Presently，however，heheardalighttapathisdoor，thenthedooropenedslowly，andhecouldseetheflashofLadyArabella’swhitedressthroughtheopening。
　　CHAPTERXVI——AVISITOFSYMPATHY
　　CaswallwasgenuinelysurprisedwhenhesawLadyArabella，thoughheneednothavebeen，afterwhathadalreadyoccurredinthesameway。
　　ThelookofsurpriseonhisfacewassomuchgreaterthanLadyArabellahadexpected——thoughshethoughtshewaspreparedtomeetanythingthatmightoccur——thatshestoodstill，insheeramazement。
　　Cold—bloodedasshewasandreadyforallsocialemergencies，shewasnonplussedhowtogoon。Shewasplucky，however，andbegantospeakatonce，althoughshehadnottheslightestideawhatshewasgoingtosay。
　　"Icametoofferyoumyverywarmsympathywiththegriefyouhavesolatelyexperienced。"
　　"Mygrief？I’mafraidImustbeverydull;butIreallydonotunderstand。"
　　Alreadyshefeltatadisadvantage，andhesitated。
　　"Imeanabouttheoldmanwhodiedsosuddenly——yourold……
　　retainer。"
　　Caswall’sfacerelaxedsomethingofitspuzzledconcentration。
　　"Oh，hewasonlyaservant;andhehadover—stayedhisthree—scoreandtenyearsbysomethingliketwentyyears。Hemusthavebeenninety！"
　　"Still，asanoldservant……"
　　Caswall’swordswerenotsocoldastheirinflection。
　　"Ineverinterferewithservants。Hewaskeptonheremerelybecausehehadbeensolongonthepremises。Isupposethestewardthoughtitmightmakehimunpopulariftheoldfellowhadbeendismissed。"
　　Howonearthwasshetoproceedonsuchataskashersifthiswastheutmostgenialityshecouldexpect？Sosheatoncetriedanothertack——thistimeapersonalone。
　　"IamsorryIdisturbedyou。Iamreallynotunconventional——thoughcertainlynoslavetoconvention。Stilltherearelimits……itisbadenoughtointrudeinthisway，andIdonotknowwhatyoucansayorthinkofthetimeselected，fortheintrusion。"
　　Afterall，EdgarCaswallwasagentlemanbycustomandhabit，soherosetotheoccasion。
　　"Icanonlysay，LadyArabella，thatyouarealwayswelcomeatanytimeyoumaydeigntohonourmyhousewithyourpresence。"
　　Shesmiledathimsweetly。
　　"ThankyouSOmuch。YouDOputoneatease。Mybreachofconventionmakesmegladratherthansorry。IfeelthatIcanopenmyhearttoyouaboutanything。"
　　ForthwithsheproceededtotellhimaboutOolangaandhisstrangesuspicionsofherhonesty。Caswalllaughedandmadeherexplainallthedetails。Hisfinalcommentwasenlightening。
　　"Letmegiveyouawordofadvice：Ifyouhavetheslightestfaulttofindwiththatinfernalnigger，shoothimatsight。Aswelled—
　　headednigger，withabeeinhisbonnet，isoneoftheworstdifficultiesintheworldtodealwith。Sobettermakeacleanjobofit，andwipehimoutatonce！"
　　"Butwhataboutthelaw，Mr。Caswall？"
　　"Oh，thelawdoesn’tconcernitselfmuchaboutdeadniggers。Afewmoreorlessdonotmatter。Tomymindit’sratherarelief！"
　　"I’mafraidofyou，"washeronlycomment，madewithasweetsmileandinasoftvoice。
　　"Allright，"hesaid，"letusleaveitatthat。Anyhow，weshallberidofoneofthem！"
　　"Idon’tloveniggersanymorethanyoudo，"shereplied，"andI
　　supposeonemustn’tbetooparticularwherethatsortofcleaningupisconcerned。"Thenshechangedinvoiceandmanner，andaskedgenially："Andnowtellme，amIforgiven？"
　　"Youare，dearlady——ifthereisanythingtoforgive。"
　　Ashespoke，seeingthatshehadmovedtogo，hecametothedoorwithher，andinthemostnaturalwayaccompaniedherdownstairs。
　　Hepassedthroughthehallwithheranddowntheavenue。Ashewentbacktothehouse，shesmiledtoherself。
　　"Well，thatisallright。Idon’tthinkthemorninghasbeenaltogetherthrownaway。"
　　AndshewalkedslowlybacktoDiana’sGrove。
　　AdamSaltonfollowedthelineoftheBrow，andrefreshedhismemoryastothevariouslocalities。HegothometoLesserHilljustasSirNathanielwasbeginninglunch。Mr。SaltonhadgonetoWalsalltokeepanearlyappointment;sohewasallalone。Whenthemealwasover——seeinginAdam’sfacethathehadsomethingtospeakabout——hefollowedintothestudyandshutthedoor。
　　Whenthetwomenhadlightedtheirpipes，SirNathanielbegan。
　　"IhaverememberedaninterestingfactaboutDiana’sGrove——thereis，Ihavelongunderstood，somestrangemysteryaboutthathouse。
　　Itmaybeofsomeinterest，oritmaybetrivial，insuchatangledskeinaswearetryingtounravel。"
　　"Pleasetellmeallyouknow’orsuspect。Tobegin，then，ofwhatsortisthemystery——physical，mental，moral，historical，scientific，occult？Anykindofhintwillhelpme。"
　　"Quiteright。IshalltrytotellyouwhatIthink;butIhavenotputmythoughtsonthesubjectinsequence，soyoumustforgivemeifdueorderisnotobservedinmynarration。IsupposeyouhaveseenthehouseatDiana’sGrove？"
　　"Theoutsideofit;butIhavethatinmymind’seye，andIcanfitintomymemorywhateveryoumaymention。"
　　"Thehouseisveryold——probablythefirsthouseofsomesortthatstoodtherewasinthetimeoftheRomans。Thiswasprobablyrenewed——perhapsseveraltimesatlaterperiods。Thehousestands，or，rather，usedtostandherewhenMerciawasakingdom——IdonotsupposethatthebasementcanbelaterthantheNormanConquest。
　　Someyearsago，whenIwasPresidentoftheMercianArchaeologicalSociety，Iwentalloveritverycarefully。ThiswaswhenitwaspurchasedbyCaptainMarch。Thehousehadthenbeendoneup，soastobesuitableforthebride。Thebasementisverystrong，——almostasstrongandasheavyasifithadbeenintendedasafortress。
