Let us sit down and eat.

It is no good jumping in the dark, or meeting troubles half way.' We were not through our meal, however, Simon Fleix waiting on us with a pale face, when Maignan came in again from the dark room.

'My lord,' he said quietly, 'three men have appeared.

Two of them remain twenty paces away.

The third has come to the door.' As he spoke we heard a cautious summons below, Maignan was for going down, but his master bade him stand.