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But neither the business alleged, nor thethat some very different object must occasion so serious a delay of proper repose To be kept up for hours, after the family were in bed, by stupid pamphlets was not very likely Therewas to be done which could be done only while the household slept; and the probability that Mrs Tilney yet lived, shut up for causes unknown, and receiving frohtly supply of coarse food, was the conclusion which necessarily followed Shocking as was the idea, it was at least better than a death unfairly hastened, as, in the natural course of things, shebe released The suddenness of her reputed illness, the absence of her daughter, and probably of her other children, at the time--all favoured the supposition of her iin--jealousy perhaps, or wanton cruelty--was yet to be unravelled

In revolving these matters, while she undressed, it suddenly struck her as not unlikely that shehave passed near the very spot of this unfortunate woht have been within a few paces of the cell in which she languished out her days; for what part of the abbey could be more fitted for the purpose than that which yet bore the traces of e, paved with stone, which already she had trodden with peculiar awe, she well reiven no account To what ht not those doors lead? In support of the plausibility of this conjecture, it further occurred to her that the forbidden gallery, in which lay the apartments of the unfortunate Mrs Tilney, uide her, exactly over this suspected range of cells, and the staircase by the side of those apartliht well have favoured the barbarous proceedings of her husband Down that staircase she had perhaps been conveyed in a state of well-prepared insensibility!

Catherine sometimes started at the boldness of her own surone too far; but they were supported by such appearances as le, in which she supposed the guilty scene to be acting, being, according to her belief, just opposite her own, it struck her that, if judiciously watched, soh the los, as he passed to the prison of his wife; and, twice before she stepped into bed, she stole gently froallery, to see if it appeared; but all abroad was dark, and itnoises convinced her that the servants ht, she supposed it would be in vain to watch; but then, when the clock had struck twelve, and all was quiet, she would, if not quite appalled by darkness, steal out and look once more The clock struck twelve--and Catherine had been half an hour asleep