　　Thereareawholeseriesofroomsdeepunderground。Oneoftheminparticularstruckme。Theroomitselfisofconsiderablesize，butthemasonryismorethanmassive。Inthemiddleoftheroomisasunkwell，builtuptofloorlevelandevidentlygoingdeepunderground。Thereisnowindlassnoranytraceofthereeverhavingbeenany——norope——nothing。Now，weknowthattheRomanshadwellsofimmensedepth，fromwhichthewaterwasliftedbythe’oldragrope’;thatatWoodhullusedtobenearlyathousandfeet。
　　Here，then，wehavesimplyanenormouslydeepwell—hole。Thedooroftheroomwasmassive，andwasfastenedwithalocknearlyafootsquare。Itwasevidentlyintendedforsomekindofprotectiontosomeoneorsomething;butnooneinthosedayshadeverheardofanyonehavingbeenallowedeventoseetheroom。AllthisisE
　　PROPOSofasuggestiononmypartthatthewell—holewasawaybywhichtheWhiteWorm（whateveritwas）wentandcame。AtthattimeIwouldhavehadasearchmade——evenexcavationifnecessary——atmyownexpense，butallsuggestionsweremetwithapromptandexplicitnegative。So，ofcourse，Itooknofurtherstepinthematter。
　　Thenitdiedoutofrecollection——evenofmine。"
　　"Doyouremember，sir，"askedAdam，"whatwastheappearanceoftheroomwherethewell—holewas？Wastherefurniture——infact，anysortofthingintheroom？"
　　"TheonlythingIrememberwasasortofgreenlight——veryclouded，verydim——whichcameupfromthewell。Notafixedlight，butintermittentandirregular——quiteunlikeanythingIhadeverseen。"
　　"Doyourememberhowyougotintothewell—room？Wasthereaseparatedoorfromoutside，orwasthereanyinteriorroomorpassagewhichopenedintoit？"
　　"Ithinktheremusthavebeensomeroomwithawayintoit。I
　　remembergoingupsomesteepsteps;theymusthavebeenwornsmoothbylonguseorsomethingofthekind，forIcouldhardlykeepmyfeetasIwentup。OnceIstumbledandnearlyfellintothewell—
　　hole。"
　　"Wasthereanythingstrangeabouttheplace——anyqueersmell，forinstance？"
　　"Queersmell——yes！Likebilgeorarankswamp。Itwasdistinctlynauseating;whenIcameoutIfeltasifIhadjustbeengoingtobesick。IshalltrybackonmyvisitandseeifIcanrecallanymoreofwhatIsaworfelt。"
　　"Thenperhaps，sir，laterinthedayyouwilltellmeanythingyoumaychancetorecollect。"
　　"Ishallbedelighted，Adam。Ifyourunclehasnotreturnedbythen，I’lljoinyouinthestudyafterdinner，andwecanresumethisinterestingchat。"
　　CHAPTERXVII——THEMYSTERYOF"THEGROVE"
　　ThatafternoonAdamdecidedtodoalittleexploring。AshepassedthroughthewoodoutsidethegateofDiana’sGrove，hethoughthesawtheAfrican’sfaceforaninstant。Sohewentdeeperintotheundergrowth，andfollowedalongparalleltotheavenuetothehouse。
　　Hewasgladthattherewasnoworkmanorservantabout，forhedidnotcarethatanyofLadyArabella’speopleshouldfindhimwanderingabouthergrounds。Takingadvantageofthedensenessofthetrees，hecameclosetothehouseandskirtedroundit。Hewasrepaidforhistrouble，foronthefarsideofthehouse，closetowheretherockyfrontageoftheclifffellaway，hesawOolangacrouchedbehindtheirregulartrunkofagreatoak。Themanwassointentonwatchingsomeone，orsomething，thathedidnotguardagainstbeinghimselfwatched。ThissuitedAdam，forhecouldthusmakescrutinyatwill。
　　Thethickwood，thoughthetreesweremostlyofsmallgirth，threwaheavyshadow，sothatthesteepdeclension，infrontofwhichgrewthetreebehindwhichtheAfricanlurked，wasalmostindarkness。
　　Adamdrewascloseashecould，andwasamazedtoseeapatchoflightonthegroundbeforehim;whenherealisedwhatitwas，hewasdetermined，morethanevertofollowonhisquest。Theniggerhadadarklanterninhishand，andwasthrowingthelightdownthesteepincline。Theglareshowedaseriesofstonesteps，whichendedinalow—lyingheavyirondoorfixedagainstthesideofthehouse。AllthestrangethingshehadheardfromSirNathaniel，andallthose，littleandbig，whichhehadhimselfnoticed，crowdedintohismindinachaoticway。Instinctivelyhetookrefugebehindathickoakstem，andsethimselfdown，towatchwhatmightoccur。
　　AfterashorttimeitbecameapparentthattheAfricanwastryingtofindoutwhatwasbehindtheheavydoor。Therewasnowayoflookingin，forthedoorfittedtightintothemassivestoneslabs。
　　Theonlyopportunityfortheentranceoflightwasthroughasmallholebetweenthegreatstonesabovethedoor。Thisholewastoohighuptolookthroughfromthegroundlevel。Oolanga，havingtriedstandingtiptoeonthehighestpointnear，andholdingthelanternashighashecould，threwthelightroundtheedgesofthedoortoseeifhecouldfindanywhereaholeoraflawinthemetalthroughwhichhecouldobtainaglimpse。Foiledinthis，hebroughtfromtheshrubberyaplank，whichheleantagainstthetopofthedoorandthenclimbedupwithgreatdexterity。Thisdidnotbringhimnearenoughtothewindow—holetolookin，oreventothrowthelightofthelanternthroughit，soheclimbeddownandcarriedtheplankbacktotheplacefromwhichhehadgotit。Thenheconcealedhimselfneartheirondoorandwaited，manifestlywiththeintentofremainingtheretillsomeonecamenear。PresentlyLadyArabella，movingnoiselesslythroughtheshade，approachedthedoor。Whenhesawhercloseenoughtotouchit，Oolangasteppedforwardfromhisconcealment，andspokeinawhisper，whichthroughthegloomsoundedlikeahiss。
　　"Iwanttoseeyou，missy——soonandsecret。"
　　"Whatdoyouwant？"
　　"Youknowwell，missy;Itoldyoualready。"
　　Sheturnedonhimwithblazingeyes，thegreentintinthemglowinglikeemeralds。
　　"Come，noneofthat。Ifthereisanythingsensiblewhichyouwishtosaytome，youcanseemehere，justwhereweare，atseveno’clock。"
