Presently，however，heheardalighttapathisdoor，thenthedooropenedslowly，andhecouldseetheflashofLadyArabella’swhitedressthroughtheopening。
CHAPTERXVI——AVISITOFSYMPATHY
CaswallwasgenuinelysurprisedwhenhesawLadyArabella，thoughheneednothavebeen，afterwhathadalreadyoccurredinthesameway。
ThelookofsurpriseonhisfacewassomuchgreaterthanLadyArabellahadexpected——thoughshethoughtshewaspreparedtomeetanythingthatmightoccur——thatshestoodstill，insheeramazement。
Cold—bloodedasshewasandreadyforallsocialemergencies，shewasnonplussedhowtogoon。Shewasplucky，however，andbegantospeakatonce，althoughshehadnottheslightestideawhatshewasgoingtosay。
\"Icametoofferyoumyverywarmsympathywiththegriefyouhavesolatelyexperienced。\"
\"Mygrief？I’mafraidImustbeverydull;butIreallydonotunderstand。\"
Alreadyshefeltatadisadvantage，andhesitated。
\"Imeanabouttheoldmanwhodiedsosuddenly——yourold……
retainer。\"
Caswall’sfacerelaxedsomethingofitspuzzledconcentration。
\"Oh，hewasonlyaservant;andhehadover—stayedhisthree—scoreandtenyearsbysomethingliketwentyyears。Hemusthavebeenninety！\"
\"Still，asanoldservant……\"
Caswall’swordswerenotsocoldastheirinflection。
\"Ineverinterferewithservants。Hewaskeptonheremerelybecausehehadbeensolongonthepremises。Isupposethestewardthoughtitmightmakehimunpopulariftheoldfellowhadbeendismissed。\"
Howonearthwasshetoproceedonsuchataskashersifthiswastheutmostgenialityshecouldexpect？Sosheatoncetriedanothertack——thistimeapersonalone。
\"IamsorryIdisturbedyou。Iamreallynotunconventional——thoughcertainlynoslavetoconvention。Stilltherearelimits……itisbadenoughtointrudeinthisway，andIdonotknowwhatyoucansayorthinkofthetimeselected，fortheintrusion。\"
Afterall，EdgarCaswallwasagentlemanbycustomandhabit，soherosetotheoccasion。
\"Icanonlysay，LadyArabella，thatyouarealwayswelcomeatanytimeyoumaydeigntohonourmyhousewithyourpresence。\"
Shesmiledathimsweetly。
\"ThankyouSOmuch。YouDOputoneatease。Mybreachofconventionmakesmegladratherthansorry。IfeelthatIcanopenmyhearttoyouaboutanything。\"
ForthwithsheproceededtotellhimaboutOolangaandhisstrangesuspicionsofherhonesty。Caswalllaughedandmadeherexplainallthedetails。Hisfinalcommentwasenlightening。
\"Letmegiveyouawordofadvice：Ifyouhavetheslightestfaulttofindwiththatinfernalnigger，shoothimatsight。Aswelled—
headednigger，withabeeinhisbonnet，isoneoftheworstdifficultiesintheworldtodealwith。Sobettermakeacleanjobofit，andwipehimoutatonce！\"
\"Butwhataboutthelaw，Mr。Caswall？\"
\"Oh，thelawdoesn’tconcernitselfmuchaboutdeadniggers。Afewmoreorlessdonotmatter。Tomymindit’sratherarelief！\"
\"I’mafraidofyou，\"washeronlycomment，madewithasweetsmileandinasoftvoice。
\"Allright，\"hesaid，\"letusleaveitatthat。Anyhow，weshallberidofoneofthem！\"
\"Idon’tloveniggersanymorethanyoudo，\"shereplied，\"andI
supposeonemustn’tbetooparticularwherethatsortofcleaningupisconcerned。\"Thenshechangedinvoiceandmanner，andaskedgenially：\"Andnowtellme，amIforgiven？\"
\"Youare，dearlady——ifthereisanythingtoforgive。\"
Ashespoke，seeingthatshehadmovedtogo，hecametothedoorwithher，andinthemostnaturalwayaccompaniedherdownstairs。
Hepassedthroughthehallwithheranddowntheavenue。Ashewentbacktothehouse，shesmiledtoherself。
\"Well，thatisallright。Idon’tthinkthemorninghasbeenaltogetherthrownaway。\"
AndshewalkedslowlybacktoDiana’sGrove。
AdamSaltonfollowedthelineoftheBrow，andrefreshedhismemoryastothevariouslocalities。HegothometoLesserHilljustasSirNathanielwasbeginninglunch。Mr。SaltonhadgonetoWalsalltokeepanearlyappointment;sohewasallalone。Whenthemealwasover——seeinginAdam’sfacethathehadsomethingtospeakabout——hefollowedintothestudyandshutthedoor。
Whenthetwomenhadlightedtheirpipes，SirNathanielbegan。
\"IhaverememberedaninterestingfactaboutDiana’sGrove——thereis，Ihavelongunderstood，somestrangemysteryaboutthathouse。
Itmaybeofsomeinterest，oritmaybetrivial，insuchatangledskeinaswearetryingtounravel。\"
\"Pleasetellmeallyouknow’orsuspect。Tobegin，then，ofwhatsortisthemystery——physical，mental，moral，historical，scientific，occult？Anykindofhintwillhelpme。\"
\"Quiteright。IshalltrytotellyouwhatIthink;butIhavenotputmythoughtsonthesubjectinsequence，soyoumustforgivemeifdueorderisnotobservedinmynarration。IsupposeyouhaveseenthehouseatDiana’sGrove？\"
\"Theoutsideofit;butIhavethatinmymind’seye，andIcanfitintomymemorywhateveryoumaymention。\"
\"Thehouseisveryold——probablythefirsthouseofsomesortthatstoodtherewasinthetimeoftheRomans。Thiswasprobablyrenewed——perhapsseveraltimesatlaterperiods。Thehousestands，or，rather，usedtostandherewhenMerciawasakingdom——IdonotsupposethatthebasementcanbelaterthantheNormanConquest。
Someyearsago，whenIwasPresidentoftheMercianArchaeologicalSociety，Iwentalloveritverycarefully。ThiswaswhenitwaspurchasedbyCaptainMarch。Thehousehadthenbeendoneup，soastobesuitableforthebride。Thebasementisverystrong，——almostasstrongandasheavyasifithadbeenintendedasafortress。
