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"Peter!--oh, Peter, I am afraid!--wake! wake!"

A cold sweat broke out upon lared helplessly, towards

the door

"Quick, Peter!--come to me--oh, God!"

I strove to move, but still I could not And now, in the

darkness, hands were shakingin my ear

"The door!" it whispered, "the door!"

Then I arose, and was in the outer room, with Charmian close

beside me in the dark, and e thing, for a thin line of white light

traversed the floor from end to end Now, as I watched this

narrow line, I saw that it was gradually widening and widening;

very slowly, and with infinite caution, the door was being opened

from without In this reht, full of the ghostly hush that ever precedes the dawn

--there was so very like murder in its

stealthy motion I heard Charmian's breath catch, and, in the

dark, her hand caers were cold

as death