　　Hemadenoreplyinwords，but，puttingthebacksofhishandstogether，bentlowerandlowertillhisforeheadtouchedtheearth。
　　Thenheroseandwentslowlyaway。
　　AdamSalton，fromhishiding—place，sawandwondered。InafewminuteshemovedfromhisplaceandwenthometoLesserHill，fullydeterminedthatseveno’clockwouldfindhiminsomehiddenplacebehindDiana’sGrove。
　　AtalittlebeforesevenAdamstolesoftlyoutofthehouseandtooktheback—waytotherearofDiana’sGrove。Theplaceseemedsilentanddeserted，sohetooktheopportunityofconcealinghimselfnearthespotwhencehehadseenOolangatryingtoinvestigatewhateverwasconcealedbehindtheirondoor。Hewaited，perfectlystill，andatlastsawagleamofwhitepassingsoundlesslythroughtheundergrowth。HewasnotsurprisedwhenherecognisedthecolourofLadyArabella’sdress。Shecamecloseandwaited，withherfacetotheirondoor。FromsomeplaceofconcealmentnearathandOolangaappeared，andcameclosetoher。Adamnoticed，withsurprisedamusement，thatoverhisshoulderwastheboxwiththemongoose。OfcoursetheAfricandidnotknowthathewasseenbyanyone，leastofallbythemanwhosepropertyhehadwithhim。
　　Silent—footedashewas，LadyArabellaheardhimcoming，andturnedtomeethim。Itwassomewhathardtoseeinthegloom，for，asusual，hewasallinblack，onlyhiscollarandcuffsshowingwhite。
　　LadyArabellaopenedtheconversationwhichensuedbetweenthetwo。
　　"Whatdoyouwant？Torobme，ormurderme？"
　　"No，tolubyou！"
　　Thisfrightenedheralittle，andshetriedtochangethetone。
　　"Isthatacoffinyouhavewithyou？Ifso，youarewastingyourtime。Itwouldnotholdme。"
　　Whenaniggersuspectsheisbeinglaughedat，alltheferocityofhisnaturecomestothefront;andthismanwasofthelowestkind。
　　"Disain’tnocoffinfornobody。Disboxisforyou。Somefinyoulub。Megivehimtoyou！"
　　Stillanxioustokeepoffthesubjectofaffection，onwhichshebelievedhimtohavebecomecrazed，shemadeanotherefforttokeephismindelsewhere。
　　"Isthiswhyyouwanttoseeme？"Henodded。"Thencomeroundtotheotherdoor。Butbequiet。Ihavenodesiretobeseensoclosetomyownhouseinconversationwitha——a——aniggerlikeyou！"
　　Shehadchosentheworddeliberately。Shewishedtomeethispassionwithanotherkind。Suchwould，atallevents，helptokeephimquiet。Inthedeepgloomshecouldnotseetheangerwhichsuffusedhisface。Rollingeyeballsandgrindingteethare，however，sufficientsignsofangertobedecipherableinthedark。
　　Shemovedroundthecornerofthehousetoherright。Oolangawasfollowingher，whenshestoppedhimbyraisingherhand。
　　"No，notthatdoor，"shesaid;"thatisnotforniggers。Theotherdoorwilldowellenoughforyou！"
　　LadyArabellatookinherhandasmallkeywhichhungattheendofherwatch—chain，andmovedtoasmalldoor，lowdown，roundthecorner，andalittledownhillfromtheedgeoftheBrow。Oolanga，inobediencetohergesture，wentbacktotheirondoor。AdamlookedcarefullyatthemongooseboxastheAfricanwentby，andwasgladtoseethatitwasintact。Unconsciously，ashelooked，hefingeredthekeythatwasinhiswaistcoatpocket。WhenOolangawasoutofsight，AdamhurriedafterLadyArabella。
　　CHAPTERXVIII——EXITOOLANGA
　　ThewomanturnedsharplyasAdamtouchedhershoulder。
　　"Onemomentwhilstwearealone。Youhadbetternottrustthatnigger！"hewhispered。
　　Heranswerwascrispandconcise：
　　"Idon’t。"
　　"Forewarnedisforearmed。Tellmeifyouwill——itisforyourownprotection。Whydoyoumistrusthim？"
　　"Myfriend，youhavenoideaofthatman’simpudence。Wouldyoubelievethathewantsmetomarryhim？"
　　"No！"saidAdamincredulously，amusedinspiteofhimself。
　　"Yes，andwantedtobribemetodoitbysharingachestoftreasure——atleast，hethoughtitwas——stolenfromMr。Caswall。Whydoyoudistrusthim，Mr。Salton？"
　　"Didyounoticethatboxhehadslungonhisshoulder？Thatbelongstome。Ileftitinthegun—roomwhenIwenttolunch。Hemusthavecreptinandstolenit。Doubtlesshethinksthatit，too，isfulloftreasure。"
　　"Hedoes！"
　　"Howonearthdoyouknow？"askedAdam。
　　"Alittlewhileagoheofferedtogiveittome——anotherbribetoaccepthim。Faugh！Iamashamedtotellyousuchathing。Thebeast！"
　　Whilsttheyhadbeenspeaking，shehadopenedthedoor，anarrowironone，wellhung，foritopenedeasilyandclosedtightlywithoutanycreakingorsoundofanykind。Withinallwasdark;butsheenteredasfreelyandwithaslittlemisgivingorrestraintasifithadbeenbroaddaylight。ForAdam，therewasjustsufficientgreenlightfromsomewhereforhimtoseethattherewasabroadflightofheavystonestepsleadingupward;butLadyArabella，aftershuttingthedoorbehindher，whenitclosedtightlywithoutaclang，trippedupthestepslightlyandswiftly。Foraninstantallwasdark，buttherecameagainthefaintgreenlightwhichenabledhimtoseetheoutlinesofthings。Anotherirondoor，narrowlikethefirstandfairlyhigh，ledintoanotherlargeroom，thewallsofwhichwereofmassivestones，socloselyjoinedtogetherastoexhibitonlyonesmoothsurface。Thispresentedtheappearanceofhavingatonetimebeenpolished。Onthefarside，alsosmoothlikethewalls，wasthereverseofawide，butnothigh，irondoor。Heretherewasalittlemorelight，forthehigh—upapertureoverthedooropenedtotheair。
　　LadyArabellatookfromhergirdleanothersmallkey，whichsheinsertedinakeyholeinthecentreofamassivelock。Thegreatboltseemedwonderfullyhung，forthemomentthesmallkeywasturned，theboltsofthegreatlockmovednoiselesslyandtheirondoorsswungopen。OnthestonestepsoutsidestoodOolanga，withthemongooseboxslungoverhisshoulder。LadyArabellastoodalittleononeside，andtheAfrican，acceptingthemovementasaninvitation，enteredinanobsequiousway。Themoment，however，thathewasinside，hegaveaquicklookaroundhim。