Thereareawholeseriesofroomsdeepunderground。Oneoftheminparticularstruckme。Theroomitselfisofconsiderablesize，butthemasonryismorethanmassive。Inthemiddleoftheroomisasunkwell，builtuptofloorlevelandevidentlygoingdeepunderground。Thereisnowindlassnoranytraceofthereeverhavingbeenany——norope——nothing。Now，weknowthattheRomanshadwellsofimmensedepth，fromwhichthewaterwasliftedbythe’oldragrope’;thatatWoodhullusedtobenearlyathousandfeet。
Here，then，wehavesimplyanenormouslydeepwell—hole。Thedooroftheroomwasmassive，andwasfastenedwithalocknearlyafootsquare。Itwasevidentlyintendedforsomekindofprotectiontosomeoneorsomething;butnooneinthosedayshadeverheardofanyonehavingbeenallowedeventoseetheroom。AllthisisE
PROPOSofasuggestiononmypartthatthewell—holewasawaybywhichtheWhiteWorm（whateveritwas）wentandcame。AtthattimeIwouldhavehadasearchmade——evenexcavationifnecessary——atmyownexpense，butallsuggestionsweremetwithapromptandexplicitnegative。So，ofcourse，Itooknofurtherstepinthematter。
Thenitdiedoutofrecollection——evenofmine。\"
\"Doyouremember，sir，\"askedAdam，\"whatwastheappearanceoftheroomwherethewell—holewas？Wastherefurniture——infact，anysortofthingintheroom？\"
\"TheonlythingIrememberwasasortofgreenlight——veryclouded，verydim——whichcameupfromthewell。Notafixedlight，butintermittentandirregular——quiteunlikeanythingIhadeverseen。\"
\"Doyourememberhowyougotintothewell—room？Wasthereaseparatedoorfromoutside，orwasthereanyinteriorroomorpassagewhichopenedintoit？\"
\"Ithinktheremusthavebeensomeroomwithawayintoit。I
remembergoingupsomesteepsteps;theymusthavebeenwornsmoothbylonguseorsomethingofthekind，forIcouldhardlykeepmyfeetasIwentup。OnceIstumbledandnearlyfellintothewell—
hole。\"
\"Wasthereanythingstrangeabouttheplace——anyqueersmell，forinstance？\"
\"Queersmell——yes！Likebilgeorarankswamp。Itwasdistinctlynauseating;whenIcameoutIfeltasifIhadjustbeengoingtobesick。IshalltrybackonmyvisitandseeifIcanrecallanymoreofwhatIsaworfelt。\"
\"Thenperhaps，sir，laterinthedayyouwilltellmeanythingyoumaychancetorecollect。\"
\"Ishallbedelighted，Adam。Ifyourunclehasnotreturnedbythen，I’lljoinyouinthestudyafterdinner，andwecanresumethisinterestingchat。\"
CHAPTERXVII——THEMYSTERYOF\"THEGROVE\"
ThatafternoonAdamdecidedtodoalittleexploring。AshepassedthroughthewoodoutsidethegateofDiana’sGrove，hethoughthesawtheAfrican’sfaceforaninstant。Sohewentdeeperintotheundergrowth，andfollowedalongparalleltotheavenuetothehouse。
Hewasgladthattherewasnoworkmanorservantabout，forhedidnotcarethatanyofLadyArabella’speopleshouldfindhimwanderingabouthergrounds。Takingadvantageofthedensenessofthetrees，hecameclosetothehouseandskirtedroundit。Hewasrepaidforhistrouble，foronthefarsideofthehouse，closetowheretherockyfrontageoftheclifffellaway，hesawOolangacrouchedbehindtheirregulartrunkofagreatoak。Themanwassointentonwatchingsomeone，orsomething，thathedidnotguardagainstbeinghimselfwatched。ThissuitedAdam，forhecouldthusmakescrutinyatwill。
Thethickwood，thoughthetreesweremostlyofsmallgirth，threwaheavyshadow，sothatthesteepdeclension，infrontofwhichgrewthetreebehindwhichtheAfricanlurked，wasalmostindarkness。
Adamdrewascloseashecould，andwasamazedtoseeapatchoflightonthegroundbeforehim;whenherealisedwhatitwas，hewasdetermined，morethanevertofollowonhisquest。Theniggerhadadarklanterninhishand，andwasthrowingthelightdownthesteepincline。Theglareshowedaseriesofstonesteps，whichendedinalow—lyingheavyirondoorfixedagainstthesideofthehouse。AllthestrangethingshehadheardfromSirNathaniel，andallthose，littleandbig，whichhehadhimselfnoticed，crowdedintohismindinachaoticway。Instinctivelyhetookrefugebehindathickoakstem，andsethimselfdown，towatchwhatmightoccur。
AfterashorttimeitbecameapparentthattheAfricanwastryingtofindoutwhatwasbehindtheheavydoor。Therewasnowayoflookingin，forthedoorfittedtightintothemassivestoneslabs。
Theonlyopportunityfortheentranceoflightwasthroughasmallholebetweenthegreatstonesabovethedoor。Thisholewastoohighuptolookthroughfromthegroundlevel。Oolanga，havingtriedstandingtiptoeonthehighestpointnear，andholdingthelanternashighashecould，threwthelightroundtheedgesofthedoortoseeifhecouldfindanywhereaholeoraflawinthemetalthroughwhichhecouldobtainaglimpse。Foiledinthis，hebroughtfromtheshrubberyaplank，whichheleantagainstthetopofthedoorandthenclimbedupwithgreatdexterity。Thisdidnotbringhimnearenoughtothewindow—holetolookin，oreventothrowthelightofthelanternthroughit，soheclimbeddownandcarriedtheplankbacktotheplacefromwhichhehadgotit。Thenheconcealedhimselfneartheirondoorandwaited，manifestlywiththeintentofremainingtheretillsomeonecamenear。PresentlyLadyArabella，movingnoiselesslythroughtheshade，approachedthedoor。Whenhesawhercloseenoughtotouchit，Oolangasteppedforwardfromhisconcealment，andspokeinawhisper，whichthroughthegloomsoundedlikeahiss。
\"Iwanttoseeyou，missy——soonandsecret。\"
\"Whatdoyouwant？\"
\"Youknowwell，missy;Itoldyoualready。\"
Sheturnedonhimwithblazingeyes，thegreentintinthemglowinglikeemeralds。
\"Come，noneofthat。Ifthereisanythingsensiblewhichyouwishtosaytome，youcanseemehere，justwhereweare，atseveno’clock。\"
