There was a lighted window there. George glanced in as she passed. Then she stood still in great surprise.
Surely, surely that was Block in there! He had his back to her, but she could have sworn it was Block. The same head, the same ears, the same shoulders!
Who was he talking to? George tried to see — and all at once she knew. He was talking to Mr Barling, whom everyone said was a smuggler — the smuggler of Castaway Hill!
But wait a minute — could it be Block? Block was deaf, and this man evidently wasn't. He was listening to Mr Barling, that was plain, and was answering him, though George could not hear the words, of course.
'I oughtn't to be snooping like this,' said George to herself. 'But it's very strange, very puzzling and very interesting. If only the man would turn round I'd know at once if it was Block!'
But he didn't turn. He just sat in his chair, his back to George. Mr Barling, his long face lighted up by the nearby lamp, was talking animatedly, and Block, if it was Block, was listening intently and nodding his head in agreement every now and again.
George felt puzzled. If she only knew for certain that it was Block! But why should he be talking to Mr Barling — and wasn't he stone deaf after all then?
George jumped down from the wall into a dark little passage and made her way through the town, up to Smuggler's Top. Outside the front door, hiding in the shadows was Sooty. He laid his hand on George's arm, making her jump.
'Come on in. I've left the side-door open. We've got a fine spread for you!'
The two slipped in at the side-door, tiptoed past the study, across the hall, and up to Julian's bedroom. Truly there was a spread there!
'I went and raided the larder,' said Sooty, with satisfaction. 'Harriet was out, and Sarah had run along to the post. Block has gone to bed for a rest, because, he said, he had such an awful headache.'
'Oh,' said George, 'then it couldn't have been Block I saw. And yet I'm as certain as certain can be that it was!'
'Whatever do you mean?' asked the others, in surprise. George sat down on the floor and began to gobble up cakes and tarts, for she was terribly hungry. Between her mouthfuls she told them how she had got out of the window, walked along the city-wall, and found herself unexpectedly by Mr Barling's house.
'And I looked into a lighted window there, and saw Block talking to Mr Barling — and listening to him and answering him!' she said.
The others could not believe this. 'Did you see his face?' asked Julian.
'No,' said George. 'But I'm certain it was Block. Go and peep into his room and see if he's there, Sooty. He wouldn't be back yet from Mr Barling's, because he had a glass full of something or other, which would take him some time to drink. Go and peep.'
Sooty vanished. He came back quickly. 'He's in bed!' he said. 'I could see the shape of his body and the dark patch of his head. Are there two Blocks then? Whatever does this mean?'
Chapter Fifteen. STRANGE HAPPENINGS
IT certainly was very puzzling — most of all to George, who felt so certain it had been Block talking to the well-known smuggler. The others did not feel so certain, especially as George admitted that she had not seen his face.
'Is my father here yet?' asked George, suddenly, remembering that he was supposed to come that evening.
'Yes. Just arrived,' said Sooty. 'Just before you came. I nearly got run over by the car! Just hopped aside in time. I was out there waiting for you.'
'What are our plans?' asked George. 'I'll have to get Timmy tonight, or he'll be frantic. I think I'd better go and climb back through my window again now, in case Block comes along and finds I've disappeared. I'll wait till everyone is in bed and then I'll slip out of the window again, and you must let me into the house, Sooty, please. Then I'll go to the study with you and you must open the secret way for me. Then I'll find Timmy and everything will be all right.'
'I don't see that everything will be all right,' said Sooty, doubtfully. 'But anyway, your plan is the only one to follow. You'd better get back into your room now, if you've had enough to eat.'
I'll take a few buns back with me,' said George, stuffing them into her pocket. 'Sooty, come and knock at my door when everyone is in bed and I'll know then that it's safe for me to slip out of the window, and come into the house again.'
It wasn't long before George was back in her room once more — just in time too, for Block appeared a little while after with a plate of dry bread and a glass of water. He unlocked the door and put them on the table.
'Your supper,' he said. George looked at his blank face and disliked it so much that she felt she must do something about it. So she took up the water and threw it deftly at the back of his head.
It dripped down his neck and made him jump. Block took a step towards her, his eyes gleaming — but Julian and Dick were by the door, and he did not dare to strike her.
'I'll pay you out for that,' he said. 'See? You will never get that dog of yours back again!'
He went out and locked the door. Julian called through as soon as he had gone.
'What did you do that for, you idiot? He's a bad enemy to make.'
'I know. I just couldn't help it somehow,' said George, forlornly. 'I wish I hadn't now.'
The others had to go down to see Mr Lenoir. They left George feeling lonely. It was horrid to be locked up like this, even though she could escape through the window whenever she wanted to. She listened for the others to come back.
They soon did, and reported their meeting with George's father.
'Uncle Quentin is awfully tired and a bit cross, and frightfully annoyed with you for misbehaving,' said Julian, through the door. 'He said you were to be locked up the whole of tomorrow too, if you don't apologise.'
George didn't mean to apologise. She couldn't bear Mr Lenoir, with his false smiles and laughter, and his sudden queer rages. She said nothing.
'We've got to go and have our supper now,' said Sooty. 'We'll save you some of it as soon as Block goes out of the room. Look out for a knocking on your door tonight. It'll be me, telling you everyone's in bed.'
George lay on her bed, thinking. Many things puzzled her. She couldn't get them straight somehow. The signaller in the tower — the queer man, Block — Mr Barling's talk to a man who looked so like Block, but Block was all the time in his bed at home. As she lay thinking, her eyes closed, and she fell asleep.
Anne went to bed with Marybelle, and came to whisper good-night to her. The boys all went into the next room, for Sooty was now to share Julian's and Dick's bedroom. George woke up enough to say good-night and then slept again.
At midnight she awoke with a jump. Someone was knocking softly and impatiently on her door. It was Sooty.
'Coming!' whispered George through the door, and took up her torch. She went to the window and was soon safely down the rope-ladder. She jumped down from the wall, and went to the side-door of the house. Sooty was there. She slipped in thankfully.
'Everyone's gone to bed,' whispered Sooty. 'I thought your father and my stepfather were never going. They stayed talking in the study for ages!'
'Come on. Let's go there,' said George, impatiently. They went to the study-door, and Sooty turned the handle.
It was locked again! He pushed hard, but it wasn't a bit of good. It was well and truly locked!
'We might have thought of that,' said George, in despair. 'Blow, blow, blow! What are we to do now?'
Sooty thought for a few moments. Then he spoke in a low voice, in George's ear.