"I don't know what to do with you," she resumed. "No doubt you knew Mr. Farnam is away, but the pistol magazine is full. To begin with, you had better empty your pockets. Pull them inside out!"
He obeyed and dropped a pipe, a tobacco tin, and two or three silver coins.
"Those are mine; I've corralled nothing of yours."
"So it seems!" Agatha rejoined. "For all that, you can leave the things there. How did you get in?"
"Over the veranda roof. You hadn't fixed the shutter in the middle."
Agatha pondered for a few moments. The fellow did not look afraid, but seemed to recognize that the advantage was with her. This was lucky, because she could not keep it up long and wanted to get rid of him.
"Well," she said, "I think you had better go out by the window you opened. Walk down the passage in front of me and don't try to turn round."
He did so until he reached the window, which opened to the side. The hinges were in good order and made no noise when he pushed back the frame.
"Get out," said Agatha. "I'll shoot if you stop."
He climbed quietly over the ledge, his lantern flickered and went out, and next moment Agatha saw nothing but the driving snow. Then she closed the window and fastened the shutter in frantic haste, and afterwards leaned against the wall, trembling and breathing hard. Still the man had gone and she thought he would not come back. Pulling herself together she returned to her room.