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In the ht descends Even that too departs, and now darkness falls upon the distressed household, and still there is no news of Sir Adrian

Arthur Dynecourt, who is already beginning to be treated with due respect as the next heir to the baronetcy, has quietly hinted to old Lady FitzAlmont that perhaps it will be as well, in the extraordinary circumstances, if they all take their departure This the old lady, though strongly disinclined to quit the castle, is debating in her ownswayed by Lady Gertrude, who is secretly rather bored by the dullness that has ensued on the strange absence of their host, decides to leave on the reat distress of both Dora and Florence Del the castle while its master's fate is undecided But they are also sensible that, to ree the conventionalities

Henry Villiers, Ethel's father, is also of opinion that they should all quit the castle without delay He is a hunting man, an MFH in his own county, and is naturally anxious to get back to his own quarters so-season coether it seems to Florence that there is no other course open to her but to pack up and desert him, whom she loves, in the hour of his direst need For there are mo, and only waiting for a saving hand to drag hiain!

A silence has fallen upon the house rief The servants are conversing over their supper in frightened whispers, and conjecturing moodily as to the fate of their late master To them Sir Adrian is indeed dead, if not buried

In the servants' corridor a strange dull light is being flung upon the polished boards by a hanging-lah oppressed by the dire evil that has fallen upon the old castle No sound is to be heard here in this spot, remote from the rest of the house, where the servants seldoo to bed, and never indeed without an inward shudder as they pass the door that leads to the haunted cha at their supper, there is no fear that any of thehted corridor is wrapped in an unbroken silence Not quite unbroken, however What is this that strikes upon the ear? What sound co footstep, a cautious tread, a slinking, halting, uncertainsurely to so shadow Nearer and nearer it coht, and stops short at the door so dreaded by the castle servants