delay'" He waved his pistol again "Bring—"
Abruptly the masked face vanished from the window
There was a crash and the almost simultaneous sound of a
pistol shot Stuggs cursed and ran to the window A moment
later he pulled his head back inside and shook it in wonder
"Silly chub was standing on a bucket, an' it tipped over," he
said "The pistol must 'ave gone off when 'e fell "
127
"Never mind!" Jasper said. "Help me hide this before some-
one else comes in."
"What's going on?" a voice boomed from the doorway "Hi,
Marston! Looks like you've had a bit of a turnup."
"I don't care what he's been having, Mr. Bramingham, I
won't have him making such dreadful noises in my house," said
a shrill female voice from farther along the hallway "He's
wakened atl the guests and the servants, and I won't have it
Even if he is your brother, Amelia, dear."
"Too late," Stuggs said in a resigned tone as the occupants
of Bramingham Place, in various states of deshabille, began
pouring into the library
128
THIRTEEN
'^•w-^' '~r' he first person through the door was an
JBy^^^ 1 older, heavier version of Henry Braming-
f • ham. Kirn assumed he was the owner of the es-
tate Behind him came several other men in dressing gowns
and a partially dressed footman carrying more candles. They
were followed in turn by the ladies of the house, caps askew
and clutching their dressing gowns about them, determined
to miss nothing of whatever scandalous goings-on had been
discovered.
Jasper dropped the platter onto the seat of a nearby sofa
where it would be temporarily hidden by the back "House-
breakers, that's what happened, Bramingham," he said, wav-
ing at the broken window and the chaos of shattered glass
and broken furniture below "I, ah, came down for a book
and interrupted them—"
"Housebreakers!" A plump, grey-haired woman wrapped in
layers of ruffles stiffened indignantly. "At my house party! 1
won't have it, Mr Bramingham!"
"Of course not, my dear," the heavy man said, patting her
arm. "Good job, Marston; I see you've caught one." He eyed
129
Stuggs's bulk with evident misgiving. "He looks a desperate
rogue Just hold him off a minute more, til Henry gets here
with the shotgun."
"What? No, no, Bramingham, that's not a burglar," Jasper
said, clearly taken aback. "That's my man, Stuggs."
"Jasper!" Lady Granleigh pushed her way to the front of the
crowd and came toward him across the room, hands out-
stretched, "Dear boy, were you injured?" Her expression was
at variance with her concerned tone, and as she came nearer,
Kim saw her soundlessly mouth the words "Did you get it?"
"Yes," said Jasper "I mean no, not at all. Ah, Amelia . . ."
He gestured toward the sofa
Amelia glanced down. She looked at Jasper and rolled her
eyes heavenward- "The very thought of your ordeal makes me
feel faint," she declared, and sat down on top of the tray,
spreading out her robe so that it was completely hidden,
"Clever woman," Mairelon murmured- "Pity she's not on
our side."
"Shhl" Kim hissed. "You want to get us caught?"
"Amelia, dear!" Mrs. Bramingham said, hurrying over.
"Faint? Lady Granleigh never faints!" a bluff voice said, and
a distinguished-looking man pushed his way through the
crowd of servants and visitors- He was fully dressed, which
perhaps accounted for his tardiness, and there was mud on his
boots. "I'm afraid they got away, Bramingham," he said. "That
boy of yours is still chasing them, but 1 don't see that he has
much chance of catching up with them in the dark."
Mrs. Bramingham gave a faint, lady-like shriek- "Henry!
My son is out there with those villains? I won't have it! Bring
him back at once, Mr, Bramingham."
"Of course, my dear," Mr. Bramingham said, making not
the slightest move to do so. "Did you see them yourself, Lord
Granleigh?"
"Somebody was running off through the woods," Lord
130
Granleigh replied. "1 doubt that anyone got a good look at
him, though. Now, what's this about Lady Cranleigh faint-
ing? You're not ill, are you, my dear?"
"I shall be quite all right in a moment," Lady Cranleigh
said, leaning back against the cushions. She looked nervous,
and Kim wondered whether her husband knew that she and
her brother were trying to steal Henry's tray.
"I can carry you up to your room," Lord Granleigh offered,
plainly concerned.
"No, no, I shall do much better here," Lady Granleigh as-
sured him, "Perhaps if you sent Marianne to me . . ,"
"Mademoiselle Marianne is in the saloon, having the hys-
terics. "
Heads turned toward a lovely young woman standing in
the doorway. A lace cap lay like a snowflake on her auburn
hair, and the pale green wrap that covered her nightdress set
off her slender figure better than a ball gown. Kim felt Mair-
elon stiffen. "Renee?" he breathed in tones of horrified dis-
belief.
