"Probably. Deeping was murdered by Hassan! The slipper was placed in the Antiquarian Museum—"
"From which it was stolen again!"
"Correct — by Earl Dexter, America's foremost crook! But the real facts have never got into print. I am the only pressman who knows them, and I have good reason for keeping my knowledge to myself! Dexter is dead (I believe I saw his ghost to-day). But although, to the best of my knowledge, the accursed slipper is in the hands of Hassan and Company, I have been watched since I left Euston, and on my way to 'Uplands' my life was attempted!"
"For God's sake, why?"
"I cannot surmise, Hilton. Deeping, for certain reasons that are irrelevant at the moment, left the keys of the case at the Museum in my perpetual keeping — but the case was rifled a second time—"
"I read of it!"
"And the keys were stolen from me. I am utterly at a loss to understand why the Hashishin — for it is members of that awful organization who, without a doubt, surround this house at the present moment — should seek my life. Hilton, I have brought trouble with me!"
"It's almost incredible!" said Hilton, staring at me. "Why do these people pursue you?"
Ere I had time to reply Soar entered, arrayed, as was Hilton, in his night attire. Soar was an ex-dragoon and a model man.
"Everything fast, sir," he reported; "but from the window of the bedroom over here — the room I got ready for Mr. Cavanagh — I thought I saw someone in the orchard."