Hemadenoreplyinwords，but，puttingthebacksofhishandstogether，bentlowerandlowertillhisforeheadtouchedtheearth。
Thenheroseandwentslowlyaway。
AdamSalton，fromhishiding—place，sawandwondered。InafewminuteshemovedfromhisplaceandwenthometoLesserHill，fullydeterminedthatseveno’clockwouldfindhiminsomehiddenplacebehindDiana’sGrove。
AtalittlebeforesevenAdamstolesoftlyoutofthehouseandtooktheback—waytotherearofDiana’sGrove。Theplaceseemedsilentanddeserted，sohetooktheopportunityofconcealinghimselfnearthespotwhencehehadseenOolangatryingtoinvestigatewhateverwasconcealedbehindtheirondoor。Hewaited，perfectlystill，andatlastsawagleamofwhitepassingsoundlesslythroughtheundergrowth。HewasnotsurprisedwhenherecognisedthecolourofLadyArabella’sdress。Shecamecloseandwaited，withherfacetotheirondoor。FromsomeplaceofconcealmentnearathandOolangaappeared，andcameclosetoher。Adamnoticed，withsurprisedamusement，thatoverhisshoulderwastheboxwiththemongoose。OfcoursetheAfricandidnotknowthathewasseenbyanyone，leastofallbythemanwhosepropertyhehadwithhim。
Silent—footedashewas，LadyArabellaheardhimcoming，andturnedtomeethim。Itwassomewhathardtoseeinthegloom，for，asusual，hewasallinblack，onlyhiscollarandcuffsshowingwhite。
LadyArabellaopenedtheconversationwhichensuedbetweenthetwo。
\"Whatdoyouwant？Torobme，ormurderme？\"
\"No，tolubyou！\"
Thisfrightenedheralittle，andshetriedtochangethetone。
\"Isthatacoffinyouhavewithyou？Ifso，youarewastingyourtime。Itwouldnotholdme。\"
Whenaniggersuspectsheisbeinglaughedat，alltheferocityofhisnaturecomestothefront;andthismanwasofthelowestkind。
\"Disain’tnocoffinfornobody。Disboxisforyou。Somefinyoulub。Megivehimtoyou！\"
Stillanxioustokeepoffthesubjectofaffection，onwhichshebelievedhimtohavebecomecrazed，shemadeanotherefforttokeephismindelsewhere。
\"Isthiswhyyouwanttoseeme？\"Henodded。\"Thencomeroundtotheotherdoor。Butbequiet。Ihavenodesiretobeseensoclosetomyownhouseinconversationwitha——a——aniggerlikeyou！\"
Shehadchosentheworddeliberately。Shewishedtomeethispassionwithanotherkind。Suchwould，atallevents，helptokeephimquiet。Inthedeepgloomshecouldnotseetheangerwhichsuffusedhisface。Rollingeyeballsandgrindingteethare，however，sufficientsignsofangertobedecipherableinthedark。
Shemovedroundthecornerofthehousetoherright。Oolangawasfollowingher，whenshestoppedhimbyraisingherhand。
\"No，notthatdoor，\"shesaid;\"thatisnotforniggers。Theotherdoorwilldowellenoughforyou！\"
LadyArabellatookinherhandasmallkeywhichhungattheendofherwatch—chain，andmovedtoasmalldoor，lowdown，roundthecorner，andalittledownhillfromtheedgeoftheBrow。Oolanga，inobediencetohergesture，wentbacktotheirondoor。AdamlookedcarefullyatthemongooseboxastheAfricanwentby，andwasgladtoseethatitwasintact。Unconsciously，ashelooked，hefingeredthekeythatwasinhiswaistcoatpocket。WhenOolangawasoutofsight，AdamhurriedafterLadyArabella。
CHAPTERXVIII——EXITOOLANGA
ThewomanturnedsharplyasAdamtouchedhershoulder。
\"Onemomentwhilstwearealone。Youhadbetternottrustthatnigger！\"hewhispered。
Heranswerwascrispandconcise：
\"Idon’t。\"
\"Forewarnedisforearmed。Tellmeifyouwill——itisforyourownprotection。Whydoyoumistrusthim？\"
\"Myfriend，youhavenoideaofthatman’simpudence。Wouldyoubelievethathewantsmetomarryhim？\"
\"No！\"saidAdamincredulously，amusedinspiteofhimself。
\"Yes，andwantedtobribemetodoitbysharingachestoftreasure——atleast，hethoughtitwas——stolenfromMr。Caswall。Whydoyoudistrusthim，Mr。Salton？\"
\"Didyounoticethatboxhehadslungonhisshoulder？Thatbelongstome。Ileftitinthegun—roomwhenIwenttolunch。Hemusthavecreptinandstolenit。Doubtlesshethinksthatit，too，isfulloftreasure。\"
\"Hedoes！\"
\"Howonearthdoyouknow？\"askedAdam。
\"Alittlewhileagoheofferedtogiveittome——anotherbribetoaccepthim。Faugh！Iamashamedtotellyousuchathing。Thebeast！\"
Whilsttheyhadbeenspeaking，shehadopenedthedoor，anarrowironone，wellhung，foritopenedeasilyandclosedtightlywithoutanycreakingorsoundofanykind。Withinallwasdark;butsheenteredasfreelyandwithaslittlemisgivingorrestraintasifithadbeenbroaddaylight。ForAdam，therewasjustsufficientgreenlightfromsomewhereforhimtoseethattherewasabroadflightofheavystonestepsleadingupward;butLadyArabella，aftershuttingthedoorbehindher，whenitclosedtightlywithoutaclang，trippedupthestepslightlyandswiftly。Foraninstantallwasdark，buttherecameagainthefaintgreenlightwhichenabledhimtoseetheoutlinesofthings。Anotherirondoor，narrowlikethefirstandfairlyhigh，ledintoanotherlargeroom，thewallsofwhichwereofmassivestones，socloselyjoinedtogetherastoexhibitonlyonesmoothsurface。Thispresentedtheappearanceofhavingatonetimebeenpolished。Onthefarside，alsosmoothlikethewalls，wasthereverseofawide，butnothigh，irondoor。Heretherewasalittlemorelight，forthehigh—upapertureoverthedooropenedtotheair。
LadyArabellatookfromhergirdleanothersmallkey，whichsheinsertedinakeyholeinthecentreofamassivelock。Thegreatboltseemedwonderfullyhung，forthemomentthesmallkeywasturned，theboltsofthegreatlockmovednoiselesslyandtheirondoorsswungopen。OnthestonestepsoutsidestoodOolanga，withthemongooseboxslungoverhisshoulder。LadyArabellastoodalittleononeside，andtheAfrican，acceptingthemovementasaninvitation，enteredinanobsequiousway。Themoment，however，thathewasinside，hegaveaquicklookaroundhim。