"Me, I do not see that having the hysterics is of any use
whatever, and I have a great wish to know whether we are to
be murdered in our beds, so 1 have left her with her maid,"
the auburn vision went on. "I think that her maid is very
nearly as silly as she is, so they will go on well together.
What has happened?"
A confused babble of voices greeted this question. Lady
Cranleigh objected that her dear Marianne was not in the
least silly; Mrs. Bramingham offered some complaint about
her son; Jasper launched into a highly colored and very
Jumbled account of the way in which he had run the ruffians
off, Mr- Bramingham made a series of vague and contradic-
tory statements that seemed intended to be reassuring. The
auburn-haired woman listened with an appearance of polite
131
interest, though it was impossible to understand more than
one word in six Finally Mr. Bramingham put a stop to it.
"Enough'" he roared "Miss D'Auber, I must apologize, it
has been a very trying night."
So the auburn-haired woman was the infamous Renee
D'Auber, whom Mairelon had gone to visit the night before
they left London' Kirn could not keep from glancing in the
magician's direction, but it was too dark in the cupboard to
make out his expression. Frowning a little, she returned to
her contemplation of the scene in the library.
"It seems to me that of a certainty someone has been trying
something tonight," Mademoiselle D'Auber said into the si-
lence that followed Mr Bramingham's bellow. "But i do not
yet know what."
Mr Bramingham attempted a gallant bow, the effect of
which was somewhat spoiled by the belt of his dressing
gown, which chose that moment to come undone and flap
around his knees. "Nothing that need cause you concern,
Miss D'Auber "
"Father!" Henry Bramingham burst into the room with a
nod and a quick "Beg pardon" as he passed Renee D'Auber
His eyes were bright with excitement, and in one hand he
held a dirt-covered pistol. Bits of earth and grass dropped
from the pistol to the carpet as he waved it triumphantly be-
fore the eyes of the assembly. "We didn't catch him, but we
found this on the South Walk."
"Henry!" shrieked his mother. "What do you mean by
bringing that filthy object into the library''"
"I told you he had a guni" Jasper said.
"Coo!" whispered one of the housemaids, who was standing
wide-eyed in a corner, drinking in the uproar.
"Henry, you're upsetting the ladies," Mr. Bramingham said
as if he would have liked to hide it under his coat.
132
Mademoiselle D'Auber s eyebrows rose- "I see that
Mademoiselle Marianne is perhaps not so foolish as I
thought, unless your South Walk grows pistols, which is a
thing unlikely. But do you say that this person has escaped?"
"Nothing to worry about, Miss D'Auber," Mr. Bramingham
said "If you'll just let us handle this—"
"But I do not see that you are handling it," Renee D'Auber
pointed out, "And perhaps this villain has a second pistol and
will come back to kill us all in our beds! I do not at all like
this idea, me, and I will not spend another night in this
house-"
"Oh, no. Mademoiselle D'Auber, you mustn't leave!" Mrs-
Bramingham turned in distress from her unwelcomed minis-
trations to Lady Granleigh. "Why, you've only just arrived!"
"I shall leave in the morning," Renee announced, and swept
out of the room.
"There! See what you've done!" Mrs. Bramingham said
crossly to Henry after a moment's silence.
"What I've done!" The look Henry gave his mother was full
of righteous indignation. "I didn't break into the library and
smash up the display cases. I didn't go dropping pistols in the
South Walk. I suppose you'd rather I hadn't chased off the
fellow who did!"
"I believe I am going to faint," Lady Granleigh announced
loudly. The company turned to look at her and she sank back
against the sofa, fanning herself with one hand. "If 1 could
have a little peace." she said in failing tones, "1 might be able to
recover"
"Of course, Amelia, dear!" Mrs. Bramingham said- "Mr.
Bramingham, take these people into the green saloon. I'll just
get my hartshorn—"
"Alone," Lady Granleigh said with amazing firmness for a
purported invalid-
133
"But, Lady Cranleigh—" Mr Bramingham began, frown-
ing.
"Very well," Lady Cranleigh sighed, cutting him off "ff
you insist, I will allow Jasper to remain in case those villains
reappear. But 1 must have cfuiet."
"But Mr. Marston was going to explain—"
Lady Cranteigh raised a hand to her head "Can it not
wait?"
