He had put on his dressing-gown, and was now looking for his slippers.
"Oh, for a long time."
Tapster's hand was trembling, partly from excitement, partly from fear. "How d'you account for it?" he asked.
"One of the servants has gone mad drunk," replied Panton briefly. "That's what it is—without a doubt! We'd better go down and see what can be done."
And then, as there came the distant sounds of breaking glass, he exclaimed: "I wonder everyone hasn't woken up!"
"There is a heavy padded door between that part of the house and this. My room is on the other side, over what they call the school-room. I left the padded door open just now when I came through—in fact I fastened it back."
"That wasn't a very clever thing to do!"
The doctor did not speak pleasantly, but Tapster took no offence.
"I—I wanted someone to hear," he said humbly; "I felt so shut off through there."
"Still, there's no use in waking everybody else up," said Panton, in a businesslike tone.