’Shecouldnotseehisface，’saidEmily，’andshewasinsuchahurrytoescapethatshescarcelynoticedhim。’
　　SirArthurappearedsatisfied，andtheconversationended。
　　Thisslightconversation，repeatedaccuratelytomebyEmily，hadtheeffectofconfirming，ifindeedanythingwasrequiredtodoso，allthatIhadbeforebelievedastoEdward’sactualpresence；andInaturallybecame，ifpossible，moreanxiousthanevertodespatchthelettertoMr。
　　Jefferies。Anopportunityatlengthoccurred。
　　AsEmilyandIwerewalkingonedaynearthegateofthedemesne，aladfromthevillagehappenedtobepassingdowntheavenuefromthehouse；thespotwassecluded，andasthispersonwasnotconnectedbyservicewiththosewhoseobservationIdreaded，Icommittedthelettertohiskeeping，withstrictinjunctionsthatheshouldputitwithoutdelayintothereceiverofthetownpost-office；atthesametimeIaddedasuitablegratuity，andthemanhavingmademanyprotestationsofpunctuality，wassoonoutofsight。
　　HewashardlygonewhenIbegantodoubtmydiscretioninhavingtrustedthisperson；butIhadnobetterorsafermeansofdespatchingtheletter，andIwasnotwarrantedinsuspectinghimofsuchwantondishonestyasaninclinationtotamperwithit；butIcouldnotbequitesatisfiedofitssafetyuntilIhadreceivedananswer，whichcouldnotarriveforafewdays。BeforeIdid，however，aneventoccurredwhichalittlesurprisedme。
　　Iwassittinginmybedroomearlyintheday，readingbymyself，whenIheardaknockatthedoor。
　　’Comein，’saidI；andmyuncleenteredtheroom。
　　’Willyouexcuseme？’saidhe。’I
　　soughtyouintheparlour，andthenceI
　　havecomehere。Idesiredtosayawordwithyou。Itrustthatyouhavehithertofoundmyconducttoyousuchasthatofaguardiantowardshiswardshouldbe。’
　　Idarednotwithholdmyconsent。
　　’And，’hecontinued，’Itrustthatyouhavenotfoundmeharshorunjust，andthatyouhaveperceived，mydearniece，thatIhavesoughttomakethispoorplaceasagreeabletoyouasmaybe。’
　　Iassentedagain；andheputhishandinhispocket，whencehedrewafoldedpaper，anddashingituponthetablewithstartlingemphasis，hesaid：
　　’Didyouwritethatletter？’
　　Thesuddenandtearfulalterationofhisvoice，manner，andface，but，morethanall，theunexpectedproductionofmylettertoMr。Jefferies，whichIatoncerecognised，soconfoundedandterrifiedme，thatIfeltalmostchoking。
　　Icouldnotutteraword。
　　’Didyouwritethatletter？’herepeatedwithslowandintenseemphasis。’Youdid，liarandhypocrite!Youdaredtowritethisfoulandinfamouslibel；butitshallbeyourlast。Menwilluniversallybelieveyoumad，ifIchoosetocallforaninquiry。Icanmakeyouappearso。Thesuspicionsexpressedinthisletterarethehallucinationsandalarmsofmopinglunacy。
　　Ihavedefeatedyourfirstattempt，madam；
　　andbytheholyGod，ifeveryoumakeanother，chains，straw，darkness，andthekeeper’swhipshallbeyourlastingportion!’