　　"Muchdeathhere——bigdeath。Manydeaths。Good，good！"
　　Hesniffedroundasifhewasenjoyingthescent。ThematterandmannerofhisspeechweresorevoltingthatinstinctivelyAdam’shandwanderedtohisrevolver，and，withhisfingeronthetrigger，herestedsatisfiedthathewasreadyforanyemergency。
　　Therewascertainlyopportunityforthenigger’senjoyment，fortheopenwell—holewasalmostunderhisnose，sendingupsuchastenchasalmostmadeAdamsick，thoughLadyArabellaseemednottominditatall。ItwaslikenothingthatAdamhadevermetwith。Hecompareditwithallthenoxiousexperienceshehadeverhad——thedrainageofwarhospitals，ofslaughter—houses，therefuseofdissectingrooms。Noneofthesewaslikeit，thoughithadsomethingofthemall，with，added，thesournessofchemicalwasteandthepoisonouseffluviumofthebilgeofawater—loggedshipwhereonamultitudeofratshadbeendrowned。
　　Then，quiteunexpectedly，thenegronoticedthepresenceofathirdperson——AdamSalton！Hepulledoutapistolandshotathim，happilymissing。Adamwashimselfusuallyaquickshot，butthistimehismindhadbeenonsomethingelseandhewasnotready。
　　However，hewasquicktocarryoutanintention，andhewasnotacoward。Inanothermomentbothmenwereingrips。Besidethemwasthedarkwell—hole，withthathorrideffluviumstealingupfromitsmysteriousdepths。
　　AdamandOolangabothhadpistols;LadyArabella，whohadnotone，wasprobablythemostreadyofthemallinthetheoryofshooting，butthatbeingimpossible，shemadehereffortinanotherway。
　　Glidingforward，shetriedtoseizetheAfrican;butheeludedhergrasp，justmissing，indoingso，fallingintothemysterioushole。
　　Asheswayedbacktofirmfoothold，heturnedhisowngunonherandshot。InstinctivelyAdamleapedathisassailant;clutchingateachother，theytotteredontheverybrink。
　　LadyArabella’sanger，nowfullyawake，wasallforOolanga。Shemovedtowardshimwithherhandsextended，andhadjustseizedhimwhenthecatchofthelockedbox——duetosomemovementfromwithin——
　　flewopen，andtheking—cobra—killerflewatherwithavenomousfuryimpossibletodescribe。Asitseizedherthroat，shecaughtholdofit，and，withafurysuperiortoitsown，toreitintwojustasifithadbeenasheetofpaper。Thestrengthusedforsuchanactmusthavebeenterrific。Inaninstant，itseemedtospoutbloodandentrails，andwashurledintothewell—hole。InanotherinstantshehadseizedOolanga，andwithaswiftrushhaddrawnhim，herwhitearmsencirclinghim，downwithherintothegapingaperture。
　　Adamsawamedleyofgreenandredlightsblazeinawhirlingcircle，andasitsankdownintothewell，apairofblazinggreeneyesbecamefixed，sanklowerandlowerwithfrightfulrapidity，anddisappeared，throwingupwardthegreenlightwhichgrewmoreandmorevivideverymoment。Asthelightsankintothenoisomedepths，therecameashriekwhichchilledAdam’sblood——aprolongedagonyofpainandterrorwhichseemedtohavenoend。
　　AdamSaltonfeltthathewouldneverbeabletofreehismindfromthememoryofthosedreadfulmoments。Thegloomwhichsurroundedthathorriblecharnelpit，whichseemedtogodowntotheverybowelsoftheearth，conveyedfromfardownthesightsandsoundsofthenethermosthell。TheghastlyfateoftheAfricanashesankdowntohisterribledoom，hisblackfacegrowinggreywithterror，hiswhiteeyeballs，nowlikeveinedbloodstone，rollinginthehelplessextremityoffear。Themysteriousgreenlightwasinitselfamilieuofhorror。Andthroughitalltheawfulcrycameupfromthatfathomlesspit，whoseentrancewasfloodedwithspotsoffreshblood。Eventhedeathofthefearlesslittlesnake—killer——sofierce，sofrightful，asifstainedwithaferocitywhichtoldofnolivingforceaboveearth，butonlyofthedevilsofthepit——wasonlyanincident。Adamwasinastateofintellectualtumult，whichhadnoparallelinhisexperience。Hetriedtorushawayfromthehorribleplace;eventhebalefulgreenlight，thrownupthroughthegloomywell—shaft，wasdyingawayasitssourcesankdeeperintotheprimevalooze。Thedarknesswasclosinginonhiminoverwhelmingdensity——darknessinsuchaplaceandwithsuchamemoryofit！
　　Hemadeawildrushforward——sliptonthestepsinsomesticky，acrid—smellingmassthatfeltandsmeltlikeblood，and，fallingforward，felthiswayintotheinnerroom，wherethewell—shaftwasnot。
　　Thenherubbedhiseyesinsheeramazement。Upthestonestepsfromthenarrowdoorbywhichhehadentered，glidedthewhite—cladfigureofLadyArabella，theonlycolourtobeseenonherbeingblood—marksonherfaceandhandsandthroat。Otherwise，shewascalmandunruffled，aswhenearliershestoodasideforhimtopassinthroughthenarrowirondoor。
　　CHAPTERXIX——ANENEMYINTHEDARK
　　AdamSaltonwentforawalkbeforereturningtoLesserHill;hefeltthatitmightbewell，notonlytosteadyhisnerves，shakenbythehorriblescene，buttogethisthoughtsintosomesortoforder，soastobereadytoenteronthematterwithSirNathaniel。Hewasalittleembarrassedastotellinghisuncle，foraffairshadsovastlyprogressedbeyondhisoriginalviewthathefeltalittledoubtfulastowhatwouldbetheoldgentleman’sattitudewhenheshouldhearofthestrangeeventsforthefirsttime。Mr。Saltonwouldcertainlynotbesatisfiedatbeingtreatedasanoutsiderwithregardtosuchthings，mostofwhichhadpointsofcontactwiththeinmatesofhisownhouse。ItwaswithanimmensesenseofreliefthatAdamheardthathisunclehadtelegraphedtothehousekeeperthathewasdetainedbybusinessatWalsall，wherehewouldremainforthenight;andthathewouldbebackinthemorningintimeforlunch。
