Butalmostimmediatelyhegaveastartand，pressingGeorge’sarm，appearedtolisten，nottothespeechwhichwasnolongeraudible，buttosomethingmuchnearer-astepormovementintheadjoiningyard。Atleast，soGeorgeinterpretedthequickturnwhichthisimpetuousdetectivemade，andthepainshetooktodirectGeorge’sattentiontothewalkrunningunderthewindowbeneathwhichtheycrouched。Someonewasstealingdownuponthehouseattheirleft，fromthealleybeyond。Abigman，whoseshoulderbrushedthewindowashewentby。Georgefelthishandseizedagainandpressedasthishappened，andbeforehehadrecoveredfromthisexcitement，experiencedanotherquickpressureandstillanotherasone，two，threeadditionalfigureswentslippingby。Thenhishandwassuddenlydropped，foracryhadshotupfromthedoorwherethesentinelstoodguard，followedbyasuddenloudslam，andthenoiseofashootingbolt，which，proclaimingasitdidthattheinvaderswerenotfriendsbutenemiestothecausewhichwasbeingvauntedabove，soexcitedSweetwaterthathepulledthewindowwideopenandtookaboldlookout。Georgefollowedhisexampleandthiswaswhattheysaw：
　　Threemenwerestandingflatagainstthefenceleadingfromthesheddirectlytotheporch。Thefourthwascrouchingwithinthelatter，andinanothermomenttheyheardhisfistdescenduponthedoorinsideinawaytorousetheechoes。Meantime，thevoiceintheaudiencehallabovehadceased，andtherecouldbeheardinsteadthescrambleofhurryingfeetandthenoiseofoverturningbenches。Thenawindowflewupandavoicecalleddown：”Who’sthat?Whatdoyouwantdownthere?”
　　Butbeforeananswercouldbeshoutedback，thismanwasdrawnfiercelyinside，andthescramblewasrenewed，amidwhichGeorgeheardSweetwater’swhisperathisear：”It’sthepolice。Thechiefhasgotaheadofme。Wasthatthemanwe’reafter-theonewhoshouteddown?””No。Neitherwashethespeaker。Thevoicesareverydifferent。””Wewantthespeaker。Iftheboysgethim，we’reallright；butiftheydon’t-wait，Imustmakethemattersure。”
　　Andwithaboundhevaultedthroughthewindow，whistlinginapeculiarway。George，thusleftquitealone，hadthepleasureofseeinghissoleprotectormixwiththeboys，ashecalledthem，andultimatelycrowdinwiththemthroughthedoorwhichhadfinallybeenopenedfortheiradmittance。Thencameawait，andthenthequietre-appearanceofthedetectivealoneandinnovery，amiablemood。”Well?”inquiredGeorge，somewhatbreathlessly。”Doyouwantme?
　　Theydon’tseemtobecomingout。””No；they’vegonetheotherway。Itwasaredhotanarchistmeeting，andnomistake。Theyhavearrestedoneofthespeakers，buttheotherescaped。How，wehavenotyetfoundout；butI
　　thinkthere’sawayoutsomewherebywhichhegotthestartofus。HewasthemanIwantedyoutosee。Badluck，Mr。Anderson，butI’mnotattheendofmyresources。Ifyou’llhavepatiencewithmeandaccompanymealittlefurther，IpromiseyouthatI’llonlyriskonemorefailure。Willyoubesogood，sir?”