\"Muchdeathhere——bigdeath。Manydeaths。Good，good！\"
Hesniffedroundasifhewasenjoyingthescent。ThematterandmannerofhisspeechweresorevoltingthatinstinctivelyAdam’shandwanderedtohisrevolver，and，withhisfingeronthetrigger，herestedsatisfiedthathewasreadyforanyemergency。
Therewascertainlyopportunityforthenigger’senjoyment，fortheopenwell—holewasalmostunderhisnose，sendingupsuchastenchasalmostmadeAdamsick，thoughLadyArabellaseemednottominditatall。ItwaslikenothingthatAdamhadevermetwith。Hecompareditwithallthenoxiousexperienceshehadeverhad——thedrainageofwarhospitals，ofslaughter—houses，therefuseofdissectingrooms。Noneofthesewaslikeit，thoughithadsomethingofthemall，with，added，thesournessofchemicalwasteandthepoisonouseffluviumofthebilgeofawater—loggedshipwhereonamultitudeofratshadbeendrowned。
Then，quiteunexpectedly，thenegronoticedthepresenceofathirdperson——AdamSalton！Hepulledoutapistolandshotathim，happilymissing。Adamwashimselfusuallyaquickshot，butthistimehismindhadbeenonsomethingelseandhewasnotready。
However，hewasquicktocarryoutanintention，andhewasnotacoward。Inanothermomentbothmenwereingrips。Besidethemwasthedarkwell—hole，withthathorrideffluviumstealingupfromitsmysteriousdepths。
AdamandOolangabothhadpistols;LadyArabella，whohadnotone，wasprobablythemostreadyofthemallinthetheoryofshooting，butthatbeingimpossible，shemadehereffortinanotherway。
Glidingforward，shetriedtoseizetheAfrican;butheeludedhergrasp，justmissing，indoingso，fallingintothemysterioushole。
Asheswayedbacktofirmfoothold，heturnedhisowngunonherandshot。InstinctivelyAdamleapedathisassailant;clutchingateachother，theytotteredontheverybrink。
LadyArabella’sanger，nowfullyawake，wasallforOolanga。Shemovedtowardshimwithherhandsextended，andhadjustseizedhimwhenthecatchofthelockedbox——duetosomemovementfromwithin——
flewopen，andtheking—cobra—killerflewatherwithavenomousfuryimpossibletodescribe。Asitseizedherthroat，shecaughtholdofit，and，withafurysuperiortoitsown，toreitintwojustasifithadbeenasheetofpaper。Thestrengthusedforsuchanactmusthavebeenterrific。Inaninstant，itseemedtospoutbloodandentrails，andwashurledintothewell—hole。InanotherinstantshehadseizedOolanga，andwithaswiftrushhaddrawnhim，herwhitearmsencirclinghim，downwithherintothegapingaperture。
Adamsawamedleyofgreenandredlightsblazeinawhirlingcircle，andasitsankdownintothewell，apairofblazinggreeneyesbecamefixed，sanklowerandlowerwithfrightfulrapidity，anddisappeared，throwingupwardthegreenlightwhichgrewmoreandmorevivideverymoment。Asthelightsankintothenoisomedepths，therecameashriekwhichchilledAdam’sblood——aprolongedagonyofpainandterrorwhichseemedtohavenoend。
AdamSaltonfeltthathewouldneverbeabletofreehismindfromthememoryofthosedreadfulmoments。Thegloomwhichsurroundedthathorriblecharnelpit，whichseemedtogodowntotheverybowelsoftheearth，conveyedfromfardownthesightsandsoundsofthenethermosthell。TheghastlyfateoftheAfricanashesankdowntohisterribledoom，hisblackfacegrowinggreywithterror，hiswhiteeyeballs，nowlikeveinedbloodstone，rollinginthehelplessextremityoffear。Themysteriousgreenlightwasinitselfamilieuofhorror。Andthroughitalltheawfulcrycameupfromthatfathomlesspit，whoseentrancewasfloodedwithspotsoffreshblood。Eventhedeathofthefearlesslittlesnake—killer——sofierce，sofrightful，asifstainedwithaferocitywhichtoldofnolivingforceaboveearth，butonlyofthedevilsofthepit——wasonlyanincident。Adamwasinastateofintellectualtumult，whichhadnoparallelinhisexperience。Hetriedtorushawayfromthehorribleplace;eventhebalefulgreenlight，thrownupthroughthegloomywell—shaft，wasdyingawayasitssourcesankdeeperintotheprimevalooze。Thedarknesswasclosinginonhiminoverwhelmingdensity——darknessinsuchaplaceandwithsuchamemoryofit！
Hemadeawildrushforward——sliptonthestepsinsomesticky，acrid—smellingmassthatfeltandsmeltlikeblood，and，fallingforward，felthiswayintotheinnerroom，wherethewell—shaftwasnot。
Thenherubbedhiseyesinsheeramazement。Upthestonestepsfromthenarrowdoorbywhichhehadentered，glidedthewhite—cladfigureofLadyArabella，theonlycolourtobeseenonherbeingblood—marksonherfaceandhandsandthroat。Otherwise，shewascalmandunruffled，aswhenearliershestoodasideforhimtopassinthroughthenarrowirondoor。
CHAPTERXIX——ANENEMYINTHEDARK
AdamSaltonwentforawalkbeforereturningtoLesserHill;hefeltthatitmightbewell，notonlytosteadyhisnerves，shakenbythehorriblescene，buttogethisthoughtsintosomesortoforder，soastobereadytoenteronthematterwithSirNathaniel。Hewasalittleembarrassedastotellinghisuncle，foraffairshadsovastlyprogressedbeyondhisoriginalviewthathefeltalittledoubtfulastowhatwouldbetheoldgentleman’sattitudewhenheshouldhearofthestrangeeventsforthefirsttime。Mr。Saltonwouldcertainlynotbesatisfiedatbeingtreatedasanoutsiderwithregardtosuchthings，mostofwhichhadpointsofcontactwiththeinmatesofhisownhouse。ItwaswithanimmensesenseofreliefthatAdamheardthathisunclehadtelegraphedtothehousekeeperthathewasdetainedbybusinessatWalsall，wherehewouldremainforthenight;andthathewouldbebackinthemorningintimeforlunch。
