Mary seemed about to faint.
Suddenly from the back of the hall, steps were heard coming towards them, and in a moment more the face of a clean-shaven man appeared. He was mounting from the stairs that led down into what had once been the kitchens or cellars of the old house.
Just half of his body was visible, when he stopped suddenly, as if turned to stone.
As he did so the bearded Inspector Brown stepped quickly forward and caught him by the shoulder.
"Ah, it is you, is it?" he said. "Come up and let us have a look at you."
The man's face grew absolutely white, then, with a sudden eel-like movement, he twisted away from under the inspector's hand and vanished down the stairs.
In a flash the inspector and his companion were after him.
"Come on!" they shouted to the others, "come on, we shall want you!"
Rose and Conrad dashed after them. Mary could hear them stumbling down the stairs, and then a confused noise of shouting as if from the bowels of the earth.