hisname，hishonour，havetobethoughtofaswellashissafety。\"
\"Allshallbeasyouwish，Adam。Andnowastowhatwearetodo？
WecannotmurderLadyArabellaoff—hand。Thereforeweshallhavetoputthingsinorderforthekilling，andinsuchawaythatwecannotbetaxedwithacrime。\"
\"Itseemstome，sir，thatweareinanexceedinglytightplace。
Ourfirstdifficultyistoknowwheretobegin。Ineverthoughtthisfightinganantediluvianmonsterwouldbesuchacomplicatedjob。Thisoneisawoman，withallawoman’swit，combinedwiththeheartlessnessofaCOCOTTE。Shehasthestrengthandimpregnabilityofadiplodocus。Wemaybesurethatinthefightthatisbeforeustherewillbenosemblanceoffair—play。Alsothatourunscrupulousopponentwillnotbetrayherself！\"
\"Thatisso——butbeingfeminine，shewillprobablyover—reachherself。Now，Adam，itstrikesmethat，aswehavetoprotectourselvesandothersagainstfemininenature，ourstronggamewillbetoplayourmasculineagainstherfeminine。Perhapswehadbettersleeponit。Sheisathingofthenight;andthenightmaygiveussomeideas。\"
Sotheybothturnedin。
AdamknockedatSirNathaniel’sdoorinthegreyofthemorning，and，onbeingbidden，cameintotheroom。Hehadseverallettersinhishand。SirNathanielsatupinbed。
\"Well！\"
\"Ishouldliketoreadyouafewletters，but，ofcourse，Ishallnotsendthemunlessyouapprove。Infact\"——withasmileandablush——\"thereareseveralthingswhichIwanttodo;butIholdmyhandandmytonguetillIhaveyourapproval。\"
\"Goon！\"saidtheotherkindly。\"Tellmeall，andcountatanyrateonmysympathy，andonmyapprovalandhelpifIcanseemyway。\"
AccordinglyAdamproceeded：
\"WhenItoldyoutheconclusionsatwhichIhadarrived，IputintheforegroundthatMimiWatfordshould，forthesakeofherownsafety，beremoved——andthatthemonsterwhichhadwroughtalltheharmshouldbedestroyed。\"
\"Yes，thatisso。\"
\"Tocarrythisintopractice，sir，onepreliminaryisrequired——
unlessharmofanotherkindistobefaced。Mimishouldhavesomeprotectorwhomalltheworldwouldrecognise。Theonlyformrecognisedbyconventionismarriage！\"
SirNathanielsmiledinafatherlyway。
\"Tomarry，ahusbandisrequired。Andthathusbandshouldbeyou。\"
\"Yes，yes。\"
\"Andthemarriageshouldbeimmediateandsecret——or，atleast，notspokenofoutsideourselves。Wouldtheyoungladybeagreeabletothatproceeding？\"
\"Idonotknow，sir！\"
\"Thenhowarewetoproceed？\"
\"Isupposethatwe——oroneofus——mustaskher。\"
\"Isthisasuddenidea，Adam，asuddenresolution？\"
\"Asuddenresolution，sir，butnotasuddenidea。Ifsheagrees，alliswellandgood。Thesequenceisobvious。\"
\"Anditistobekeptasecretamongstourselves？\"
\"Iwantnosecret，sir，exceptforMimi’sgood。Formyself，I
shouldliketoshoutitfromthehouse—tops！Butwemustbediscreet;untimelyknowledgetoourenemymightworkincalculableharm。\"
\"Andhowwouldyousuggest，Adam，thatwecouldcombinethemomentousquestionwithsecrecy？\"
Adamgrewredandmoveduneasily。
\"Someonemustaskher——assoonaspossible！\"
\"Andthatsomeone？\"
\"Ithoughtthatyou，sir，wouldbesogood！\"
\"Godblessmysoul！Thisisanewkindofdutytotakeon——atmytimeoflife。Adam，IhopeyouknowthatyoucancountonmetohelpinanywayIcan！\"
\"Ihavealreadycountedonyou，sir，whenIventuredtomakesuchasuggestion。Icanonlyask，\"headded，\"thatyouwillbemorethaneverkindtome——tous——andlookonthepainfuldutyasavoluntaryactofgrace，promptedbykindnessandaffection。\"
\"Painfulduty！\"
\"Yes，\"saidAdamboldly。\"Painfultoyou，thoughtomeitwouldbealljoyful。\"
\"Itisastrangejobforanearlymorning！Well，weallliveandlearn。IsupposethesoonerIgothebetter。Youhadbetterwritealineformetotakewithme。For，yousee，thisistobeasomewhatunusualtransaction，anditmaybeembarrassingtothelady，eventomyself。Soweoughttohavesomesortofwarrant，somethingtoshowthatwehavebeenmindfulofherfeelings。Itwillnotdototakeacquiescenceforgranted——althoughweactforhergood。\"