WhenAdamgothomeafterhiswalk，hefoundSirNathanieljustgoingtobed。Hedidnotsayanythingtohimthenofwhathadhappened，butcontentedhimselfwitharrangingthattheywouldwalktogetherintheearlymorning，ashehadmuchtosaythatwouldrequireseriousattention。
Strangelyenoughhesleptwell，andawokeatdawnwithhismindclearandhisnervesintheirusualunshakencondition。Themaidbroughtup，withhisearlymorningcupoftea，anotewhichhadbeenfoundintheletter—box。ItwasfromLadyArabella，andwasevidentlyintendedtoputhimonhisguardastowhatheshouldsayaboutthepreviousevening。
Hereaditovercarefullyseveraltimes，beforehewassatisfiedthathehadtakeninitsfullimport。
\"DEARMR。SALTON，\"IcannotgotobeduntilIhavewrittentoyou，soyoumustforgivemeifIdisturbyou，andatanunseemlytime。Indeed，youmustalsoforgivemeif，intryingtodowhatisright，Ierrinsayingtoomuchortoolittle。ThefactisthatIamquiteupsetandunnervedbyallthathashappenedinthisterriblenight。Ifinditdifficulteventowrite;myhandsshakesothattheyarenotundercontrol，andIamtremblingalloverwithmemoryofthehorrorswesawenactedbeforeoureyes。IamgrievedbeyondmeasurethatI
shouldbe，howeverremotely，acauseofthishorrorcomingonyou。
Forgivemeifyoucan，anddonotthinktoohardlyofme。ThisI
askwithconfidence，forsincewesharedtogetherthedanger——theverypangs——ofdeath，Ifeelthatweshouldbetooneanothersomethingmorethanmerefriends，thatImayleanonyouandtrustyou，assuredthatyoursympathyandpityareforme。Youreallymustletmethankyouforthefriendliness，thehelp，theconfidence，therealaidatatimeofdeadlydangeranddeadlyfearwhichyoushowedme。Thatawfulman——Ishallseehimforeverinmydreams。Hisblack，malignantfacewillshutoutallmemoryofsunshineandhappiness。Ishalleternallyseehisevileyesashethrewhimselfintothatwell—holeinavainefforttoescapefromtheconsequencesofhisownmisdoing。ThemoreIthinkofit，themoreapparentitseemstomethathehadpremeditatedthewholething——ofcourse，excepthisownhorribledeath。
\"PerhapsyouhavenoticedafurcollarIoccasionallywear。Itisoneofmymostvaluedtreasures——anerminecollarstuddedwithemeralds。Ihadoftenseenthenigger’seyesgleamcovetouslywhenhelookedatit。Unhappily，Iworeityesterday。Thatmayhavebeenthecausethatluredthepoormantohisdoom。Ontheverybrinkoftheabysshetorethecollarfrommyneck——thatwasthelastIsawofhim。Whenhesankintothehole，Iwasrushingtotheirondoor，whichIpulledbehindme。WhenIheardthatsoul—
sickeningyell，whichmarkedhisdisappearanceinthechasm，IwasmoregladthanIcansaythatmyeyesweresparedthepainandhorrorwhichmyearshadtoendure。
\"WhenItoremyselfoutofthenegro’sgraspashesankintothewell—hole;Irealisedwhatfreedommeant。Freedom！Freedom！Notonlyfromthatnoisomeprison—house，whichhasnowsuchamemory，butfromthemorenoisomeembraceofthathideousmonster。WhilstI
live，Ishallalwaysthankyouformyfreedom。Awomanmustsometimesexpresshergratitude;otherwiseitbecomestoogreattobear。Iamnotasentimentalgirl，whomerelylikestothankaman;
Iamawomanwhoknowsall，ofbadaswellasgood，thatlifecangive。Ihaveknownwhatitistoloveandtolose。Butyoumustnotletmebringanyunhappinessintoyourlife。Imustliveon——asIhavelived——alone，and，inaddition，bearwithotherwoesthememoryofthislatestinsultandhorror。Inthemeantime，ImustgetawayasquicklyaspossiblefromDiana’sGrove。InthemorningIshallgouptotown，whereIshallremainforaweek——Icannotstaylonger，asbusinessaffairsdemandmypresencehere。Ithink，however，thataweekintherushofbusyLondon，surroundedwithmultitudesofcommonplacepeople，willhelptosoften——Icannotexpecttotalobliteration——theterribleimagesofthebygonenight。
WhenIcansleepeasily——whichwillbe，Ihope，afteradayortwo——
Ishallbefittoreturnhomeandtakeupagaintheburdenwhichwill，Isuppose，alwaysbewithme。
\"Ishallbemosthappytoseeyouonmyreturn——orearlier，ifmygoodfortunesendsyouonanyerrandtoLondon。IshallstayattheMayfairHotel。Inthatbusyspotwemayforgetsomeofthedangersandhorrorswehavesharedtogether。Adieu，andthankyou，againandagain，forallyourkindnessandconsiderationtome。
\"ARABELLAMARSH。\"
Adamwassurprisedbythiseffusiveepistle，buthedeterminedtosaynothingofittoSirNathanieluntilheshouldhavethoughtitwellover。WhenAdammetSirNathanielatbreakfast，hewasgladthathehadtakentimetoturnthingsoverinhismind。Theresulthadbeenthatnotonlywashefamiliarwiththefactsinalltheirbearings，buthehadalreadysofardifferentiatedthemthathewasabletoarrangetheminhisownmindaccordingtotheirvalues。
Breakfasthadbeenasilentfunction，soitdidnotinterfereinanywaywiththeprocessofthought。
Sosoonasthedoorwasclosed，SirNathanielbegan：
\"Isee，Adam，thatsomethinghasoccurred，andthatyouhavemuchtotellme。\"
\"Thatisso，sir。IsupposeIhadbetterbeginbytellingyouallI
know——allthathashappenedsinceIleftyouyesterday？\"
