"Oh, but there is," Jack protested. "You have utterly forgotten one thing--did you not tell me there were two night watchmen on the premises?"
Seymour chuckled, and was understood to say that they would find Anstruther had removed that difficulty for them. Seymour seemed so sure of his ground that Jack waived his protest. A minute later Seymour was through the window, and the others followed swiftly. Rather recklessly, or so it seemed to Jack, Seymour waved his electric torch so as to form a line of light in front. He smiled grimly as he pointed to two unconscious figures reclining back as if hopelessly drunk in a pair of deep armchairs. They came so suddenly upon the unfortunate victims that Jack fairly started. But so far as Seymour was concerned, he had appeared to have expected something of the kind. He again chuckled hoarsely.
"What did I tell you?" he asked. "Did I not say that Anstruther and Co. would very kindly get the caretakers out of the way for us? You see the caretakers would have been just as much of a nuisance to them as they are to us. They have been carefully hocussed, and not until an alarm is given in the morning will they be in a position to say anything."
The last danger being apparently removed, the trio proceeded to make their way to the bank premises proper, and there made themselves as comfortable as possible under one of the counters in the counting house. It was very quiet there, so quiet that they could hear the tramping footsteps of the police outside, and the singing of some belated reveler. They lay there till they heard the great clock of St. Paul's strike the hour of one. There was a sound then of heavy footsteps tramping along the corridor, and presently a great blaze of light filled the counting house. It was perfectly safe, for the heavy iron shutters excluded every ray from the outside. Seymour rose cautiously, then ducked his head again.
"Just look," he whispered. "Make sure who it is."
Rigby raised his head cautiously, too. The light fell full upon the face of the intruder--the white, stern face of Anstruther.
"Now for it," Seymour whispered; "the play is about to begin."
[CHAPTER XXXV.]
THE CELLINI PLATE.
So far as Anstruther was concerned, he might have been going about his usual business. He evidently had no fear on the score of interruption, and, indeed, there was little cause, seeing that the bank was so substantially built, and that from top to bottom the windows were protected with iron shutters.