\"SirNathaniel，youareatruefriend;IamsurethatbothMimiandIshallbegratefultoyouforallourlives——howeverlongtheymaybe！\"
Sothetwotalkeditoverandagreedastopointstobeborneinmindbytheambassador。ItwasstrikingtenwhenSirNathanielleftthehouse，Adamseeinghimquietlyoff。
Astheyoungmanfollowedhimwithwistfuleyes——almostjealousoftheprivilegewhichhiskinddeedwasabouttobringhim——hefeltthathisownheartwasinhisfriend’sbreast。
Thememoryofthatmorningwaslikeadreamtoallthoseconcernedinit。SirNathanielhadaconfusedrecollectionofdetailandsequence，thoughthemainfactsstoodoutinhismemoryboldlyandclearly。AdamSalton’srecollectionwasofanillimitablewait，filledwithanxiety，hope，andchagrin，alldominatedbyasenseoftheslowpassageoftimeandaccompaniedbyvaguefears。Mimicouldnotforalongtimethinkatall，orrecollectanything，exceptthatAdamlovedherandwassavingherfromaterribledanger。Whenshehadtimetothink，lateron，shewonderedwhenshehadanyignoranceofthefactthatAdamlovedher，andthatshelovedhimwithallherheart。Everything，everyrecollectionhoweversmall，everyfeeling，seemedtofitintothoseelementalfactsasthoughtheyhadallbeenmouldedtogether。ThemainandcrowningrecollectionwashersayinggoodbyetoSirNathaniel，andentrustingtohimlovingmessages，straightfromherheart，toAdamSalton，andofhisbearingwhen——
withanimpulsewhichshecouldnotcheck——sheputherlipstohisandkissedhim。Later，whenshewasaloneandhadtimetothink，itwasapassinggrieftoherthatshewouldhavetobesilent，foratime，toLillaonthehappyeventsofthatstrangemission。
Shehad，ofcourse，agreedtokeepallsecretuntilAdamshouldgiveherleavetospeak。
TheadviceandassistanceofSirNathanielwasagreathelptoAdamincarryingouthisideaofmarryingMimiWatfordwithoutpublicity。
HewentwithhimtoLondon，and，withhisinfluence，theyoungmanobtainedthelicenseoftheArchbishopofCanterburyforaprivatemarriage。SirNathanielthenpersuadedoldMr。SaltontoallowhisnephewtospendafewweekswithhimatDoomTower，anditwasherethatMimibecameAdam’swife。Butthatwasonlythefirststepintheirplans;beforegoingfurther，however，AdamtookhisbrideofftotheIsleofMan。HewishedtoplaceastretchofseabetweenMimiandtheWhiteWorm，whilethingsmatured。Ontheirreturn，SirNathanielmetthemanddrovethematoncetoDoom，takingcaretoavoidanyonethatheknewonthejourney。
SirNathanielhadtakencaretohavethedoorsandwindowsshutandlocked——allbutthedoorusedfortheirentry。Theshutterswereupandtheblindsdown。Moreover，heavycurtainsweredrawnacrossthewindows。WhenAdamcommentedonthis，SirNathanielsaidinawhisper：
\"Waittillwearealone，andI’lltellyouwhythisisdone;inthemeantimenotawordorasign。Youwillapprovewhenwehavehadatalktogether。\"
Theysaidnomoreonthesubjecttillafterdinner，whentheywereensconcedinSirNathaniel’sstudy，whichwasonthetopstorey。
DoomTowerwasaloftystructure，situatedonaneminencehighupinthePeak。Thetopcommandedawideprospect，rangingfromthehillsabovetheRibbletothenearsideoftheBrow，whichmarkedthenorthernboundofancientMercia。ItwasoftheearlyNormanperiod，lessthanacenturyyoungerthanCastraRegis。Thewindowsofthestudywerebarredandlocked，andheavydarkcurtainsclosedthemin。Whenthiswasdonenotagleamoflightfromthetowercouldbeseenfromoutside。
Whentheywerealone，SirNathanielexplainedthathehadtakenhisoldfriend，Mr。Salton，intofullconfidence，andthatinfutureallwouldworktogether。
