Patsy stopped before a closed door in the upper hall.
A sign from Patsy arrested Nick's attention. He communicated to Nick in their silent language:
"That's Horace's room, isn't it? Whom is he talking with?"
Nick listened. Then he laughed.
"You've fooled yourself there, Patsy," he said. "He's talking to a parrot. It's one of his pets. He has a good many."
Patsy looked a little sheepish.
"You can't blame me, Nick," he said. "We must suspect everybody in such business as this. Isn't that right?"
"Quite right," responded the detective.
They went at once to the old dining-hall. Colonel Richmond presently joined them there.
To him Nick frankly explained all the events of the previous night, including the disguise which he had adopted in order not to appear in the ghost hunt in his own person.