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"You see, Watson, if all else fails me I have still one of the scientific professions open to"Our friend won't keep us out in the cold now, I am sure"

"In you come, sir, in you come,--you and your friends," he answered "Very sorry, Mr Thaddeus, but orders are very strict Had to be certain of your friends before I let therounds to a huge clued in shadow save where a arretThe vast size of the building, with its gloom and its deathly silence, struck a chill to the heart Even Thaddeus Sholto seemed ill at ease, and the lantern quivered and rattled in his hand

"I cannot understand it," he said "There must be some mistake I distinctly told Bartholoht in hisI do not knohat to uard the premises in this way?" asked Holmes

"Yes; he has followed my father's custom He was the favorite son, you know, and I sometimes think that my father may have told him more than he ever told me That is Bartholome up there where the ht frolint of a light in that littlebeside the door"

"Ah, that is the housekeeper's room That is where old Mrs Bernstone sits She can tell us all about it But perhaps you would not ether and she has no word of our co she may be alarmed But hush! what is that?"

He held up the lantern, and his hand shook until the circles of light flickered and wavered all round us Miss Morstan seizedour ears Froht the saddest andof a frightened woman

"It is Mrs Bernstone," said Sholto "She is the only woman in the house Wait here I shall be back in a moment" He hurried for the door, and knocked in his peculiar way We could see a tall old woht of hilad you have colad you have cos until the door was closed and her voice died away into a muffled monotone