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48 : "it makes me feel very uncomfortable. Of course it's out of the question that you should stay here alone, my dear; and none of the servants would dare stay with you, or would do any good if they did. But really, John, I don't approve of the plan in any way."

"Don't worry, mother," he returned, good-naturedly: "nobody's going to get hurt. We shall use our revolvers just to make them stand quiet and be handcuffed,—that's all. I don't suppose there are more than two of them, or three at the outside. And we shall be a match for any three men in this county,—eh, Frank?"

"Who shall go and lay the bait in the village?" I inquired.

"Henry has the best gift of the gab," replied John; "and I can go with him, in case any loud talking should be necessary. We can give them a good dose, between us."

"It is my opinion that there ought to be no untruth," mother declared. "We should not do wrong that good may come of it. Nothing can justify falsehood; and to deceive even a burglar is to bring yourself down to his level."

"Bless your dear soul!" chuckled Henry. "I should like to be the one rascal in a world made up of people like you! But you needn't be anxious, mother. We are going to camp out, sure enough, as soon as we have provided our burglars with a safe lodging. There may creep in some trifling ambiguity about the date; but 'tis not in mortal man to avoid all error, even in a burglar-hunt!"

We chatted over the matter till late in the evening, examining it from all points of view, and perfecting the details of the scheme. Mother dropped asleep after a while, in the midst of formulating some moral criticism; but Sinfire was as wide awake as an angel, and her eyes had a gleam in them which, if not angelic, was at least demonic, and she was more fertile in ideas than any of us. She seemed to hold the whole scene, in all its complexities, before her, noting any imperfections in the plan and immediately providing remedies for them. My experience, certainly, has never brought me in contact with a woman's mind so brilliant, original, and replete with resources. It was strange to think of us three sitting there with her, each of us regarding her so differently, and yet all united in one thing. Only she and I, however, commanded the entire situation: only we knew the inner secrets. But the talk never touched on or turned towards the hidden things: we spoke on the surface, and of it. I confess, too, that I do not altogether comprehend why her interest in this affair should be so intense. What bearing can she suppose it to have on her fate? Probably it merely relieves the strain of other thoughts. Indeed, I cannot otherwise account for my own absorption in it. As for Henry, it amuses him, and he may