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The wire of the front-door bell suddenly twitched in the hall, and a peal came up the stairs

"He's come," said the other "Come upstairs, Mr Baxter Please don't say a word of what I've said"

She hurried out, and he after her, as the foot-room presented an unusual appearance to Laurie as he came in All the small furniture had been moved away to the side where the s looked into the street, and formed there what looked like an amateur barricade In the center of the rooht, stood a solid se

There was on the side further fro with the e as the rooht, stood a curious erection, not unlike a confessional, seated within for one, roofed, walled, and floored with thin wood The front of this was open, but screened partly by two curtains that see from a rod within The rest of the little extra room was entirely empty except for the piano that stood closed in the corner

There were two persons standing rather disconsolately on the vacant hearthrug--Mrs Stapleton and the clergyman whom Laurie had met on his last visit here Mr Jamieson wore an expression usually associated with funerals, and Mrs Stapleton's face was full of suppressed excitement

"Dearest, what a time you've been! Was that Mr Vincent?"

"I think so," said Lady Laura

The two men nodded to one another, and an instant later theclothes; and, e and conventional he looked His manner was not in the least pontifical, and he shook hands cordially and naturally, but gave one quick glance of approval at Laurie

"It struck me as extraordinarily cold," he said "I see you have an excellent fire" And he stooped, rubbing his hands together to warm them

"We ain

"There's no use in wasting ti at hientleive s will go, or whether we shall get any results; but we are going to atteo very far; we ure or face But in any case, I want you two gentleivein the nature of seizing the figure may have very disastrous results indeed to myself You understand that what you will see, if you see anything, will not be actual flesh or blood; it will be formed of a certain matter of which we understand very little at present, but which is at any rate intimately connected with myself or with someone present