AccordinglyAdamgavehimdetailsofallthathadhappenedduringthepreviousevening。Heconfinedhimselfrigidlytothenarrationofcircumstances，takingcarenottocoloureventsbyanycommentofhisown，oranyopinionofthemeaningofthingswhichhedidnotfullyunderstand。Atfirst，SirNathanielseemeddisposedtoaskquestions，butshortlygavethisupwhenherecognisedthatthenarrationwasconciseandself—explanatory。Thenceforth，hecontentedhimselfwithquicklooksandglances，easilyinterpreted，orbysomeacquiescentmotionsofhishands，whensuchcouldbeconvenient，toemphasisehisideaofthecorrectnessofanyinference。UntilAdamceasedspeaking，havingevidentlycometoanendofwhathehadtosaywithregardtothissectionofhisstory，theeldermanmadenocommentwhatever。EvenwhenAdamtookfromhispocketLadyArabella’sletter，withthemanifestintentionofreadingit，hedidnotmakeanycomment。Finally，whenAdamfoldeduptheletterandputit，initsenvelope，backinhispocket，asanintimationthathehadnowquitefinished，theolddiplomatistcarefullymadeafewnotesinhispocket—book。
\"Yournarrative，mydearAdam，isaltogetheradmirable。IthinkI
maynowtakeitthatwearebothwellversedintheactualfacts，andthatourconferencehadbettertaketheshapeofamutualexchangeofideas。Letusbothaskquestionsastheymayarise;andIdonotdoubtthatweshallarriveatsomeenlighteningconclusions。\"
\"Willyoukindlybegin，sir？Idonotdoubtthat，withyourlongerexperience，youwillbeabletodissipatesomeofthefogwhichenvelopscertainofthethingswhichwehavetoconsider。\"
\"Ihopeso，mydearboy。Forabeginning，then，letmesaythatLadyArabella’slettermakesclearsomethingswhichsheintended——
andalsosomethingswhichshedidnotintend。But，beforeIbegintodrawdeductions，letmeaskyouafewquestions。Adam，areyouheart—whole，quiteheart—whole，inthematterofLadyArabella？\"
Hiscompanionansweredatonce，eachlookingtheotherstraightintheeyesduringquestionandanswer。
\"LadyArabella，sir，isacharmingwoman，andIshouldhavedeemeditaprivilegetomeether——totalktoher——even——sinceIamintheconfessional——toflirtalittlewithher。Butifyoumeantoaskifmyaffectionsareinanywayengaged，Icanemphaticallyanswer’No！’——asindeedyouwillunderstandwhenpresentlyIgiveyouthereason。Apartfromthat，therearetheunpleasantdetailswediscussedtheotherday。\"
\"Couldyou——wouldyoumindgivingmethereasonnow？Itwillhelpustounderstandwhatisbeforeus，inthewayofdifficulty。\"
\"Certainly，sir。Myreason，onwhichIcanfullydepend，isthatI
loveanotherwoman！\"
\"Thatclinchesit。MayIoffermygoodwishes，and，Ihope，mycongratulations？\"
\"Iamproudofyourgoodwishes，sir，andIthankyouforthem。Butitistoosoonforcongratulations——theladydoesnotevenknowmyhopesyet。Indeed，Ihardlyknewthemmyself，asdefinite，tillthismoment。\"
\"Itakeitthen，Adam，thatattherighttimeImaybeallowedtoknowwhotheladyis？\"
Adamlaughedalow，sweetlaugh，suchasripplesfromahappyheart。
\"Thereneednotbeanhour’s，aminute’sdelay。Ishallbegladtosharemysecretwithyou，sir。Thelady，sir，whomIamsohappyastolove，andinwhommydreamsoflife—longhappinessarecentred，isMimiWatford！\"
\"Then，mydearAdam，Ineednotwaittooffercongratulations。Sheisindeedaverycharmingyounglady。IdonotthinkIeversawagirlwhounitedinsuchperfectionthequalitiesofstrengthofcharacterandsweetnessofdisposition。Withallmyheart，I
congratulateyou。ThenImaytakeitthatmyquestionastoyourheart—wholenessisansweredintheaffirmative？\"
\"Yes;andnow，sir，mayIaskinturnwhythequestion？\"
\"Certainly！Iaskedbecauseitseemstomethatwearecomingtoapointwheremyquestionsmightbepainfultoyou。\"
\"ItisnotmerelythatIloveMimi，butIhavereasontolookonLadyArabellaasherenemy，\"Adamcontinued。
\"Herenemy？\"
\"Yes。Arankandunscrupulousenemywhoisbentonherdestruction。\"
SirNathanielwenttothedoor，lookedoutsideitandreturned，lockingitcarefullybehindhim。
CHAPTERXX——METABOLISM
\"AmIlookinggrave？\"askedSirNathanielinconsequentlywhenhere—
enteredtheroom。
\"Youcertainlyare，sir。\"
\"Welittlethoughtwhenfirstwemetthatweshouldbedrawnintosuchavortex。Alreadywearemixedupinrobbery，andprobablymurder，but——athousandtimesworsethanallthecrimesinthecalendar——inanaffairofghastlymysterywhichhasnobottomandnoend——withforcesofthemostunnervingkind，whichhadtheirorigininanagewhentheworldwasdifferentfromtheworldwhichweknow。
Wearegoingbacktotheoriginofsuperstition——toanagewhendragonstoreeachotherintheirslime。Wemustfearnothing——noconclusion，howeverimprobable，almostimpossibleitmaybe。Lifeanddeathishangingonourjudgment，notonlyforourselves，butforotherswhomwelove。Remember，IcountonyouasIhopeyoucountonme。\"
\"Ido，withallconfidence。\"
\"Then，\"saidSirNathaniel，\"letusthinkjustlyandboldlyandfearnothing，howeverterrifyingitmayseem。IsupposeIamtotakeasexactineverydetailyouraccountofallthestrangethingswhichhappenedwhilstyouwereinDiana’sGrove？\"
\"SofarasIknow，yes。OfcourseImaybemistakeninrecollectionofsomedetailoranother，butIamcertainthatinthemainwhatI
havesaidiscorrect。\"
\"YoufeelsurethatyousawLadyArabellaseizethenegroroundtheneck，anddraghimdownwithherintothehole？\"
\"Absolutelycertain，sir，otherwiseIshouldhavegonetoherassistance。\"
\"Wehave，then，anaccountofwhathappenedfromaneye—witnesswhomwetrust——thatisyourself。Wehavealsoanotheraccount，writtenbyLadyArabellaunderherownhand。Thesetwoaccountsdonotagree。Thereforewemusttakeitthatoneofthetwoislying。\"
\"Apparently，sir。\"
\"AndthatLadyArabellaistheliar！\"
\"Apparently——asIamnot。\"