　　WhenAdamgothomeafterhiswalk，hefoundSirNathanieljustgoingtobed。Hedidnotsayanythingtohimthenofwhathadhappened，butcontentedhimselfwitharrangingthattheywouldwalktogetherintheearlymorning，ashehadmuchtosaythatwouldrequireseriousattention。
　　Strangelyenoughhesleptwell，andawokeatdawnwithhismindclearandhisnervesintheirusualunshakencondition。Themaidbroughtup，withhisearlymorningcupoftea，anotewhichhadbeenfoundintheletter—box。ItwasfromLadyArabella，andwasevidentlyintendedtoputhimonhisguardastowhatheshouldsayaboutthepreviousevening。
　　Hereaditovercarefullyseveraltimes，beforehewassatisfiedthathehadtakeninitsfullimport。
　　"DEARMR。SALTON，"IcannotgotobeduntilIhavewrittentoyou，soyoumustforgivemeifIdisturbyou，andatanunseemlytime。Indeed，youmustalsoforgivemeif，intryingtodowhatisright，Ierrinsayingtoomuchortoolittle。ThefactisthatIamquiteupsetandunnervedbyallthathashappenedinthisterriblenight。Ifinditdifficulteventowrite;myhandsshakesothattheyarenotundercontrol，andIamtremblingalloverwithmemoryofthehorrorswesawenactedbeforeoureyes。IamgrievedbeyondmeasurethatI
　　shouldbe，howeverremotely，acauseofthishorrorcomingonyou。
　　Forgivemeifyoucan，anddonotthinktoohardlyofme。ThisI
　　askwithconfidence，forsincewesharedtogetherthedanger——theverypangs——ofdeath，Ifeelthatweshouldbetooneanothersomethingmorethanmerefriends，thatImayleanonyouandtrustyou，assuredthatyoursympathyandpityareforme。Youreallymustletmethankyouforthefriendliness，thehelp，theconfidence，therealaidatatimeofdeadlydangeranddeadlyfearwhichyoushowedme。Thatawfulman——Ishallseehimforeverinmydreams。Hisblack，malignantfacewillshutoutallmemoryofsunshineandhappiness。Ishalleternallyseehisevileyesashethrewhimselfintothatwell—holeinavainefforttoescapefromtheconsequencesofhisownmisdoing。ThemoreIthinkofit，themoreapparentitseemstomethathehadpremeditatedthewholething——ofcourse，excepthisownhorribledeath。
　　"PerhapsyouhavenoticedafurcollarIoccasionallywear。Itisoneofmymostvaluedtreasures——anerminecollarstuddedwithemeralds。Ihadoftenseenthenigger’seyesgleamcovetouslywhenhelookedatit。Unhappily，Iworeityesterday。Thatmayhavebeenthecausethatluredthepoormantohisdoom。Ontheverybrinkoftheabysshetorethecollarfrommyneck——thatwasthelastIsawofhim。Whenhesankintothehole，Iwasrushingtotheirondoor，whichIpulledbehindme。WhenIheardthatsoul—
　　sickeningyell，whichmarkedhisdisappearanceinthechasm，IwasmoregladthanIcansaythatmyeyesweresparedthepainandhorrorwhichmyearshadtoendure。
　　"WhenItoremyselfoutofthenegro’sgraspashesankintothewell—hole;Irealisedwhatfreedommeant。Freedom！Freedom！Notonlyfromthatnoisomeprison—house，whichhasnowsuchamemory，butfromthemorenoisomeembraceofthathideousmonster。WhilstI
　　live，Ishallalwaysthankyouformyfreedom。Awomanmustsometimesexpresshergratitude;otherwiseitbecomestoogreattobear。Iamnotasentimentalgirl，whomerelylikestothankaman;
　　Iamawomanwhoknowsall，ofbadaswellasgood，thatlifecangive。Ihaveknownwhatitistoloveandtolose。Butyoumustnotletmebringanyunhappinessintoyourlife。Imustliveon——asIhavelived——alone，and，inaddition，bearwithotherwoesthememoryofthislatestinsultandhorror。Inthemeantime，ImustgetawayasquicklyaspossiblefromDiana’sGrove。InthemorningIshallgouptotown，whereIshallremainforaweek——Icannotstaylonger，asbusinessaffairsdemandmypresencehere。Ithink，however，thataweekintherushofbusyLondon，surroundedwithmultitudesofcommonplacepeople，willhelptosoften——Icannotexpecttotalobliteration——theterribleimagesofthebygonenight。
　　WhenIcansleepeasily——whichwillbe，Ihope，afteradayortwo——
　　Ishallbefittoreturnhomeandtakeupagaintheburdenwhichwill，Isuppose，alwaysbewithme。
　　"Ishallbemosthappytoseeyouonmyreturn——orearlier，ifmygoodfortunesendsyouonanyerrandtoLondon。IshallstayattheMayfairHotel。Inthatbusyspotwemayforgetsomeofthedangersandhorrorswehavesharedtogether。Adieu，andthankyou，againandagain，forallyourkindnessandconsiderationtome。
　　"ARABELLAMARSH。"
　　Adamwassurprisedbythiseffusiveepistle，buthedeterminedtosaynothingofittoSirNathanieluntilheshouldhavethoughtitwellover。WhenAdammetSirNathanielatbreakfast，hewasgladthathehadtakentimetoturnthingsoverinhismind。Theresulthadbeenthatnotonlywashefamiliarwiththefactsinalltheirbearings，buthehadalreadysofardifferentiatedthemthathewasabletoarrangetheminhisownmindaccordingtotheirvalues。
　　Breakfasthadbeenasilentfunction，soitdidnotinterfereinanywaywiththeprocessofthought。
　　Sosoonasthedoorwasclosed，SirNathanielbegan：
　　"Isee，Adam，thatsomethinghasoccurred，andthatyouhavemuchtotellme。"
　　"Thatisso，sir。IsupposeIhadbetterbeginbytellingyouallI
　　know——allthathashappenedsinceIleftyouyesterday？"