Mr Bramingham blinked, then shook his head "Yes, of
course. Lady Granleigh, as you say. Come along, my dear.
Henry, take that thing to the morning room; I'll come by in a
minute or two Come along, everyone, we must let Lady
Cranleigh recover "
Lord Cranleigh gave his wife a penetrating look, but ai-
lowed himself to be shepherded out of the room along with
the rest Only Jasper and his "man" Stuggs remained behind.
As the door closed behind the crowd, Lady Granleigh stood
up briskly.
"Ah, Amelia, hadn't you better—I mean, what if someone
comes back in and sees you'1" Jasper stuttered. "You're sup-
posed to be in a faint."
"I am not going to sit on that object for another instant,"
Lady Granleigh replied. "And if it had not been for your inep-
titude, I would not have had to- What possessed you to rouse
the household like this?"
"I didn't rouse the household, and if you'd listen for half a
minute, you'd know it," Jasper said bitterly "It was that Bed-
lamite in the domino with his pistol and his—"
"I am not interested in excuses," Lady Cranleigh inter-
rupted- "There will be time for that later Right now we must
decide what to do with this platter- We can't just carry it up
to your room, you know. The halls are full of servants; it wilt
be hours before things settle down "
"My room? Why my room? You're the one who was invited
134
and at least two dressing tables to hide the thing in. I'm just
an overnight guest; all I have is a shaving stand "
"You have neither a husband nor an abigait to pry into your
things. I, on the other hand—"
"f should hope not!" Jasper said Then he looked at his
sister and snorted. "And if Stephen Granleigh has ever 'pried'
in your things, I'll . I'll eat my cravat."
"If you dare to so much as hint any such thing about Ste-
phen, I shall feed it to you myself," Lady Granleigh retorted
"Stephen is the soul of honor "
'Too honorable for his own good," Jasper muttered. His
sister gave him a warning look, and he scowled. "Well, he is,
and you know it, or why did you drag me into this mess in
the first place? Granleigh stands to benefit as much as you do
if he recovers the platter, but he wouldn't stand this havey-
cavey nonsense for a minute." His expressive wave included
the platter, the shattered window, the open display case, and
his sister.
Lady Granleigh flushed- "That is not the point, and you are
wasting time. What are we going to do with this platter?"
"Throw it out the window," Jasper said in a sulky tone.
"Don't be ridiculous, Jasper. There are still people combing
the grounds in search of those housebreakers of yours; some-
one would be sure to find it before we could recover it."
"Why don't you 'ide it be'ind some of them books?" Stuggs
suggested.
Lady Granleigh gave him a scornful look, but as no better
idea was forthcoming, she and Jasper set to work removing
books from one of the shelves. Unfortunately they did not
think to check the platter against the size of the shelf before
they did so, and when they tried to balance it on its edge
against the wall, it proved too tall They were forced to re-
135
move it and replace the books, reproaching each other
viciously the entire time
In the end, they hid the platter under the sofa cushions
Lady Cranleigh was not altogether pleased with this solution,
and warned Jasper several times that he must make certain to
remove it before the maids came to straighten up
"And on no account are you to allow Mr Bramingham and
the others to search this room," she added
"How am I supposed to stop them?"
"I leave that to you Now, 1 think it is time I recovered
enough to return to my room You may escort me After that,
I suggest you rejoin Mr Bramingham
and tell them your
story You,"—she gave Stuggs a withering look—"had best
stand guard outside the library door It will look well, and
that way we can be sure no one will come in and accidentally
discover the platter before we have a chance to move it Your
arm, Jasper "
The three conspirators went slowly out of the library, Lady
Cranleigh clinging to her brother's arm as if she were about
to collapse The door closed behind them, and the room was
empty at last
Kirn stirred, then poked Mairelon gently, somewhat sur-
prised that he had not unlatched the bookcase door of their
refuge She felt him start at her touch He let out a long
breath and closed the little panel through which they had
been looking Kim felt him make a series of small move-
ments, and then the bookcase swung wide
Moonlight dnbbled through the broken window, making
Mairelon's magical light unnecessary Kim darted out and be-
gan pulling cushions off the sofa Mairelon pushed the book-
case back into place and followed, but more slowly "Hurry
up'" Kim whispered "We ain't got much time "
"Yes," Mairelon said "I know " He picked up the last of the
cushions and threw it viciously to the floor Kim winced, glad
136
that it had landed on the carpet and not knocked anything