　　THEINCIDENTOFTHEPARTLYLIFTEDSHADE
　　Thefellowhadawaywithhim，hardtoresist。ColdasGeorgewasandexhaustedbyanexcitementofakindtowhichhewaswhollyunaccustomed，hefoundhimselfaccedingtothedetective’srequest；
　　andafteraquicklunchandahugecupofcoffeeinarestaurantwhichIwishIhadtimetodescribe，thetwotookacarwhicheventuallybroughtthemintooneoftheoldestquartersoftheBoroughofBrooklyn。ThesleetwhichhadstungtheirfacesinthestreetsofNewYorkhadbeenleftbehindthemsomewhereonthebridge，butthechillwasnotgonefromtheair，andGeorgefeltgreatlyrelievedwhenSweetwaterpausedinthemiddleofalongblockbeforealoftytenementhouseofmeanappearance，andsignifiedthatheretheyweretostop，andthatfromnowon，mumwastobetheirwatchword。
　　GeorgewasrelievedIsay，buthewasalsomoreastonishedthanever。
　　WhatkindofhauntswerethesefortheculturedgentlemanwhospenthiseveningsattheClermont?Itwaseasyenoughinthesedaysofextravagantsympathies，tounderstandsuchamanaddressingtheuneasyspiritsoflowerNewYork-hehadbeencalledanenthusiast，andanenthusiastisveryoftenasocialagitator-buttotracehimafterwardstoaplacelikethiswascertainlyasurprise。Atenement-suchatenementasthis-meanthome-homeforhimselforforthosehecountedhisfriends，andsuchasuppositionseemedinconceivabletomypoorhusband，withthememoryofthegorgeousparlouroftheClermontinhismind。Indeed，hehintedsomethingofthekindtohisaffablebutstrangelyreticentcompanion，butalltheanswerhegotwasapeculiarsmilewhosehumoroustwisthecouldbarelydiscerninthesemi-darknessoftheopendoorwayintowhichtheyhadjustplunged。”Anadventure！certainlyanadventure！”flashedthroughpoorGeorge’smind，ashepeered，ingreatcuriositydownthelonghallbeforehim，intoadismalrear，openingintoastillmoredismalcourt。Itwastrulyanovelexperienceforabusinessmanwhosephilanthropywascarriedonentirelybyproxy-thatis，byhiswife。Shouldhebeexpectedtopenetrateintothosedark，ill-smellingrecesses，orwouldhebeledupthelongflightsofnakedstairs，sofeeblyilluminatedthattheygavetheimpressionofextendingindefinitelyintodimmeranddimmerheightsofdecayanddesolation?
　　Sweetwaterseemedtodecidefortherear，forleavingGeorge，hesteppeddownthehallintothecourtbeyond，whereGeorgecouldseehimcastinginquiringglancesupatthewallsabovehim。Anothertenement，similartotheonewhoserearendhewascontemplating，toweredbehindbuthepaidnoattentiontothat。Hewassatisfiedwiththelookhehadgivenandcamequicklyback，joiningGeorgeatthefootofthestaircase，upwhichhesilentlyledtheway。
　　Itwasarude，none-too-well-cared-forbuilding，butitseemedrespectableenoughandveryquiet，consideringthemassofpeopleitaccommodated。Thereweremarksofpovertyeverywhere，butnosqualor。Oneflight-twoflights-three-andthenGeorge’sguidestopped，and，lookingbackathim，madeagesture。Itappearedtobeoneofcaution，butwhenthetwocametogetheratthetopofthestaircase，Sweetwaterspokequitenaturallyashepointedoutadoorintheirrear：”That’stheroom。We’llkeepasharpwatchandwhenanyman，nomatterwhathisdressorappearancecomesupthesestairsandturnsthatway，givehimasharplook。Youunderstand?””Yes；but-””Oh，hehasn’tcomeinyet。Itookpainstofindthatout。Yousawmegointothecourtandlookup。Thatwastoseeifhiswindowwaslighted。Well，itwasn’t。”
　　Georgefeltnon-plussed。”Butsurely，”saidhe，”thegentlemannamedBrothersondoesn’tlivehere。””Theinventordoes。””Oh！””And-butIwillexplainlater。”
