor；aghostlylittleprocessionitseemed。Thedoorwasclosedbehindthem。Forafewmomentsacurioussilenceensued。Geraldremainedtenseandapparentlysufferingfromsomesortofsuppressedemotion。Estherforthefirsttimemovedinherplace。SheleanedtowardsHamel。Herlipswereslowlyparted，hereyessoughtthedoorasthoughinterror。
Hervoice，althoughsaveforthemselvestherewasnooneelseinthewholeofthatgreatapartment，hadsunktothelowestofwhispers。
“Areyouabraveman，Mr。Hamel？“sheasked。
Hewasstaggeredbutheansweredherpromptly。
“Ibelieveso。“
“Don’tgiveuptheTower-justyet。Thatiswhat-hehasbroughtyouherefor。Hewantsyoutogiveitupandgoback。Don’t！“
Theearnestnessofherwordswasunmistakable。Hamelfeltthethrillofcomingevents。
“Whynot？“
“Don’taskme，“shebegged。“Onlyifyouarebrave，ifyouhavefeelingforothers，keeptheTower，ifitbeforonlyaweek。
Hush！“
Thedoorhadbeennoiselesslyopened。Thedoctorappearedandadvancedtothetablewithagravelittlebow。
“Mr。Fentolin，“hesaid，“hasbeenkindenoughtosuggestthatI
takeaglassofwinewithyou。Mypresenceisnotneededup-stairs。
Mr。Hamel，“headded，“Iamglad，sir，tomakeyouracquaintance。
Ihaveforalongtimebeenagreatadmirerofyourfather’swork。“
Hetookhisplaceattheheadofthetableand，fillinghisglass，bowedtowardsHamel。OncemoreGeraldandhissisterrelapsedalmostautomaticallyintoanindifferentandcultivatedsilence。
Hamelfoundcivilitytowardsthenewcomerdifficult。Unconsciouslyhisattitudebecamethatoftheothertwo。Heresentedtheintrusion。HefoundhimselfregardingtheadventofDoctorSarsonaspossessingsomesecondarysignificance。ItwasalmostasthoughMr。Fentolinpreferrednottoleavehimalonewithhisnieceandnephew。
Neverthe1ess，hisvoice，whenhespoke，wasclearandfirm。
Mr。Fentolin，onleavingthedining-room，steeredhischairwithgreatprecisionthroughtheopen，wrought-irondoorsofasmallliftatthefurtherendofthehall，whichDoctorSarson，whosteppedinwithhim，promptlydirectedtothesecondfloor。HeretheymadetheirwaytotheroominwhichMr。Dunsterwaslying。
DoctorSarsonopenedthedoorandlookedin。Almostimmediatelyhestoodatoneside，outofsightofMr。Dunster，andnoddedtoMr。
Fentolin。
“Ifthereisanytrouble，“hewhispered，“sendforme。Iambetteraway，forthepresent。Mypresenceonlyexciteshim。“
Mr。Fentolinnodded。
“Youareright，“hesaid。“Godownintothedining-room。IamnotsureaboutthatfellowHamel，andGeraldisinaqueertemper。Staywiththem。Seethattheyarenotalone。“
Thedoctorsilentlywithdrew，andMr。Fentolinpromptlyglidedpasthimintotheroom。Mr。JohnP。Dunster，inhisnightclothes，wassittingonthesideofthebed。Standingwithinafewfeetofhim，watchinghimallthetimewiththesubtleintentnessofacatwatchingamouse，stoodMeekins。Mr。Dunster’sheadwasstillbound，althoughthebandagehadslippedalittle，apparentlyinsomestruggle。Hisfacewaschalklike，andhewasbreathingquickly。
“Soyou’vecomeatlast！“heexclaimed，alittletruculently。“AreyouMr。Fentolin？“
Mr。Fentolingravelyadmittedhisidentity。Hiseyesresteduponhisguestwithanairoftenderinterest。Hisfacewasalmostbeautiful。
“Youaretheownerofthishouse-Iamunderneathyourroof-isthatso？“
“ThisiscertainlySt。David’sHall，“Mr。Fentolinreplied。“Itreallyappearsasthoughyourconclusionswerecorrect。“
“ThenwillyoutellmewhyIamkeptaprisonerhere？“
Mr。Fentolin’sexpressionwasforamomentclouded。Heseemedhurt。
“Aprisoner，“herepeatedsoftly。“MydearMr。Dunster，youhavesurelyforgottenthecircumstanceswhichprocuredformethepleasureofthisvisit；theconditioninwhichyouarrivedhere-only，afterall，averyfewhoursago？“
“Thecircumstances，“Mr。Dunsterdeclareddrily，“aretomestillinexplicable。AtLiverpoolStreetStationIwasaccostedbyayoungmanwhoinformedmethathisnamewasGeraldFentolin，andthathewasonhiswaytoTheHaguetoplayinagolftournament。
Hisstoryseemedentirelyprobable，andIpermittedhimaseatinthespecialtrainIhadcharteredforHarwich。TherewasanaccidentandIreceivedthisblowtomyhead-onlyatriflingaffair，afterall。Icometomysensestofindmyselfhere。Idonotknowexactlywhatpartoftheworldyoucallthis，butfromthefactthatIcanseetheseafrommywindow，itmustbesomeconsiderabledistancefromthesceneoftheaccident。Ifindthatmydressing-casehasbeenopened，mypocket-bookexamined，andIamapparentlyaprisoner。
Iaskyou，Mr。Fentolin，foranexplanation。“
Mr。Fentolinsmiledreassuringly。
“Mydearsir，“hesaid，“mydearMr。Dunster，IbelieveImayhavethepleasureofcallingyou-yourconclusionsseemtomejustalittlemelodramatic。Mynephew-GeraldFentolin-didwhatI
considerthenaturalthing，underthecircumstances。Youhadbeencourteoustohim，andherepaidtheobligationtothebestofhisability。Theaccidenttoyourtrainhappenedinadrearypartofthecountry，somethirtymilesfromhere。MynephewadoptedacoursewhichIthink，underthecircumstances，wasthenaturalandhospitableone。Hebroughtyoutohishome。Therewasnohospitalortownofanyimportancenearer。“
“Verywell，“Mr。Dunsterdecided。“Iwillacceptyourversionoftheaffair。Iwill，then，uptothispointacknowledgemyselfyourdebtor。Butwillyoutellmewhymydressing-casehasbeenopened，myclothesremoved，andapocket-bookcontainingpapersofgreatimportancetomehasbeentamperedwith？“
