Once more he paid a visit to Hull. The Oakfield House burglary, described in the opening chapters of our work was no longer fresh in the recollection of the inhabitants of that town, and Peace felt quite sure that he would not be recognised by any of the constabulary.
The love of change and adventure had most likely prompted him to shift his quarters for awhile, and transfer the scene of his operations to another locality.
Soon after his arrival in Hull he began to look out for the places most available for his purpose, and contrived to commit some daring robberies without detection.
He had noticed a small villa which stood on the outskirts of a village, a few miles from Hull. The house was far removed from other habitations.
It was very tempting, not to say inviting, to the burglar.
Peace had played his violin at a beershop in the neighbourhood—that is how he came to notice the Gothic cottage, as it was termed.
To obtain an entrance would be matter of no great difficulty. Most of the inhabitants in the neighbourhood went to bed early, and rose with the lark.
It was between ten and eleven o’clock at night when Peace arrived at the villa in question.
A flight of steps led up to the front door. A bay window, with stone balustrading in front and a portico above, jutted out from the first storey of the habitation.
When Peace had reached the lawn in front of the house, he hesitated for a short time, before he made up his mind as to which was the easiest mode of access.