　　Withtheseastoundingwordshelefttheroom，leavingmealmostfainting。
　　Iwasnowalmostreducedtodespair；
　　mylastcasthadfailed；Ihadnocourseleftbutthatofelopingsecretlyfromthecastle，andplacingmyselfundertheprotectionofthenearestmagistrate。Ifeltifthiswerenotdone，andspeedily，thatI
　　shouldbeMURDERED。
　　Noone，frommeredescription，canhaveanideaoftheunmitigatedhorrorofmysituation——ahelpless，weak，inexperiencedgirl，placedunderthepowerandwhollyatthemercyofevilmen，andfeelingthatshehaditnotinherpowertoescapeforamomentfromthemalignantinfluencesunderwhichshewasprobablyfatedtofall；
　　andwithaconsciousnessthatifviolence，ifmurderweredesigned，herdyingshriekwouldbelostinvoidspace；nohumanbeingwouldbeneartoaidher，nohumaninterpositioncoulddeliverher。
　　IhadseenEdwardbutonceduringhisvisit，andasIdidnotmeetwithhimagain，Ibegantothinkthathemusthavetakenhisdeparture——aconvictionwhichwastoacertaindegreesatisfactory，asI
　　regardedhisabsenceasindicatingtheremovalofimmediatedanger。
　　Emilyalsoarrivedcircuitouslyatthesameconclusion，andnotwithoutgoodgrounds，forshemanagedindirectlytolearnthatEdward’sblackhorsehadactuallybeenforadayandpartofanightinthecastlestables，justatthetimeofherbrother’ssupposedvisit。Thehorsehadgone，and，assheargued，theridermusthavedepartedwithit。
　　Thispointbeingsofarsettled，Ifeltalittlelessuncomfortable：whenbeingonedayaloneinmybedroom，Ihappenedtolookoutfromthewindow，and，tomyun-
　　utterablehorror，Ibeheld，peeringthroughanoppositecasement，mycousinEdward’sface。HadIseentheevilonehimselfinbodilyshape，Icouldnothaveexperiencedamoresickeningrevulsion。
　　Iwastoomuchappalledtomoveatoncefromthewindow，butIdidsosoonenoughtoavoidhiseye。Hewaslookingfixedlyintothenarrowquadrangleuponwhichthewindowopened。Ishrankbackunperceived，topasstherestofthedayinterroranddespair。Iwenttomyroomearlythatnight，butIwastoomiserabletosleep。
　　Atabouttwelveo’clock，feelingverynervous，IdeterminedtocallmycousinEmily，whoslept，youwillremember，inthenextroom，whichcommunicatedwithminebyaseconddoor。BythisprivateentranceIfoundmywayintoherchamber，andwithoutdifficultypersuadedhertoreturntomyroomandsleepwithme。
　　Weaccordinglylaydowntogether，sheundressed，andIwithmyclotheson，forI
　　waseverymomentwalkingupanddowntheroom，andfelttoonervousandmiserabletothinkofrestorcomfort。
　　Emilywassoonfastasleep，andIlayawake，ferventlylongingforthefirstpalegleamofmorning，reckoningeverystrokeoftheoldclockwithanimpatiencewhichmadeeveryhourappearlikesix。
　　Itmusthavebeenaboutoneo’clockwhenIthoughtIheardaslightnoiseatthepartition-doorbetweenEmily’sroomandmine，asifcausedbysomebody’sturningthekeyinthelock。Iheldmybreath，andthesamesoundwasrepeatedattheseconddoorofmyroom——thatwhichopeneduponthelobby——thesoundwasheredistinctlycausedbytherevolutionoftheboltinthelock，anditwasfollowedbyaslightpressureuponthedooritself，asiftoascertainthesecurityofthelock。
　　Theperson，whoeveritmightbe，wasprobablysatisfied，forIheardtheoldboardsofthelobbycreakandstrain，asifundertheweightofsomebodymovingcautiouslyoverthem。Mysenseofhearingbecameunnaturally，almostpainfullyacute。Isupposetheimaginationaddeddistinctnesstosoundsvagueinthemselves。
　　IthoughtthatIcouldactuallyhearthebreathingofthepersonwhowasslowlyreturningdownthelobby。Attheheadofthestaircasethereappearedtooccurapause；andIcoulddistinctlyheartwoorthreesentenceshastilywhispered；thestepsthendescendedthestairswithapparentlylesscaution。Inowventuredtowalkquicklyandlightlytothelobby-door，andattemptedtoopenit；itwasindeedfastlockedupontheoutside，aswasalsotheother。
　　Inowfeltthatthedreadfulhourwascome；butonedesperateexpedientremained——itwastoawakenEmily，andbyourunitedstrengthtoattempttoforcethepartition-door，whichwasslighterthantheother，andthroughthistopasstothelowerpartofthehouse，whenceitmightbepossibletoescapetothegrounds，andforthtothevillage。
　　IreturnedtothebedsideandshookEmily，butinvain。NothingthatIcoulddoavailedtoproducefromhermorethanafewincoherentwords——itwasadeath-
　　likesleep。Shehadcertainlydrankofsomenarcotic，ashadIprobablyalso，spiteofallthecautionwithwhichIhadexaminedeverythingpresentedtoustoeatordrink。