\"Itisimportantforyoutobeextremelycareful。Inspiteofthefactthatourmarriagewaskeptsecret，asalsoyourtemporaryabsence，bothareknown。\"
\"How？Towhom？\"
\"How，Iknownot;butIambeginningtohaveanidea。\"
\"Toher？\"askedAdam，inmomentaryconsternation。
SirNathanielshiveredperceptibly。
\"TheWhiteWorm——yes！\"
Adamnoticedthatfromnowon，hisfriendneverspokeofLadyArabellaotherwise，exceptwhenhewishedtodivertthesuspicionofothers。
SirNathanielswitchedofftheelectriclight，andwhentheroomwaspitchdark，hecametoAdam，tookhimbythehand，andledhimtoaseatsetinthesouthernwindow。Thenhesoftlydrewbackapieceofthecurtainandmotionedhiscompaniontolookout。
Adamdidso，andimmediatelyshrankbackasthoughhiseyeshadopenedonpressingdanger。Hiscompanionsethismindatrestbysayinginalowvoice：
\"Itisallright;youmayspeak，butspeaklow。Thereisnodangerhere——atpresent！\"
Adamleanedforward，takingcare，however，nottopresshisfaceagainsttheglass。Whathesawwouldnotunderordinarycircumstanceshavecausedconcerntoanybody。Withhisspecialknowledge，itwasappalling——thoughthenightwasnowsodarkthatinrealitytherewaslittletobeseen。
Onthewesternsideofthetowerstoodagroveofoldtrees，offorestdimensions。Theywerenotgroupedclosely，butstoodalittleapartfromeachother，producingtheeffectofarowwidelyplanted。Overthetopsofthemwasseenagreenlight，somethinglikethedangersignalatarailway—crossing。Itseemedatfirstquitestill;butpresently，whenAdam’seyebecameaccustomedtoit，hecouldseethatitmovedasiftrembling。ThisatoncerecalledtoAdam’smindthelightquiveringabovethewell—holeinthedarknessofthatinnerroomatDiana’sGrove，Oolanga’sawfulshriek，andthehideousblackface，nowgrowngreywithterror，disappearingintotheimpenetrablegloomofthemysteriousorifice。
Instinctivelyhelaidhishandonhisrevolver，andstoodupreadytoprotecthiswife。Then，seeingthatnothinghappened，andthatthelightandalloutsidethetowerremainedthesame，hesoftlypulledthecurtainoverthewindow。
SirNathanielswitchedonthelightagain，andinitscomfortingglowtheybegantotalkfreely。
CHAPTERXXII——ATCLOSEQUARTERS
\"Shehasdiabolicalcunning，\"saidSirNathaniel。\"Eversinceyouleft，shehasrangedalongtheBrowandwhereveryouwereaccustomedtofrequent。Ihavenotheardwhencetheknowledgeofyourmovementscametoher，norhaveIbeenabletolearnanydatawhereontofoundanopinion。Sheseemstohaveheardbothofyourmarriageandyourabsence;butIgather，byinference，thatshedoesnotactuallyknowwhereyouandMimiare，orofyourreturn。Sosoonastheduskfails，shegoesoutonherrounds，andbeforedawncoversthewholegroundroundtheBrow，andawayupintotheheartofthePeak。TheWhiteWorm，inherownpropershape，certainlyhasgreatfacilitiesforthebusinessonwhichsheisnowengaged。Shecanlookintowindowsofanyordinarykind。Happily，thishouseisbeyondherreach，ifshewishes——asshemanifestlydoes——toremainunrecognised。But，evenatthisheight，itiswisetoshownolights，lestshemightlearnsomethingofourpresenceorabsence。\"
\"Woulditnotbewell，sir，ifoneofuscouldseethismonsterinherrealshapeatclosequarters？Iamwillingtoruntherisk——forItakeittherewouldbenoslightriskinthedoing。Idon’tsupposeanyoneofourtimehasseenhercloseandlivedtotellthetale。\"
SirNathanielheldupanexpostulatoryhand。
\"GoodGod，lad，whatareyousuggesting？Thinkofyourwife，andallthatisatstake。\"
\"ItisofMimithatIthink——forhersakethatIamwillingtoriskwhateveristoberisked。\"
Adam’syoungbridewasproudofherman，butsheblanchedatthethoughtoftheghastlyWhiteWorm。Adamsawthisandatoncereassuredher。
\"SolongasherladyshipdoesnotknowwhereaboutIam，Ishallhaveasmuchsafetyasremainstous;bearinmind，mydarling，thatwecannotbetoocareful。\"
