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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； through the door； and； turning away； went
straight to the end room。 〃If there is anybody watching us in
there；〃 he said aloud； 〃let him watch us through this！〃 He took
out his handkerchief； and stuffed it into the wires of the
grating； so as completely to close the aperture。 Having thus
forced the spy inside （if there was one） either to betray himself
by moving the handkerchief； or to remain blinded to all view of
what might happen next； Midwinter presented himself in Allan's
room。
〃You know what poor nerves I have；〃 he said； 〃and what a wretched
sleeper I am at the best of times。 I can't sleep to…night。 The
window in my room rattles every time the wind blows。 I wish it
was as fast as your window here。〃
〃My dear fellow！〃 cried Allan； 〃I don't mind a rattling window。
Let's change rooms。 Nonsense！ Why should you make excuses to
_me？_ Don't I know how easily trifles upset those excitable
nerves of yours？ Now the doctor has quieted my mind about my poor
little Neelie； I begin to feel the journey； and I'll answer for
sleeping anywhere till to…morrow comes。〃 He took up his
traveling…bag。 〃We must be quick about it；〃 he added； pointing to
his candle。 〃They haven't left me much candle to go to bed by。〃
〃Be very quiet； Allan；〃 said Midwinter； opening the door for him。
〃We mustn't disturb the house at this time of night。〃
〃Yes； yes；〃 returned Allan； in a whisper。 〃Good…night； I hope
you'll sleep as well as I shall。〃
Midwinter saw him into Number Three； and noticed that his own
candle （which he had left there） was as short as Allan's。
〃Good…night；〃 he said； and came out again into the corridor。
He went straight to the grating； and looked and listened once
more。 The handkerchief remained exactly as he had left it； and
still there was no sound to be heard within。 He returned slowly
along the corridor； and thought of the precautions he had taken；
for the last time。 Was there no other way than the way he was
trying now？ There was none。 Any openly avowed posture of
defensewhile the nature of the danger； and the quarter from
which it might come； were alike unknownwould be useless in
itself； and worse than useless in the consequences which it might
produce by putting the people of the house on their guard。
Without a fact that could justify to other minds his distrust of
what might happen with the night； incapable of shaking Allan's
ready faith in the fair outside which the doctor had presented to
him； the one safeguard in his friend's interests that Midwinter
could set up was the safeguard of changing the roomsthe one
policy he could follow； come what might of it； was the policy of
waiting for events。 〃I can trust to one thing；〃 he said to
himself； as he looked for the last time up and down the
corridor〃I can trust myself to keep awake。〃
After a glance at the clock on the wall opposite； he went into
Number Four。 The sound of the closing door was heard； the sound
of the turning lock followed it。 Then the dead silence fell over
the house once more。
Little by little； the steward's horror of the sti