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to envelop me like arms。 A powerful scent ascended my nostrils。
There was a ringing in my ears； a beating at my heart。 Darkness
came on； deeper and deeper； like huge waves。 I seemed growing to
gigantic stature。 The waves rolled on faster and faster。 The
ringing became a roaring。 The beating became a throbbing。 Lights
flashed across the darkness。 Forms moved before me。 On came the
waves hurrying like a tide； and I sank deeper and deeper into this
mighty sea of darkness。 Then all was silent。 Consciousness was
still。
。 。 。 。 。 。
How long I remained unconscious； I cannot tell。 But it must have
been some considerable time。 When consciousness once more began to
dawn within me； I found myself lying on a bed surrounded by a group
of eager； watching faces； and became aware of a confused murmur of
whispering going on around me。 〃Er Lebt〃 （he lives） were the words
which greeted my opening eyeswords which I recognized as coming
from my landlord。
I had had a very narrow escape。 Another moment and I should not
have lived to tell the tale。 The dagger that had already immolated
two of Bourgonef's objects of vengeance would have been in my
breast。 As it was； at the very moment when the terrible Ivan had
thrown his arms around me and was stifling me with chloroform； one
of the servants of the hotel； alarmed or attracted by curiosity at
the sound of high words within the room； had ventured to open the
door to see what was going on。 The alarm had been given； and
Bourgonef had been arrested and handed over to the police。 Ivan；
however； had disappeared； nor were the police ever able to find
him。 This mattered comparatively little。 Ivan without his master
was no more redoubtable than any other noxious animal。 As an
accomplice； as an instrument to execute the will of a man like
Bourgonef； he was a danger to society。 The directing intelligence
withdrawn； he sank to the level of the brute。 I was not uneasy；
therefore； at his having escaped。 Sufficient for me that the real
criminal； the mind that had conceived and directed those fearful
murders； was at last in the hands of justice。 I felt that my task
had been fully accomplished when Bourgonef's head fell on the
scaffold。
The Closed Cabinet
I
It was with a little alarm and a good deal of pleasurable
excitement that I looked forward to my first grown…up visit to
Mervyn Grange。 I had been there several times as a child； but
never since I was twelve years old； and now I was over eighteen。
We were all of us very proud of our cousins the Mervyns： it is not
everybody that can claim kinship with a family who are in full and
admitted possession of a secret； a curse； and a mysterious cabinet；
in addition to the usual surplusage of horrors supplied in such
cases by popular imagination。 Some declared that a Mervyn of the
days of Henry VIII had been cursed by an injured abbot from the
foot of the gallows。 Others affirmed that a dissipated Mervyn of
the Georgian era was still playing cards for his soul in some
remote region of the Grange。 There were stories of white ladies
and black imps； of bloodstained passages and magic stones。 We；
proud of our more intimate acquaintance with the family； naturally
gave no credence to these wild inventions。 The Mervyns； indeed；
followed the accepted precedent in such cases； and greatly disliked
any reference to the reputed mystery being made in their presence；
with the inevitable result that there was no subject so
pertinaciously discussed by their friends in their absence。 My
father's sister had married the late Baronet； Sir Henry Mervyn； and
we always felt that she ought to have been the means of imparting
to us a very complete knowledge of the family secret。 But in this
connection she undoubtedly failed of her duty。 We knew that there
had been a terrible tragedy in the family some two or three hundred
years agothat a peculiarly wicked owner of Mervyn； who flourished
in the latter part of the sixteenth century； had been murdered by
his wife who subsequently committed suicide。 We knew that the
mysterious curse had some connection with this crime； but what the
curse exactly was we had never been able to discover。 The history
of the family since that time had indeed in one sense been full of
misfortune。 Not in every sense。 A coal mine had been discovered
in one part of the estate； and a populous city had grown over the
corner of another part； and the Mervyns of to…day； in spite of the
usual percentage of extravagant heirs and political mistakes； were
three times as rich as their ancestors had been。 But still their
story was full of bloodshed and shame； of tales of duels and
suicides； broken hearts and broken honor。 Only these calamities
seemed to have little or no relation to each other； and what the
precise curse was that was supposed to connect or account for them
we could not learn。 When she first married； my aunt was told
nothing about it。 Later on in life； when my father asked her for
the story； she begged him to talk upon a pleasanter subject； and
being unluckily a man of much courtesy and little curiosity； he
complied with her request。 This； however； was the only part of the
ghostly traditions of her husband's home upon which she was so
reticent。 The haunted chamber； for instancewhich； of course；
existed at the Grangeshe treated with the greatest contempt。
Various friends and relations had slept in it at different times；
and no approach to any kind of authenticated ghost…story； even of
the most trivial description； had they been able to supply。 Its
only claim to respect； indeed； was that it contained the famous
Mervyn cabinet； a fascinating puzzle of which I will speak later；
but which certainly had nothing haunting or horrible about its
appearance。
My uncle's family consisted of three sons。 The eldest； George； the
present baronet； was now in his thirties； married； and with
children of his own。 The second； Jack； was the black…sheep of the
family。 He had been in the Guards； but； about five years back； had
got into some very disgraceful scrape； and had been obliged to
leave the country。 The sorrow and the shame of this had killed his
unhappy mother； and her husband had not long afterwards followed
her to the grave。 Alan； the youngest son； probably because he was
the nearest to us in age； had been our special favorite in earlier
years。 George was grown up before I had well left the nursery； and
his hot； quick temper had always kept us youngsters somewhat in awe
of him。 Jack was four years older than Alan； and； besides； his
profession had； in a way； cut his boyhood short。 When my uncle and
aunt were abroad； as they frequently were for months together on
account of her health； it was Alan； chiefly； who had to spend his
holidays with us； both as school…boy and as undergraduate。 And a
brighter； sweeter…tempered comrade； or one possessed of more
diversified talents for the invention of games or the telling of
stories； it would have been difficult to find。
For five years together now our ancient custom of an annual visit
to Mervyn had been broken。 First the