“Perhaps so, but we must take things as they are. It is clear that it won’t do to sleep in the room. I am glad to be able to offer you a bed. There are two in this room, as you see.”.
“Thank you, Mr. Sturgis. I will accept your kind offer.”
“Then, as it is late, we had better go to bed at once, so as to get a good night’s rest. I should like to see the face of the professor when he opens the door and finds that the bird has flown.”
Bernard laughed.
“I should like to see it myself,” he said.
We will now go back to Mr. Puffer.
He retired rather earlier than Bernard, and as he lay down he said to himself, with a peculiar smile, “The boy won’t be able to keep me out to-night He may think himself smart, but he is not smart enough to baffle the plans of Ezra Puffer.”
Professor Puffer had the faculty of sleeping for as short or long a time as he chose. He set himself for a two hours’ nap, and in five minutes he was sound asleep.
About twelve o’clock he awoke.
He was at first bewildered, but quickly recalled to mind what he had arranged to do.