Conrad pointed to one of the windows that was half open.
"That explains it," he said.
Ralph hurried to the window, and put his head out.
Stretching from the window to the ground was the bed cord.
This was a piece of strategy on the part of his wife. After the departure of Scott and the earl, she had removed the bed cord, and fastened it to the window to mislead her husband into supposing that it was in this way their guests had escaped.
"Well, I'll be blowed!" ejaculated Ralph.
"They must have smelt a rat," said Conrad, sagely.
"What I can't understand is how a man of good weight could have been held up by such a slender cord. And it doesn't seem to be stretched at all."
"It may be stronger than you think," suggested Conrad.
"I suppose it was, but I wouldn't like to trust myself to it."