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Then at a scuffling noise behind him he turned and saw Meagle in a heap on the hearthstone. With a sharp catch in his breath he stood motionless. Inside the room the candle, fluttering in the draught, showed dimly the grotesque attitudes of the sleepers. Beyond the door there seemed to his over- wrought imagination a strange and stealthy unrest.
Under Meagle's guidance they turned oft at last to the right, and, after a walk of a quarter of a mile, saw the gates of the house before them. The lodge was almost hidden by overgrown shrubs and the drive was choked with rank growths. Meagle leading, they pushed through it until the dark pile of the house loomed above them.
"Is anybody coming?" "Suppose we drop this game and go back," said Barnes suddenly. "I don't believe in spirits, but nerves are outside anybody's command. You may laugh as you like, but it really seemed to me that I heard a door open below and steps on the stairs." His voice was drowned in a roar of laughter. "He is coming round," said Meagle with a smirk.
Meagle led the way with the candle, and, first melting a drop or two of tallow, stuck it on the mantelpiece. The others seated themselves on the floor and watched pleasantly as White drew from his pocket a small bottle of whiskey and a tin cup. "H'm! I've forgotten the water," he exclaimed. "I'll soon get some," said Meagle.
"Your play, White," he said after a pause. White made no sign. "Why, he is asleep," said Meagle. "Wake up, old man. Wake up and play." Lester, who was sitting next to him, took the sleeping man by the arm and shook him, gently at first and then with some roughness; but White, with his back against the wall and his head bowed, made no sign.
"You go if you want to," said Meagle, "and we will play dummy. Or you might ask the tramp to take your hand for you, as you go downstairs." Barnes shivered and exclaimed angrily. He got up and, walking to the half-closed door, listened. "Go outside," said Meagle, winking at the other two. "I'll dare you to go down to the hall door and back by yourself."
"There is a window at the back where we can get in, so the landlord says," said Lester, as they stood before the hall door. "Window?" said Meagle. "Nonsense. Let's do the thing properly. Where's the knocker?" He felt for it in the darkness and gave a thundering rat-tat-tat at the door. "Don't play the fool," said Barnes crossly.
Barnes shook him off, and putting the candle back on the mantelpiece, tried again to arouse the sleepers. "It's no good," he said at last, and, turning from them, watched Meagle. "Don't you go to sleep," he said anxiously. Meagle shook his head, and they stood for some time in uneasy silence. "May as well shut the door," said Barnes at last. He crossed over and closed it gently.
"Well, there is a house," said Meagle, "a large house at an absurdly low rent, and nobody will take it. It has taken toll of at least one life of every family that has lived there however short the time and since it has stood empty caretaker after care-taker has died there. The last caretaker died fifteen years ago." "Exactly," said Barnes. "Long enough ago for legends to accumulate."
"Barnes!" he whispered. "Barnes!" Something stirred in the darkness. A small circular window at the end of the passage just softened the blackness and revealed the dim outlines of a motionless figure. Meagle, in place of advancing, stood almost as still as a sudden horrible doubt took possession of him.
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