“Worse than this!” exclaimed Harry. “You’d think we were going to haze him to hear you talk! Instead of that we’re doing him a real kindness; finding him a nice comfortable room and charging nothing for our services!”
“Guess we’d be doing a heap better,” muttered Bert as they went downstairs, “if we minded our own business!”
There was a half moon in the sky and it was very easy to follow the path across the terrace and the green. They made good time and were soon in the village. When they reached the building they sought, they found all its windows dark.
“That’s funny,” said Hansel, peering up. “Where do you suppose they are?”
“Visiting,” answered Bert. “Come on; I’m going back. I’ve got work to do. The next time I start out on a wild-goose chase with you fellows——”
“Hold on!” said Harry. “There’s a light up there, I think. They’ve got a heavy curtain at the window. Let’s go up, anyhow, and make sure.”
So they climbed the two flights of narrow stairs, dimly illumined by a bracket lamp on the first landing, and found that Harry was right. Above the door of the room at the front of the building the transom was a dim yellow oblong. Bert knocked and a voice bade them enter.