　　AccordinglyAdamgavehimdetailsofallthathadhappenedduringthepreviousevening。Heconfinedhimselfrigidlytothenarrationofcircumstances，takingcarenottocoloureventsbyanycommentofhisown，oranyopinionofthemeaningofthingswhichhedidnotfullyunderstand。Atfirst，SirNathanielseemeddisposedtoaskquestions，butshortlygavethisupwhenherecognisedthatthenarrationwasconciseandself—explanatory。Thenceforth，hecontentedhimselfwithquicklooksandglances，easilyinterpreted，orbysomeacquiescentmotionsofhishands，whensuchcouldbeconvenient，toemphasisehisideaofthecorrectnessofanyinference。UntilAdamceasedspeaking，havingevidentlycometoanendofwhathehadtosaywithregardtothissectionofhisstory，theeldermanmadenocommentwhatever。EvenwhenAdamtookfromhispocketLadyArabella’sletter，withthemanifestintentionofreadingit，hedidnotmakeanycomment。Finally，whenAdamfoldeduptheletterandputit，initsenvelope，backinhispocket，asanintimationthathehadnowquitefinished，theolddiplomatistcarefullymadeafewnotesinhispocket—book。
　　"Yournarrative，mydearAdam，isaltogetheradmirable。IthinkI
　　maynowtakeitthatwearebothwellversedintheactualfacts，andthatourconferencehadbettertaketheshapeofamutualexchangeofideas。Letusbothaskquestionsastheymayarise;andIdonotdoubtthatweshallarriveatsomeenlighteningconclusions。"
　　"Willyoukindlybegin，sir？Idonotdoubtthat，withyourlongerexperience，youwillbeabletodissipatesomeofthefogwhichenvelopscertainofthethingswhichwehavetoconsider。"
　　"Ihopeso，mydearboy。Forabeginning，then，letmesaythatLadyArabella’slettermakesclearsomethingswhichsheintended——
　　andalsosomethingswhichshedidnotintend。But，beforeIbegintodrawdeductions，letmeaskyouafewquestions。Adam，areyouheart—whole，quiteheart—whole，inthematterofLadyArabella？"
　　Hiscompanionansweredatonce，eachlookingtheotherstraightintheeyesduringquestionandanswer。
　　"LadyArabella，sir，isacharmingwoman，andIshouldhavedeemeditaprivilegetomeether——totalktoher——even——sinceIamintheconfessional——toflirtalittlewithher。Butifyoumeantoaskifmyaffectionsareinanywayengaged，Icanemphaticallyanswer’No！’——asindeedyouwillunderstandwhenpresentlyIgiveyouthereason。Apartfromthat，therearetheunpleasantdetailswediscussedtheotherday。"
　　"Couldyou——wouldyoumindgivingmethereasonnow？Itwillhelpustounderstandwhatisbeforeus，inthewayofdifficulty。"
　　"Certainly，sir。Myreason，onwhichIcanfullydepend，isthatI
　　loveanotherwoman！"
　　"Thatclinchesit。MayIoffermygoodwishes，and，Ihope，mycongratulations？"
　　"Iamproudofyourgoodwishes，sir，andIthankyouforthem。Butitistoosoonforcongratulations——theladydoesnotevenknowmyhopesyet。Indeed，Ihardlyknewthemmyself，asdefinite，tillthismoment。"
　　"Itakeitthen，Adam，thatattherighttimeImaybeallowedtoknowwhotheladyis？"
　　Adamlaughedalow，sweetlaugh，suchasripplesfromahappyheart。
　　"Thereneednotbeanhour’s，aminute’sdelay。Ishallbegladtosharemysecretwithyou，sir。Thelady，sir，whomIamsohappyastolove，andinwhommydreamsoflife—longhappinessarecentred，isMimiWatford！"
　　"Then，mydearAdam，Ineednotwaittooffercongratulations。Sheisindeedaverycharmingyounglady。IdonotthinkIeversawagirlwhounitedinsuchperfectionthequalitiesofstrengthofcharacterandsweetnessofdisposition。Withallmyheart，I
　　congratulateyou。ThenImaytakeitthatmyquestionastoyourheart—wholenessisansweredintheaffirmative？"
　　"Yes;andnow，sir，mayIaskinturnwhythequestion？"
　　"Certainly！Iaskedbecauseitseemstomethatwearecomingtoapointwheremyquestionsmightbepainfultoyou。"
　　"ItisnotmerelythatIloveMimi，butIhavereasontolookonLadyArabellaasherenemy，"Adamcontinued。
　　"Herenemy？"
　　"Yes。Arankandunscrupulousenemywhoisbentonherdestruction。"
　　SirNathanielwenttothedoor，lookedoutsideitandreturned，lockingitcarefullybehindhim。
　　CHAPTERXX——METABOLISM
　　"AmIlookinggrave？"askedSirNathanielinconsequentlywhenhere—
　　enteredtheroom。
　　"Youcertainlyare，sir。"
　　"Welittlethoughtwhenfirstwemetthatweshouldbedrawnintosuchavortex。Alreadywearemixedupinrobbery，andprobablymurder，but——athousandtimesworsethanallthecrimesinthecalendar——inanaffairofghastlymysterywhichhasnobottomandnoend——withforcesofthemostunnervingkind，whichhadtheirorigininanagewhentheworldwasdifferentfromtheworldwhichweknow。
　　Wearegoingbacktotheoriginofsuperstition——toanagewhendragonstoreeachotherintheirslime。Wemustfearnothing——noconclusion，howeverimprobable，almostimpossibleitmaybe。Lifeanddeathishangingonourjudgment，notonlyforourselves，butforotherswhomwelove。Remember，IcountonyouasIhopeyoucountonme。"
　　"Ido，withallconfidence。"
　　"Then，"saidSirNathaniel，"letusthinkjustlyandboldlyandfearnothing，howeverterrifyingitmayseem。IsupposeIamtotakeasexactineverydetailyouraccountofallthestrangethingswhichhappenedwhilstyouwereinDiana’sGrove？"
　　"SofarasIknow，yes。OfcourseImaybemistakeninrecollectionofsomedetailoranother，butIamcertainthatinthemainwhatI
　　havesaidiscorrect。"
　　"YoufeelsurethatyousawLadyArabellaseizethenegroroundtheneck，anddraghimdownwithherintothehole？"
　　"Absolutelycertain，sir，otherwiseIshouldhavegonetoherassistance。"
　　"Wehave，then，anaccountofwhathappenedfromaneye—witnesswhomwetrust——thatisyourself。Wehavealsoanotheraccount，writtenbyLadyArabellaunderherownhand。Thesetwoaccountsdonotagree。Thereforewemusttakeitthatoneofthetwoislying。"
　　"Apparently，sir。"
　　"AndthatLadyArabellaistheliar！"
　　"Apparently——asIamnot。"
