me？〃
She stamped her foot with a sudden outbreak of impatience。 〃Go！〃
she said； snatching the key of the staircase door from the
window…sill。 〃You do quite right to distrust meyou do quite
right to follow me no further in the dark。 Go before the house is
shut up。 I can do without you。〃 She led the way to the stairs；
with the key in one hand； and the candle in the other。
Mr。 Bashwood followed her in silence。 No one； knowing what he
knew of her earlier life； could have failed to perceive that she
was a woman driven to the last extremity； and standing
consciously on the brink of a Crime。 In the first terror of the
discovery； he broke free from the hold she had on him： he thought
and acted like a man who had a will of his own again。
She put the key in the door； and turned to him before she opened
it； with the light of the candle on her face。 〃Forget me； and
forgive me；〃 she said。 〃We meet no more。〃
She opened the door； and； standing inside it； after he had passed
her； gave him her hand。 He had resisted her look； he had resisted
her words； but the magnetic fascination of her touch conquered
him at the final moment。 〃I can't leave you！〃 he said； holding
helplessly by the hand she had given him。 〃What must I do？〃
〃Come and see；〃 she answered； without allowing him an instant to
reflect。
Closing her hand firmly on his； she led him along the first floor
corridor to the room numbered Four。 〃Notice that room；〃 she
whispered。 After a look over the stairs to see that they were
alone； she retraced her steps with him to the opposite extremity
of the corridor。 Here； facing the window which lit the place at
the other end； was one little room； with a narrow grating in the
higher part of the door； intended for the sleeping apartment of
the doctor's deputy。 From the position of this room； the grating
commanded a view of the bed…chambers down each side of the
corridor； and so enabled the deputy…physician to inform himself
of any irregular proceedings on the part of the patients under
his care； with little or no chance of being detected in watching
them。 Miss Gwilt opened the door and led the way into the empty
room。
〃Wait here；〃 she said； 〃while I go back upstairs； and lock
yourself in； if you like。 You will be in the dark； but the gas
will be burning in the corridor。 Keep at the grating； and make
sure that Mr。 Armadale goes into the room I have just pointed out
to you； and that he doesn't leave it afterward。 If you lose sight
of the room for a single moment before I come back； you will
repent it to the end of your life。 If you do as I tell you； you
shall see me to…morrow； and claim your own reward。 Quick with
your answer！ Is it Yes or No？〃
He could make no reply in words。 He raised her hand to his lips；
and kissed it rapturously。 She left him in the room。 From his
place at the grating he saw her glide down the corridor to the
staircase door。 She passed through it； and locked it。 Then there
was silence。
The next sound was the sound of the women…servants' voices。 Two
of them came up to put the sheets on the beds in Number Three and
Number Four。 The women were in high good…humor； laughing and
talking to each other through the open doors of the rooms。 The
master's customers were coming in at last； they said； with a
vengeance； the house would soon begin to look cheerful； if things
went on like this。
After a little； the beds were got ready and the women returned to
the kitchen floor； on which the sleeping…rooms of the domestic
servants were all situated。 Then there was silence again。
The next sound was the sound of the doctor's voice。 He appeared
at the end of the corridor； showing Allan and Midwinter the way
to their rooms。 They all went together into Number Four。 After a
little； the doctor came out first。 He waited till Midwinter
joined him； and pointed with a formal bow to the door of Number
Three。 Midwinter entered the room without speaking； and shut
himself in。 The doctor； left alone； withdrew to the staircase
door and unlocked it； then waited in the corridor； whistling to
himself softly； under his breath。
Voices pitched cautiously low became audible in a minute more in
the hall。 The Resident Dispenser and the Head Nurse appeared； on
their way to the dormitories of the attendants at the top of the
house。 The man bowed silently； and passed the doctor； the woman
courtesied silently； and followed the man。 The doctor
acknowledged their salutations by a courteous wave of his hand；
and； once more left alone； paused a moment； still whistling
softly to himself； then walked to the door of Number Four； and
opened the case of the fumigating apparatus fixed near it in the
corner of the wall。 As he lifted the lid and looked in； his
whistling ceased。 He took a long purple bottle out； examined it
by the gas…light； put it back； and closed the case。 This done； he
advanced on tiptoe to the open staircase door； passed through it；
and secured it on the inner side as usual。
Mr。 Bashwood had seen him at the apparatus； Mr。 Bashwood had
noticed the manner of his withdrawal through the staircase door。