　　ThesuppressedexcitementcontainedinthesewordsmadeGeorgestare。Indeed，hehadbeenwonderingforsometimeatthemannerofthedetectivewhichshowedacuriousmixtureofseveralopposingemotions。Now，thefellowwasactuallyinatrembleofhopeorimpatience；-and，notcontentwithlistening，hepeeredeveryfewminutesdownthewellofthestaircase，andwhenhewasnotdoingthat，trampedfromendtoendofthenarrowpassage-wayseparatingtheheadofthestairsfromthedoorhehadpointedout，likeonetowhomminuteswerehours。AllthistimeheseemedtoforgetGeorgewhocertainlyhadasmuchreasonashimselfforfindingthetimelong。Butwhen，aftersomehalfhourofthistediumandsuspense，thererosefrombelowthefaintclatterofascendingfootsteps，herememberedhismeekcompanionandbeckoninghimtooneside，beganastudiedconversationwithhim，showinghimanote-bookinwhichhehadwrittensuchphrasesasthese：
　　Don’tlookuptillheisfairlyinrangewiththelight。
　　There’snothingtofear；hedoesn’tknoweitherofus。
　　Ifitisafaceyouhaveseenbefore；-ifitistheoneweareexpectingtosee，pullyournecktiestraight。It’salittleononeside。
　　TheseratherstartlinginjunctionswerereadbyGeorge，withnoveryperceptiblediminutionoftheuneasinesswhichitwasonlynaturalforhimtofeelattheoddityofhisposition。Butonlythedemandlastmadeproducedanyimpressiononhim。Themantheywerewaitingforwasnofurtherupthanthesecondfloor，butinstinctivelyGeorge’shandhadflowntohisnecktie，andhewasonlystoppedfromitsprematurere-arrangementbyawarninglookfromSweetwater。”Notunlessyouknowhim，”whisperedthedetective；andimmediatelylaunchedoutintoaneasytalkaboutsometotallydifferentbusinesswhichGeorgeneitherunderstood，norwasexpectedto，Idaresay。
　　Suddenlythestepsbelowpaused，andGeorgeheardSweetwaterdrawinhisbreathinirrepressibledismay。Buttheywereimmediatelyresumed，andpresentlytheheadandshouldersofaworkingmanofuncommonproportionsappearedinsightonthestairway。
　　Georgecasthimakeenlook，andhishandrosedoubtfullytohisneckandthenfellbackagain。Theapproachingmanwastall，verywell-proportionedandeasyofcarriage；buttheface-suchofitascouldbeseenbetweenhiscapandthehighcollarhehadpulledupabouthisears，conveyednoexactimpressiontoGeorge’smind，andhedidnotdaretogivethesignalSweetwaterexpectedfromhim。
　　Yetasthemanwentbywithadarkandsidelongglanceatthemboth，hefelthishandriseagain，thoughhedidnotcompletetheaction，muchtohisowndisgustandtotheevidentdisappointmentofthewatchfuldetective。”You’renotsure?”henowheard，oddlyinterpolatedinthestreamofhalf-whisperedtalkwithwhichtheotherendeavouredtocarryoffthesituation。
　　Georgeshookhishead。Hecouldnotridhimselfoftheoldimpressionhehadformedofthemaninthesnow。”Mr。Dunn，awordwithyou，”suddenlyspokeupSweetwater，tothemanwhohadjustpassedthem。”That’syourname，isn’tit?””Yes，thatismyname，”wasthequietresponse，inavoicewhichwasatoncerichandresonant；avoicewhichGeorgeknew-thevoiceoftheimpassionedspeakerhehadheardresoundingthroughthesleetashecoweredwithinhearingintheshedbehindtheAvenueAtenement。”Whoareyouwhowishtospeaktomeatsolateanhour?”
　　Hewasreturningtothemfromthedoorhehadunlockedandleftslightlyajar。”Well，weare-Youknowwhat，”smiledthereadydetective，advancinghalf-waytogreethim。”We’renotmembersoftheAssociatedBrotherhood，butpossiblyhavehopesofbeingso。Atallevents，weshouldliketotalkthematterover，if，asyousay，it’snottoolate。””Ihavenothingtodowiththeclub-””Butyouspokebeforeit。”
　　Yes。”