　　"Wemust，therefore，trytofindareasonforherlying。ShehasnothingtofearfromOolanga，whoisdead。Thereforetheonlyreasonwhichcouldactuateherwouldbetoconvincesomeoneelsethatshewasblameless。This’someone’couldnotbeyou，foryouhadtheevidenceofyourowneyes。Therewasnooneelsepresent;
　　thereforeitmusthavebeenanabsentperson。"
　　"Thatseemsbeyonddispute，sir。"
　　"Thereisonlyoneotherpersonwhosegoodopinionshecouldwishtokeep——EdgarCaswall。Heistheonlyonewhofillsthebill。HerliespointtootherthingsbesidesthedeathoftheAfrican。Sheevidentlywantedittobeacceptedthathisfallingintothewellwashisownact。Icannotsupposethatsheexpectedtoconvinceyou，theeye—witness;butifshewishedlaterontospreadthestory，itwaswiseofhertotrytogetyouracceptanceofit。"
　　"Thatisso！"
　　"Thentherewereothermattersofuntruth。That，forinstance，oftheerminecollarembroideredwithemeralds。Ifanunderstandablereasonberequiredforthis，itwouldbetodrawattentionawayfromthegreenlightswhichwereseenintheroom，andespeciallyinthewell—hole。Anyunprejudicedpersonwouldacceptthegreenlightstobetheeyesofagreatsnake，suchastraditionpointedtolivinginthewell—hole。Infine，therefore，LadyArabellawantedthegeneralbelieftobethattherewasnosnakeofthekindinDiana’sGrove。
　　Formyownpart，Idon’tbelieveinapartialliar——thisartdoesnotdealinveneer;aliarisaliarrightthrough。Self—interestmaypromptfalsityofthetongue;butifoneprovetobealiar，nothingthathesayscaneverbebelieved。Thisleadsustotheconclusionthatbecauseshesaidorinferredthattherewasnosnake，weshouldlookforone——andexpecttofindit，too。
　　"Nowletmedigress。Ilive，andhaveformanyyearslived，inDerbyshire，acountymorecelebratedforitscavesthananyothercountyinEngland。Ihavebeenthroughthemall，andamfamiliarwitheveryturnofthem;asalsowithothergreatcavesinKentucky，inFrance，inGermany，andahostofotherplaces——inmanyofthesearetremendouslydeepcavesofnarrowaperture，whicharevaluedbyintrepidexplorers，whodescendnarrowgulletsofabysmaldepth——andsometimesneverreturn。InmanyofthecavernsinthePeakIamconvincedthatsomeofthesmallerpassageswereusedinprimevaltimesasthelairsofsomeofthegreatserpentsoflegendandtradition。Itmayhavebeenthatsuchcavernswereformedintheusualgeologicway——bubblesorflawsintheearth’scrust——whichwerelaterusedbythemonstersoftheperiodoftheyoungworld。
　　Itmayhavebeen，ofcourse，thatsomeofthemwerewornoriginallybywater;butintimetheyallfoundausewhensuitableforlivingmonsters。
　　"Thisbringsustoanotherpoint，moredifficulttoacceptandunderstandthananyotherrequiringbeliefinabasenotusuallyaccepted，orindeedenteredon——whethersuchabnormalgrowthscouldhaveeverchangedintheirnature。Somedaythestudyofmetabolismmayprogresssofarastoenableustoacceptstructuralchangesproceedingfromanintellectualormoralbase。Wemayleantowardsabeliefthatgreatanimalstrengthmaybeasoundbaseforchangesofallsorts。Ifthisbeso，whatcouldbeamorefittingsubjectthanprimevalmonsterswhosestrengthwassuchastoallowasurvivalofthousandsofyears？Wedonotknowyetifbraincanincreaseanddevelopindependentlyofotherpartsofthelivingstructure。
　　"Afterall，themediaevalbeliefinthePhilosopher’sStonewhichcouldtransmutemetals，hasitscounterpartintheacceptedtheoryofmetabolismwhichchangeslivingtissue。Inanageofinvestigationlikeourown，whenwearereturningtoscienceasthebaseofwonders——almostofmiracles——weshouldbeslowtorefusetoacceptfacts，howeverimpossibletheymayseemtobe。
　　"Letussupposeamonsteroftheearlydaysoftheworld——adragonoftheprime——ofvastagerunningintothousandsofyears，towhomhadbeenconveyedinsomeway——itmattersnot——abrainjustsufficientforthebeginningofgrowth。Supposethemonstertobeofincalculablesizeandofastrengthquiteabnormal——averitableincarnationofanimalstrength。Supposethisanimalisallowedtoremaininoneplace，thusbeingremovedfromaccidentsofinterrupteddevelopment;mightnot，wouldnotthiscreature，inprocessoftime——ages，ifnecessary——havethatrudimentaryintelligencedeveloped？Thereisnoimpossibilityinthis;itisonlythenaturalprocessofevolution。Inthebeginning，theinstinctsofanimalsareconfinedtoalimentation，self—protection，andthemultiplicationoftheirspecies。Astimegoesonandtheneedsoflifebecomemorecomplex，powerfollowsneed。Wehavebeenlongaccustomedtoconsidergrowthasappliedalmostexclusivelytosizeinitsvariousaspects。ButNature，whohasnodoctrinaireideas，mayequallyapplyittoconcentration。Adevelopingthingmayexpandinanygivenwayorform。Now，itisascientificlawthatincreaseimpliesgainandlossofvariouskinds;whatathinggainsinonedirectionitmayloseinanother。MayitnotbethatMotherNaturemaydeliberatelyencouragedecreaseaswellasincrease——thatitmaybeanaxiomthatwhatisgainedinconcentrationislostinsize？Take，forinstance，monstersthattraditionhasacceptedandlocalised，suchastheWormofLambtonorthatofSpindlestonHeugh。Ifsuchacreaturewere，byitsownprocessofmetabolism，tochangemuchofitsbulkforintellectualgrowth，weshouldatoncearriveatanewclassofcreature——moredangerous，perhaps，thantheworldhaseverhadanyexperienceof——aforcewhichcanthink，whichhasnosoulandnomorals，andthereforenoacceptanceofresponsibility。Asnakewouldbeagoodillustrationofthis，foritiscold—blooded，andthereforeremovedfromthetemptationswhichoftenweakenorrestrictwarm—bloodedcreatures。If，forinstance，theWormofLambton——ifsucheverexisted——wereguidedtoitsownendsbyanorganisedintelligencecapableofexpansion，whatformofcreaturecouldweimaginewhichwouldequalitinpotentialitiesofevil？Why，suchabeingwoulddevastateawholecountry。Now，allthesethingsrequiremuchthought，andwewanttoapplytheknowledgeusefully，andweshouldthereforebeexact。Woulditnotbewelltoresumethesubjectlaterintheday？"
