"You must have imagined it," suggested Mr. Batholommey. "Our nerves are all upset."
"I'll get a light," Frederik said, starting toward the dining-room.
At that moment, Marta entered with the welcome lamps. She carried two of them, one already lighted, which she put upon the table. The other Frederik took quickly from her and carried to the chain-bracket over the desk. This he adjusted with Marta's help, and then lighted.
After which he glanced apprehensively about the room once more. Even under the reassuring flood of light his impression that some one had stolen in upon the dim-lit conference would not wholly vanish.
CHAPTER XIII
THE RETURN
The Dead Man came home.
The old collie, lying stretched in the deep porch, safe from the storm, knew him. As the Dead Man came up the walk between the trim beds of rain-soaked flowers, the old dog crawled rheumatically to its feet, the bleared eyes brightening, the feathered tail awag in joyous greeting to the loved master who had been so long and so unaccountably absent.
Peter Grimm laid a hand caressingly on his old pet's head; then passed into his former home.