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 quite bold after two days’ immunity, and hoped they would not sit up all night—which was exactly what one or other of them had been doing ever since they came to Prior’s Tarrant, and, moreover, what they intended to do for the present.

“Sybil has done her part,” said the General, as soon as he was alone with his nephew. “And I have prepared Azimoolah to be on the lookout for results. He tells me that the men in the dog-cart were outside the park wall again last night, and that there was the same exhibition of a red lamp in that infernal French maid’s window.”

“An abortive attempt at communication?” asked Forsyth.

“That or something worse,” replied the General. “It may only be that the woman inside wants to confer with her confederates without; or it may be that the red lamp is a signal to them not to approach any nearer or try to get into the house. I incline to the latter being the explanation, as on each occasion the men in the cart have driven off immediately on seeing the red lamp, and there has been no attempt at short or long flashes, or any sort of code talk, Azimoolah tells me. In either case, it points