\"Wemust，therefore，trytofindareasonforherlying。ShehasnothingtofearfromOolanga，whoisdead。Thereforetheonlyreasonwhichcouldactuateherwouldbetoconvincesomeoneelsethatshewasblameless。This’someone’couldnotbeyou，foryouhadtheevidenceofyourowneyes。Therewasnooneelsepresent;
thereforeitmusthavebeenanabsentperson。\"
\"Thatseemsbeyonddispute，sir。\"
\"Thereisonlyoneotherpersonwhosegoodopinionshecouldwishtokeep——EdgarCaswall。Heistheonlyonewhofillsthebill。HerliespointtootherthingsbesidesthedeathoftheAfrican。Sheevidentlywantedittobeacceptedthathisfallingintothewellwashisownact。Icannotsupposethatsheexpectedtoconvinceyou，theeye—witness;butifshewishedlaterontospreadthestory，itwaswiseofhertotrytogetyouracceptanceofit。\"
\"Thatisso！\"
\"Thentherewereothermattersofuntruth。That，forinstance，oftheerminecollarembroideredwithemeralds。Ifanunderstandablereasonberequiredforthis，itwouldbetodrawattentionawayfromthegreenlightswhichwereseenintheroom，andespeciallyinthewell—hole。Anyunprejudicedpersonwouldacceptthegreenlightstobetheeyesofagreatsnake，suchastraditionpointedtolivinginthewell—hole。Infine，therefore，LadyArabellawantedthegeneralbelieftobethattherewasnosnakeofthekindinDiana’sGrove。
Formyownpart，Idon’tbelieveinapartialliar——thisartdoesnotdealinveneer;aliarisaliarrightthrough。Self—interestmaypromptfalsityofthetongue;butifoneprovetobealiar，nothingthathesayscaneverbebelieved。Thisleadsustotheconclusionthatbecauseshesaidorinferredthattherewasnosnake，weshouldlookforone——andexpecttofindit，too。
\"Nowletmedigress。Ilive，andhaveformanyyearslived，inDerbyshire，acountymorecelebratedforitscavesthananyothercountyinEngland。Ihavebeenthroughthemall，andamfamiliarwitheveryturnofthem;asalsowithothergreatcavesinKentucky，inFrance，inGermany，andahostofotherplaces——inmanyofthesearetremendouslydeepcavesofnarrowaperture，whicharevaluedbyintrepidexplorers，whodescendnarrowgulletsofabysmaldepth——andsometimesneverreturn。InmanyofthecavernsinthePeakIamconvincedthatsomeofthesmallerpassageswereusedinprimevaltimesasthelairsofsomeofthegreatserpentsoflegendandtradition。Itmayhavebeenthatsuchcavernswereformedintheusualgeologicway——bubblesorflawsintheearth’scrust——whichwerelaterusedbythemonstersoftheperiodoftheyoungworld。
Itmayhavebeen，ofcourse，thatsomeofthemwerewornoriginallybywater;butintimetheyallfoundausewhensuitableforlivingmonsters。
\"Thisbringsustoanotherpoint，moredifficulttoacceptandunderstandthananyotherrequiringbeliefinabasenotusuallyaccepted，orindeedenteredon——whethersuchabnormalgrowthscouldhaveeverchangedintheirnature。Somedaythestudyofmetabolismmayprogresssofarastoenableustoacceptstructuralchangesproceedingfromanintellectualormoralbase。Wemayleantowardsabeliefthatgreatanimalstrengthmaybeasoundbaseforchangesofallsorts。Ifthisbeso，whatcouldbeamorefittingsubjectthanprimevalmonsterswhosestrengthwassuchastoallowasurvivalofthousandsofyears？Wedonotknowyetifbraincanincreaseanddevelopindependentlyofotherpartsofthelivingstructure。
\"Afterall，themediaevalbeliefinthePhilosopher’sStonewhichcouldtransmutemetals，hasitscounterpartintheacceptedtheoryofmetabolismwhichchangeslivingtissue。Inanageofinvestigationlikeourown，whenwearereturningtoscienceasthebaseofwonders——almostofmiracles——weshouldbeslowtorefusetoacceptfacts，howeverimpossibletheymayseemtobe。
\"Letussupposeamonsteroftheearlydaysoftheworld——adragonoftheprime——ofvastagerunningintothousandsofyears，towhomhadbeenconveyedinsomeway——itmattersnot——abrainjustsufficientforthebeginningofgrowth。Supposethemonstertobeofincalculablesizeandofastrengthquiteabnormal——averitableincarnationofanimalstrength。Supposethisanimalisallowedtoremaininoneplace，thusbeingremovedfromaccidentsofinterrupteddevelopment;mightnot，wouldnotthiscreature，inprocessoftime——ages，ifnecessary——havethatrudimentaryintelligencedeveloped？Thereisnoimpossibilityinthis;itisonlythenaturalprocessofevolution。Inthebeginning，theinstinctsofanimalsareconfinedtoalimentation，self—protection，andthemultiplicationoftheirspecies。Astimegoesonandtheneedsoflifebecomemorecomplex，powerfollowsneed。Wehavebeenlongaccustomedtoconsidergrowthasappliedalmostexclusivelytosizeinitsvariousaspects。ButNature，whohasnodoctrinaireideas，mayequallyapplyittoconcentration。Adevelopingthingmayexpandinanygivenwayorform。Now，itisascientificlawthatincreaseimpliesgainandlossofvariouskinds;whatathinggainsinonedirectionitmayloseinanother。MayitnotbethatMotherNaturemaydeliberatelyencouragedecreaseaswellasincrease——thatitmaybeanaxiomthatwhatisgainedinconcentrationislostinsize？Take，forinstance，monstersthattraditionhasacceptedandlocalised，suchastheWormofLambtonorthatofSpindlestonHeugh。Ifsuchacreaturewere，byitsownprocessofmetabolism，tochangemuchofitsbulkforintellectualgrowth，weshouldatoncearriveatanewclassofcreature——moredangerous，perhaps，thantheworldhaseverhadanyexperienceof——aforcewhichcanthink，whichhasnosoulandnomorals，andthereforenoacceptanceofresponsibility。Asnakewouldbeagoodillustrationofthis，foritiscold—blooded，andthereforeremovedfromthetemptationswhichoftenweakenorrestrictwarm—bloodedcreatures。If，forinstance，theWormofLambton——ifsucheverexisted——wereguidedtoitsownendsbyanorganisedintelligencecapableofexpansion，whatformofcreaturecouldweimaginewhichwouldequalitinpotentialitiesofevil？Why，suchabeingwoulddevastateawholecountry。Now，allthesethingsrequiremuchthought，andwewanttoapplytheknowledgeusefully，andweshouldthereforebeexact。Woulditnotbewelltoresumethesubjectlaterintheday？\"
