“I hear a noise in the upper story,” she said. “The house isn’t empty.”
Mr. Goddard and Lord Manton listened.
“There is a noise,” said Lord Manton. “Goddard, unsheathe your sword and proceed cautiously up the first flight of stairs. We will protect your rear.”
They reached the first floor of the house and the noise became much more plainly audible.
“It sounds to me,” said Lord Manton, “as if Mr. Red—the man Red, I mean—and his friends were having a hurdle race in the attics.”
“Go on,” said Miss Blow.
“Let us pause for a moment,” said Lord Manton, “and consider the situation before we rush headlong into some unknown danger. I am inclined to think that several men are jumping hurdles, and from the occasional violence of the bumps I should say that one of them is a heavy man, much heavier than the others. Can you infer anything else from the noise we hear, Miss Blow? Or you, Goddard? Very well, if neither of you can, we may as well go on, bearing in mind that there are several men and that one of them is large.”
They climbed two more flights of stairs and reached the top story of the house. The noise sounded very loud. Guided by it they reached the door of a room at the end of the passage. Mr. Goddard knocked. There was no reply, but this did not surprise him, for the noise inside was so great as to drown the knock.
“Go in,” said Miss Blow.