"Thirty-six."
"Good! give me the key to thirty-six."
"What do you want of it, sir?"
Old Spicer gave him a hurried but plausible explanation.
The key was at once handed to him.
He went back to Quackenbush.
"Come with me," he said. "I shall take Rouse up to thirty-six with me, and I want you to remain in the vicinity of twenty-four, so that, in case they leave the room, you can follow them."
"All right, sir," and the two went upstairs.
They found Rouse in the little passage at the side of the room. He had been at work boring a hole through the plastering, but unfortunately had chosen the wrong spot, and so his hole had come out in a closet on the other side.
"Come with me, Reub," said Old Spicer; "Quackenbush will remain here."