There came a sudden silence, and then an awful crash.
"How long have these noises gone on?" asked Panton.
He had put on his dressing-gown, and was now looking for his slippers.
Tapster's hand was trembling, partly from excitement, partly from fear. "How d'you account for it?" he asked.
"One of the servants has gone mad drunk," replied Panton briefly. "That's what it is--without a doubt! We'd better go down and see what can be done."
And then, as there came the distant sounds of breaking glass, he exclaimed: "I wonder everyone hasn't woken up!"
"There is a heavy padded door between that part of the house and this. My room is on the other side, over what they call the school-room. I left the padded door open just now when I came through--in fact I fastened it back."
The doctor did not speak pleasantly, but Tapster took no offence.
"I--I wanted someone to hear," he said humbly; "I felt so shut off through there."
"Still, there's no use in waking everybody else up," said Panton, in a businesslike tone.
He didn't look forward to the job which he thought lay before him; but, of course, it wasn't the first time he had been called in to help calm a man who had become violent under the influence of drink. "Go on," he said curtly. "Show me the way! I suppose there's a back staircase by which we can go down?"
He followed his guide along the broad corridor to a heavy green baize door. Stooping, he undid the hook which fastened the door back. It swung to, and, as it did so, there came a sudden, complete cessation of the noise.
"Hullo!" he said to himself, "that's odd."
The two men waited for what seemed to Panton a long time, but in reality it was less than five minutes.
"Would you like to come into my room for a few moments? I wish you would," said Mr. Tapster plaintively.
Unwillingly the doctor walked through into what was certainly a very pleasant, indeed a luxurious room. It was furnished in a more modern way than the other rooms at Wyndfell Hall. "There's a bath-room off this room. That's why Varick, who's a good-natured chap, gave it me. He knows I have a great fear of catching a chill," whispered Mr. Tapster.
"We'd better go down," said the doctor at last.
"D'you think so? But the noise has stopped, and, after all, it is no business of ours."