“That’s right,” he said; “put the lamp out safe. This is an ugly old place, but it would be horrible if the place were burned down.”
“Yes—horrible—horrible!” said Stratton, with a shudder.
“Much more horrible if anyone slept in the place, eh?”
“If anybody slept in the place?” said Stratton with a ghastly look.
“Yes—lodgers. There is somebody upstairs on the second floor, isn’t there?”
“Yes,” said Stratton huskily, “but only in the day time.” He withdrew his hand from the lamp, and looked round, to Guest’s great delight; for he was taking an evident interest in the topic his friend had started, and his eyes roved from object to object in the room.
“Work of a good many years’ saving and collecting here, old chap, eh?”
“Yes; of many, many years,” said Stratton thoughtfully.
“And all your bits of antique furniture, too. Mustn’t have a fire here, old fellow. I say,” he continued, tapping a glass jar in which a kind of lizard was suspended in spirits, “I suppose if this grew hot the stopper would be blown out, and the spirit would blaze all over the floor in a moment?”
Stratton’s eyes contracted strangely as he nodded and watched his friend.