Again the sense of an unutterable expectation throbbed at his
heart。 A terror that was slow and cold and deadly crept into his
hands； and guided them in the dark to the key that had been left
for him in the inner side of the door。 He turned it in vague
distrust of what might happen next； and waited。
The slow minutes passed； and nothing happened。 The silence was
horrible； the solitude of the lonely corridor was a solitude of
invisible treacheries。 He began to count to keep his mind
employedto keep his own growing dread away from him。 The
numbers； as he whispered them； followed each other slowly up to a
hundred； and still nothing happened。 He had begun the second
hundred； he had got on to twentywhen； without a sound to betray
that he had been moving in his room； Midwinter suddenly appeared
in the corridor。
He stood for a moment and listened； he went to the stairs and
looked over into the hall beneath。 Then； for the second time that
night； he tried the staircase door； and for the second time found
it fast。 After a moment's reflection； he tried the doors of the
bedrooms on his right hand next； looked into one after the other；
and saw that they were empty； then came to the door of the end
room in which the steward was concealed。 Here； again； the lock
resisted him。 He listened； and looked up at the grating。 No sound
was to be heard； no light was to be seen inside。 〃Shall I break
the door in；〃 he said to himself； 〃and make sure？ No； it would be
giving the doctor an excuse for turning me out of the house。〃 He
moved away； and looked into the two empty rooms in the row
occupied by Allan and himself； then walked to the window at the
staircase end of the corridor。 Here the case of the fumigating
apparatus attracted his attention。 After trying vainly to open
it； his suspicion seemed to be aroused。 He searched back along
the corridor； and observed that no object of a similar kind
appeared outside any of the other bed…chambers。 Again at the
window； he looked again at the apparatus； and turned away from it
with a gesture which plainly indicated that he had tried； and
failed； to guess what it might be。
Baffled at all points； he still showed no sign of returning to
his bed…chamber。 He stood at the window； with his eyes fixed on
the door of Allan's room； thinking。 If Mr。 Bashwood； furtively
watching him through the grating； could have seen him at that
moment in the mind as well as in the body； Mr。 Bashwood's heart
might have throbbed even faster than it was throbbing now； i n
expectation of the next event which Midwinter's decision of the
next minute was to bring forth。
On what was his mind occupied as he stood alone； at the dead of
night； in the strange house？
His mind was occupied in drawing its disconnected impressions
together； little by little； to one point。 Convinced from the
first that some hidden danger threatened Allan in the Sanitarium；
his distrustvaguely associated； thus far； with the place
itself； with his wife （whom he firmly believed to be now under
the same roof with him）； with the doctor； who was as plainly in
her confidence as Mr。 Bashwood himselfnow narrowed its range；
and centered itself obstinately in Allan's room。 Resigning all
further effort to connect his suspicion of a conspiracy against
his friend with the outrage which had the day before been offered
to himselfan effort which would have led him； if he could have
maintained it； to a discovery of the fraud really contemplated by
his wifehis mind； clouded and confused by disturbing
influences； instinctively took refuge in its impressions of facts
as they had shown themselves since he had entered the house。
Everything that he had noticed below stairs suggested that there
was some secret purpose to be answered by getting Allan to sleep
in the Sanitarium。 Everything that he had noticed above stairs
associated the lurking…place in which the danger lay hid with
Allan's room。 To reach this conclusion； and to decide on baffling
the conspiracy。 whatever it might be； by taking Allan's place；
was with Midwinter the work of an instant。 Confronted by actual
peril； the great nature of the man intuitively freed itself from
the weaknesses that had beset it in happier and safer times。 Not
even the shadow of the old superstition rested on his mind
nowno fatalist suspicion of himself disturbed the steady
resolution that was in him。 The one last doubt that troubled him；
as he stood at the window thinking； was the doubt whether he
could persuade Allan to change rooms with him； without involving
himself in an explanation which might lead Allan to suspect the
truth。
In the minute that elapsed； while he waited with his eyes on the
room； the doubt was resolvedhe found the trivial； yet
sufficient； excuse of which he was in search。 Mr。 Bashwood saw
him rouse himself and go to the door。 Mr。 Bashwood heard him
knock softly； and whisper； 〃Allan； are you in bed？〃
〃No；〃 answered the voice inside； 〃come in。〃
He appeared to be on the point of entering the room； when he
checked himself as if he had suddenly remembered something。 〃Wait
a minute；〃 he said； throug