Dina was wakeful that night, long after the rest of the household was asleep; and it might have been between twelve and one o'clock when she heard a curious rasping noise, which seemed to come from the ground floor, on the same side as her own room. With a heart beating fast, and eyes staring into the darkness, the child sat up to listen.
Yes—it was not fancy; the subdued sound kept on, and Dina at once jumped to conclusions.
"We're going to be burgled," said she to herself. "Somebody's trying to get in at the drawing-room window after the gems. What had I better do?"
The next minute Dina was standing at her brother's bedside.
"Gerry, wake up! It's burglars. Oh, do stop snoring and wake up! Burglars! Burglars!"
The frightened whisper at last reached the boy's drowsy brain. He started up and jumped out of bed.
"Let's go and see what's up!" he said; and shoving his feet into slippers, he flung his dressing-gown about him, and opening his door came out on the landing, Dina, behind him. Here the rasping noise came less softly to their ears, and Gerald said, "They're filing the catch of the drawing-room window. It's the gems they're after."
Suddenly—and before the twins had made up their mind how to act—the noise ceased and a window was gently opened.
"Oughtn't I to go and tell dad?" whispered Gerald.
"Yes, of course he must know," replied Dina; "I'll go with you as far as his landing."