　　Inowattempted，withaslittlenoiseaspossible，toforcefirstonedoor，thentheother——butallinvain。Ibelievenostrengthcouldhaveeffectedmyobject，forbothdoorsopenedinwards。IthereforecollectedwhatevermovablesIcouldcarrythither，andpiledthemagainstthedoors，soastoassistmeinwhateverattemptsI
　　shouldmaketoresisttheentranceofthosewithout。Ithenreturnedtothebedandendeavouredagain，butfruitlessly，toawakenmycousin。Itwasnotsleep，itwastorpor，lethargy，death。Ikneltdownandprayedwithanagonyofearnestness；
　　andthenseatingmyselfuponthebed，I
　　awaitedmyfatewithakindofterribletranquillity。
　　IheardafaintclankingsoundfromthenarrowcourtwhichIhavealreadymentioned，asifcausedbythescrapingofsomeironinstrumentagainststonesorrubbish。IatfirstdeterminednottodisturbthecalmnesswhichInowfelt，byuselesslywatchingtheproceedingsofthosewhosoughtmylife；butasthesoundscontinued，thehorriblecuriositywhichI
　　feltovercameeveryotheremotion，andI
　　determined，atallhazards，togratifyit。
　　Ithereforecrawleduponmykneestothewindow，soastoletthesmallestportionofmyheadappearabovethesill。
　　Themoonwasshiningwithanuncertainradianceupontheantiquegreybuildings，andobliquelyuponthenarrowcourtbeneath，onesideofwhichwasthereforeclearlyilluminated，whiletheotherwaslostinobscurity，thesharpoutlinesoftheoldgables，withtheirnoddingclustersofivy，beingatfirstalonevisible。
　　Whoeverorwhateveroccasionedthenoisewhichhadexcitedmycuriosity，wasconcealedundertheshadowofthedarksideofthequadrangle。Iplacedmyhandovermyeyestoshadethemfromthemoonlight，whichwassobrightastobealmostdazzling，and，peeringintothedarkness，Ifirstdimly，butafterwardsgradually，almostwithfulldistinctness，beheldtheformofamanengagedindiggingwhatappearedtobearudeholecloseunderthewall。Someimplements，probablyashovelandpickaxe，laybesidehim，andtotheseheeverynowandthenappliedhimselfasthenatureofthegroundrequired。Hepursuedhistaskrapidly，andwithaslittlenoiseaspossible。
　　’So，’thoughtI，as，shovelfulaftershovel-
　　ful，thedislodgedrubbishmountedintoaheap，’theyarediggingthegraveinwhich，beforetwohourspass，Imustlie，acold，mangledcorpse。IamTHEIRS——Icannotescape。’
　　Ifeltasifmyreasonwasleavingme。
　　Istartedtomyfeet，andinmeredespairI
　　appliedmyselfagaintoeachofthetwodoorsalternately。Istrainedeverynerveandsinew，butImightaswellhaveattempted，withmysinglestrength，toforcethebuildingitselffromitsfoundation。I
　　threwmyselfmadlyupontheground，andclaspedmyhandsovermyeyesasiftoshutoutthehorribleimageswhichcrowdeduponme。
　　Theparoxysmpassedaway。Iprayedoncemore，withthebitter，agonisedfervourofonewhofeelsthatthehourofdeathispresentandinevitable。WhenIarose，I
　　wentoncemoretothewindowandlookedout，justintimetoseeashadowyfigureglidestealthilyalongthewall。Thetaskwasfinished。Thecatastropheofthetragedymustsoonbeaccomplished。
　　Ideterminednowtodefendmylifetothelast；andthatImightbeabletodosowithsomeeffect，Isearchedtheroomforsomethingwhichmightserveasaweapon；buteitherthroughaccident，orfromananticipationofsuchapossibility，everythingwhichmighthavebeenmadeavailableforsuchapurposehadbeencarefullyremoved。Imustthendietamelyandwithoutanefforttodefendmyself。
　　Athoughtsuddenlystruckme——mightitnotbepossibletoescapethroughthedoor，whichtheassassinmustopeninordertoentertheroom？Iresolvedtomaketheattempt。Ifeltassuredthatthedoorthroughwhichingresstotheroomwouldbeeffected，wasthatwhichopeneduponthelobby。Itwasthemoredirectway，besidesbeing，forobviousreasons，lessliabletointerruptionthantheother。
　　Iresolved，then，toplacemyselfbehindaprojectionofthewall，whoseshadowwouldservefullytoconcealme，andwhenthedoorshouldbeopened，andbeforetheyshouldhavediscoveredtheidentityoftheoccupantofthebed，tocreepnoiselesslyfromtheroom，andthentotrusttoProvidenceforescape。
　　Inordertofacilitatethisscheme，I
　　removedallthelumberwhichIhadheapedagainstthedoor；andIhadnearlycompletedmyarrangements，whenIperceivedtheroomsuddenlydarkenedbythecloseapproachofsomeshadowyobjecttothewindow。Onturningmyeyesinthatdirection，Iobservedatthetopofthecasement，asifsuspendedfromabove，firstthefeet，thenthelegs，thenthebody，andatlengththewholefigureofamanpresenthimself。ItwasEdwardT——n。