　　"Iquiteagree，sir。Iaminawhirlalready;andwanttoattendcarefullytowhatyousay;sothatImaytrytodigestit。"
　　Bothmenseemedfresherandbetterforthe"easy，"andwhentheymetintheafternooneachofthemhadsomethingtocontributetothegeneralstockofinformation。Adam，whowasbynatureofamoremilitantdispositionthanhiselderlyfriend，wasgladtoseethattheconferenceatonceassumedapracticaltrend。SirNathanielrecognisedthis，and，likeanolddiplomatist，turnedittopresentuse。
　　"Tellmenow，Adam，whatistheoutcome，inyourownmind，ofourconversation？"
　　"Thatthewholedifficultyalreadyassumespracticalshape;butwithaddeddangers，thatatfirstIdidnotimagine。"
　　"Whatisthepracticalshape，andwhataretheaddeddangers？Iamnotdisputing，butonlytryingtoclearmyownideasbytheconsiderationofyours——"
　　SoAdamwenton：
　　"Inthepast，intheearlydaysoftheworld，thereweremonsterswhoweresovastthattheycouldexistforthousandsofyears。SomeofthemmusthaveoverlappedtheChristianera。Theymayhaveprogressedintellectuallyinprocessoftime。Iftheyhadinanywaysoprogressed，orevengotthemostrudimentaryformofbrain，theywouldbethemostdangerousthingsthateverwereintheworld。
　　TraditionsaysthatoneofthesemonsterslivedintheMarshoftheEast，andcameuptoacaveinDiana’sGrove，whichwasalsocalledtheLairoftheWhiteWorm。Suchcreaturesmayhavegrowndownaswellasup。TheyMAYhavegrowninto，orsomethinglike，humanbeings。LadyArabellaMarchisofsnakenature。Shehascommittedcrimestoourknowledge。Sheretainssomethingofthevaststrengthofherprimalbeing——canseeinthedark——hastheeyesofasnake。
　　Sheusedthenigger，andthendraggedhimthroughthesnake’sholedowntotheswamp;sheisintentonevil，andhatessomeonewelove。Result……"
　　"Yes，theresult？"
　　"First，thatMimiWatfordshouldbetakenawayatonce——then——"
　　"Yes？"
　　"Themonstermustbedestroyed。"
　　"Bravo！Thatisatrueandfearlessconclusion。Atwhatevercost，itmustbecarriedout。"
　　"Atonce？"
　　"Soon，atallevents。Thatcreature’sveryexistenceisadanger。
　　Herpresenceinthisneighbourhoodmakesthedangerimmediate。"
　　Ashespoke，SirNathaniel’smouthhardenedandhiseyebrowscamedowntilltheymet。Therewasnodoubtinghisconcurrenceintheresolution，orhisreadinesstohelpincarryingitout。Buthewasanelderlymanwithmuchexperienceandknowledgeoflawanddiplomacy。Itseemedtohimtobeasterndutytopreventanythingirrevocabletakingplacetillithadbeenthoughtoutandallwasready。Therewereallsortsoflegalcruxestobethoughtout，notonlyregardingthetakingoflife，evenofamonstrosityinhumanform，butalsoofproperty。LadyArabella，beshewomanorsnakeordevil，ownedthegroundshemovedin，accordingtoBritishlaw，andthelawisjealousandswifttoavengewrongsdonewithinitsken。
　　Allsuchdifficultiesshouldbe——mustbe——avoidedforMr。Salton’ssake，forAdam’sownsake，and，mostofall，forMimiWatford’ssake。
　　Beforehespokeagain，SirNathanielhadmadeuphismindthathemusttrytopostponedecisiveactionuntilthecircumstancesonwhichtheydepended——which，afterall，wereonlyproblematical——
　　shouldhavebeentestedsatisfactorily，onewayoranother。Whenhedidspeak，Adamatfirstthoughtthathisfriendwaswaveringinhisintention，or"funking"theresponsibility。However，hisrespectforSirNathanielwassogreatthathewouldnotact，orevencometoaconclusiononavitalpoint，withouthissanction。
　　Hecamecloseandwhisperedinhisear：
　　"Wewillprepareourplanstocombatanddestroythishorriblemenace，afterwehaveclearedupsomeofthemorebafflingpoints。
　　Meanwhile，wemustwaitforthenight——Ihearmyuncle’sfootstepsechoingdownthehall。"
　　SirNathanielnoddedhisapproval。
　　CHAPTERXXI——GREENLIGHT
　　WhenoldMr。Saltonhadretiredforthenight，AdamandSirNathanielreturnedtothestudy。ThingswentwithgreatregularityatLesserHill，sotheyknewthattherewouldbenointerruptiontotheirtalk。
　　Whentheircigarswerelighted，SirNathanielbegan。
　　"Ihope，Adam，thatyoudonotthinkmeeitherslackorchangeableofpurpose。Imeantogothroughthisbusinesstothebitterend——
　　whateveritmaybe。Besatisfiedthatmyfirstcareis，andshallbe，theprotectionofMimiWatford。TothatIampledged;mydearboy，wewhoareinterestedareallinthesamedanger。Thatsemi—
　　humanmonsteroutofthepithatesandmeanstodestroyusall——youandmecertainly，andprobablyyouruncle。Iwantedespeciallytotalkwithyouto—night，forIcannothelpthinkingthatthetimeisfastcoming——ifithasnotcomealready——whenwemusttakeyouruncleintoourconfidence。Itwasonethingwhenfanciedevilsthreatened，butnowheisprobablymarkedfordeath，anditisonlyrightthatheshouldknowall。"
　　"Iamwithyou，sir。Thingshavechangedsinceweagreedtokeephimoutofthetrouble。Nowwedarenot;considerationforhisfeelingsmightcosthislife。Itisaduty——andnolightorpleasantone，either。Ihavenotashadowofdoubtthathewillwanttobeonewithusinthis。Butremember，wearehisguests;