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them。 Miss Gwilt opened the door and led the way into the empty
room。
〃Wait here；〃 she said； 〃while I go back upstairs； and lock
yourself in； if you like。 You will be in the dark； but the gas
will be burning in the corridor。 Keep at the grating； and make
sure that Mr。 Armadale goes into the room I have just pointed out
to you； and that he doesn't leave it afterward。 If you lose sight
of the room for a single moment before I come back； you will
repent it to the end of your life。 If you do as I tell you； you
shall see me to…morrow； and claim your own reward。 Quick with
your answer！ Is it Yes or No？〃
He could make no reply in words。 He raised her hand to his lips；
and kissed it rapturously。 She left him in the room。 From his
place at the grating he saw her glide down the corridor to the
staircase door。 She passed through it； and locked it。 Then there
was silence。
The next sound was the sound of the women…servants' voices。 Two
of them came up to put the sheets on the beds in Number Three and
Number Four。 The women were in high good…humor； laughing and
talking to each other through the open doors of the rooms。 The
master's customers were coming in at last； they said； with a
vengeance； the house would soon begin to look cheerful； if things
went on like this。
After a little； the beds were got ready and the women returned to
the kitchen floor； on which the sleeping…rooms of the domestic
servants were all situated。 Then there was silence again。
The next sound was the sound of the doctor's voice。 He appeared
at the end of the corridor； showing Allan and Midwinter the way
to their rooms。 They all went together into Number Four。 After a
little； the doctor came out first。 He waited till Midwinter
joined him； and pointed with a formal bow to the door of Number
Three。 Midwinter entered the room without speaking； and shut
himself in。 The doctor； left alone； withdrew to the staircase
door and unlocked it； then waited in the corridor； whistling to
himself softly； under his breath。
Voices pitched cautiously low became audible in a minute more in
the hall。 The Resident Dispenser and the Head Nurse appeared； on
their way to the dormitories of the attendants at the top of the
house。 The man bowed silently； and passed the doctor； the woman
courtesied silently； and followed the man。 The doctor
acknowledged their salutations by a courteous wave of his hand；
and； once more left alone； paused a moment； still whistling
softly to himself； then walked to the door of Number Four； and
opened the case of the fumigating apparatus fixed near it in the
corner of the wall。 As he lifted the lid and looked in； his
whistling ceased。 He took a long purple bottle out； examined it
by the gas…light； put it back； and closed the case。 This done； he
advanced on tiptoe to the open staircase door； passed through it；
and secured it on the inner side as usual。
Mr。 Bashwood had seen him at the apparatus； Mr。 Bashwood had
noticed the manner of his withdrawal through the staircase door。
Again the sense of an unutterable expectation throbbed at his
heart。 A terror that was slow and cold and deadly crept into his
hands； and guided them in the dark to the key that had been left
for him in the inner side of the door。 He turned it in vague
distrust of what might happen next； and waited。
The slow minutes passed； and nothing happened。 The silence was
horrible； the solitude of the lonely corridor was a solitude of
invisible treacheries。 He began to count to keep his mind
employedto keep his own growing dread away from him。 The
numbers； as he whispered them； followed each other slowly up to a
hundred； and still nothing happened。 He had begun the second
hundred； he had got on to twentywhen； without a sound to betray
that he had been moving in his room； Midwinter suddenly appeared
in the corridor。
He stood for a moment and listened； he went to the stairs and
looked over into the hall beneath。 Then； for the second time that
night； he tried the staircase door； and for the second time found
it fast。 After a moment's reflection； he tried the doors of the
bedrooms on his right hand next； looked into one after the other；
and saw that they were empty； then came to the door of the end
room in which the steward was concealed。 Here； again； the lock
resisted him。 He listened； and looked up at the grating。 No sound
was to be heard； no light was to be seen inside。 〃Shall I break
the door in；〃 he said to himself； 〃and make sure？ No； it would be
giving the doctor an excuse for turning me out of the house。〃 He
moved away； and looked into the two empty rooms in the row
occupied by Allan and himself； then walked to the window at the
staircase end of the corridor。 Here the case of the fumigating
apparatus attracted his attention。 After trying vainly to open
it； his suspicion seemed to be aroused。 He searched back along
the corridor； and observed that no object of a similar kind
appeared outside any of the other bed…chambers。 Again at the
window； he looked again at the apparatus； and turned away from it
with a gesture which plainly indicated that he had tried； and
failed； to guess what it might be。
Baffled at all points； he still showed no sign of returning to
his bed…chamber。 He stood at the window； with his eyes fixed on
the door of Allan's room； thinking。 If Mr。 Bashwood； furtively
watching him through the grating； could have seen him at that
moment in the mind as well as in the body； Mr。 Bashwood's heart
might have throbbed even faster than it was throbbing now； i n
expectation of the next event which Midwinter's decision of the
next minute was to bring forth。
On what was his mind occupied as he stood alone； at the dead of
night； in the strange house？
His mind was occupied in drawing its disconnected impressions
together； little by little； to one point。 Convinced from the
first that some hidden danger threatened Allan in the Sanitarium；
his distrustvaguely associated； thus far； with the place
itself； with his wife （whom he firmly believed to be now under
the same roof with him）； with the doctor； who was as plainly in
her confidence as Mr。 Bashwood himselfnow narrowed its range；
and centered itself obstinately in Allan's room。 Resigning all
further effort to connect his suspicion of a conspiracy against
his friend with the outrage which had the day before been offered
to himselfan effort which would have led him； if he could have
maintained it； to a discovery of the fraud really contemplated by
his wifehis mind； clouded and confused by disturbing
influences； instinctively took refuge in its impressions of facts
as they had shown themselves since he had entered the house。
Everything that he had noticed below stairs suggested that there
was some secret purpose to be answered by getting Allan to sleep
in the Sanitarium。 Everything that he had noticed above stairs
associated the lurking…place in which the danger lay hid with
Allan's room。 To reach this conclusion； and to decide on baffling
the conspiracy。 whatever it might be； by taking Allan's place；
was with Midwinter the work of an instant。 Confronted by actual
peril； the great nature of the man intuitively freed itself f