\"Iquiteagree，sir。Iaminawhirlalready;andwanttoattendcarefullytowhatyousay;sothatImaytrytodigestit。\"
Bothmenseemedfresherandbetterforthe\"easy，\"andwhentheymetintheafternooneachofthemhadsomethingtocontributetothegeneralstockofinformation。Adam，whowasbynatureofamoremilitantdispositionthanhiselderlyfriend，wasgladtoseethattheconferenceatonceassumedapracticaltrend。SirNathanielrecognisedthis，and，likeanolddiplomatist，turnedittopresentuse。
\"Tellmenow，Adam，whatistheoutcome，inyourownmind，ofourconversation？\"
\"Thatthewholedifficultyalreadyassumespracticalshape;butwithaddeddangers，thatatfirstIdidnotimagine。\"
\"Whatisthepracticalshape，andwhataretheaddeddangers？Iamnotdisputing，butonlytryingtoclearmyownideasbytheconsiderationofyours——\"
SoAdamwenton：
\"Inthepast，intheearlydaysoftheworld，thereweremonsterswhoweresovastthattheycouldexistforthousandsofyears。SomeofthemmusthaveoverlappedtheChristianera。Theymayhaveprogressedintellectuallyinprocessoftime。Iftheyhadinanywaysoprogressed，orevengotthemostrudimentaryformofbrain，theywouldbethemostdangerousthingsthateverwereintheworld。
TraditionsaysthatoneofthesemonsterslivedintheMarshoftheEast，andcameuptoacaveinDiana’sGrove，whichwasalsocalledtheLairoftheWhiteWorm。Suchcreaturesmayhavegrowndownaswellasup。TheyMAYhavegrowninto，orsomethinglike，humanbeings。LadyArabellaMarchisofsnakenature。Shehascommittedcrimestoourknowledge。Sheretainssomethingofthevaststrengthofherprimalbeing——canseeinthedark——hastheeyesofasnake。
Sheusedthenigger，andthendraggedhimthroughthesnake’sholedowntotheswamp;sheisintentonevil，andhatessomeonewelove。Result……\"
\"Yes，theresult？\"
\"First，thatMimiWatfordshouldbetakenawayatonce——then——\"
\"Yes？\"
\"Themonstermustbedestroyed。\"
\"Bravo！Thatisatrueandfearlessconclusion。Atwhatevercost，itmustbecarriedout。\"
\"Atonce？\"
\"Soon，atallevents。Thatcreature’sveryexistenceisadanger。
Herpresenceinthisneighbourhoodmakesthedangerimmediate。\"
Ashespoke，SirNathaniel’smouthhardenedandhiseyebrowscamedowntilltheymet。Therewasnodoubtinghisconcurrenceintheresolution，orhisreadinesstohelpincarryingitout。Buthewasanelderlymanwithmuchexperienceandknowledgeoflawanddiplomacy。Itseemedtohimtobeasterndutytopreventanythingirrevocabletakingplacetillithadbeenthoughtoutandallwasready。Therewereallsortsoflegalcruxestobethoughtout，notonlyregardingthetakingoflife，evenofamonstrosityinhumanform，butalsoofproperty。LadyArabella，beshewomanorsnakeordevil，ownedthegroundshemovedin，accordingtoBritishlaw，andthelawisjealousandswifttoavengewrongsdonewithinitsken。
Allsuchdifficultiesshouldbe——mustbe——avoidedforMr。Salton’ssake，forAdam’sownsake，and，mostofall，forMimiWatford’ssake。
Beforehespokeagain，SirNathanielhadmadeuphismindthathemusttrytopostponedecisiveactionuntilthecircumstancesonwhichtheydepended——which，afterall，wereonlyproblematical——
shouldhavebeentestedsatisfactorily，onewayoranother。Whenhedidspeak，Adamatfirstthoughtthathisfriendwaswaveringinhisintention，or\"funking\"theresponsibility。However，hisrespectforSirNathanielwassogreatthathewouldnotact，orevencometoaconclusiononavitalpoint，withouthissanction。
Hecamecloseandwhisperedinhisear：
\"Wewillprepareourplanstocombatanddestroythishorriblemenace，afterwehaveclearedupsomeofthemorebafflingpoints。
Meanwhile，wemustwaitforthenight——Ihearmyuncle’sfootstepsechoingdownthehall。\"
SirNathanielnoddedhisapproval。
CHAPTERXXI——GREENLIGHT
WhenoldMr。Saltonhadretiredforthenight，AdamandSirNathanielreturnedtothestudy。ThingswentwithgreatregularityatLesserHill，sotheyknewthattherewouldbenointerruptiontotheirtalk。
Whentheircigarswerelighted，SirNathanielbegan。
\"Ihope，Adam，thatyoudonotthinkmeeitherslackorchangeableofpurpose。Imeantogothroughthisbusinesstothebitterend——
whateveritmaybe。Besatisfiedthatmyfirstcareis，andshallbe，theprotectionofMimiWatford。TothatIampledged;mydearboy，wewhoareinterestedareallinthesamedanger。Thatsemi—
humanmonsteroutofthepithatesandmeanstodestroyusall——youandmecertainly，andprobablyyouruncle。Iwantedespeciallytotalkwithyouto—night，forIcannothelpthinkingthatthetimeisfastcoming——ifithasnotcomealready——whenwemusttakeyouruncleintoourconfidence。Itwasonethingwhenfanciedevilsthreatened，butnowheisprobablymarkedfordeath，anditisonlyrightthatheshouldknowall。\"
\"Iamwithyou，sir。Thingshavechangedsinceweagreedtokeephimoutofthetrouble。Nowwedarenot;considerationforhisfeelingsmightcosthislife。Itisaduty——andnolightorpleasantone，either。Ihavenotashadowofdoubtthathewillwanttobeonewithusinthis。Butremember，wearehisguests;