SirNathanielrealisedthatAdamwasright;theWhiteWormhadnosupernaturalpowersandcouldnotharmthemuntilshediscoveredtheirhidingplace。Itwasagreed，therefore，thatthetwomenshouldgotogether。
Whenthetwomenslippedoutbythebackdoorofthehouse，theywalkedcautiouslyalongtheavenuewhichtrendedtowardsthewest。
Everythingwaspitchdark——sodarkthatattimestheyhadtofeeltheirwaybythepalingsandtree—trunks。Theycouldstillsee，seeminglyfarinfrontofthemandhighup，thebalefullightwhichattheheightanddistanceseemedlikeafaintline。Astheywerenowontheleveloftheground，thelightseemedinfinitelyhigherthanithadfromthetopofthetower。AtthesightAdam’sheartfell;thedangerofthedesperateenterprisewhichhehadundertakenburstuponhim。Butthisfeelingwasshortlyfollowedbyanotherwhichrestoredhimtohimself——afierceloathing，andadesiretokill，suchashehadneverexperiencedbefore。
Theywentonforsomedistanceonalevelroad，fairlywide，fromwhichthegreenlightwasvisible。HereSirNathanielspokesoftly，placinghislipstoAdam’searforsafety。
\"Weknownothingwhateverofthiscreature’spowerofhearingorsmelling，thoughIpresumethatbothareofnogreatstrength。Astoseeing，wemaypresumetheopposite，butinanycasewemusttrytokeepintheshadebehindthetree—trunks。Theslightesterrorwouldbefataltous。\"
Adamonlynodded，incasethereshouldbeanychanceofthemonsterseeingthemovement。
Afteratimethatseemedinterminable，theyemergedfromthecirclingwood。Itwaslikecomingoutintosunlightbycomparisonwiththemistyblacknesswhichhadbeenaroundthem。Therewaslightenoughtoseeby，thoughnotsufficienttodistinguishthingsatadistance。Adam’seyessoughtthegreenlightinthesky。Itwasstillinaboutthesameplace，butitssurroundingsweremorevisible。Itwasnowatthesummitofwhatseemedtobealongwhitepole，nearthetopofwhichweretwopendantwhitemasses，likerudimentaryarmsorfins。Thegreenlight，strangelyenough，didnotseemlessenedbythesurroundingstarlight，buthadaclearereffectandadeepergreen。Whilsttheywerecarefullyregardingthis——Adamwiththeaidofanopera—glass——theirnostrilswereassailedbyahorridstench，somethinglikethatwhichrosefromthewell—holeinDiana’sGrove。
Bydegrees，astheireyesgottherightfocus，theysawanimmensetoweringmassthatseemedsnowywhite。Itwastallandthin。Thelowerpartwashiddenbythetreeswhichlaybetween，buttheycouldfollowthetallwhiteshaftandtheduplicategreenlightswhichtoppedit。Astheylookedtherewasamovement——theshaftseemedtobend，andthelineofgreenlightdescendedamongstthetrees。Theycouldseethegreenlighttwinkleasitpassedbetweentheobstructingbranches。
Seeingwheretheheadofthemonsterwas，thetwomenventuredalittlefurtherforward，andsawthatthehiddenmassatthebaseoftheshaftwascomposedofvastcoilsofthegreatserpent’sbody，formingabasefromwhichtheuprightmassrose。Astheylooked，thislowermassmoved，theglisteningfoldscatchingthemoonlight，andtheycouldseethatthemonster’sprogresswasalongtheground。
Itwascomingtowardsthemataswiftpace，sotheyturnedandran，takingcaretomakeaslittlenoiseaspossible，eitherbytheirfootfallsorbydisturbingtheundergrowthclosetothem。TheydidnotstoporpausetilltheysawbeforethemthehighdarktowerofDoom。
CHAPTERXXIII——INTHEENEMY’SHOUSE
SirNathanielwasinthelibrarynextmorning，afterbreakfast，whenAdamcametohimcarryingaletter。
\"Herladyshipdoesn’tloseanytime。Shehasbegunworkalready！\"
SirNathaniel，whowaswritingatatablenearthewindow，lookedup。
\"Whatisit？\"saidhe。
Adamheldouttheletterhewascarrying。Itwasinablazonedenvelope。
\"Ha！\"saidSirNathaniel，\"fromtheWhiteWorm！Iexpectedsomethingofthekind。\"
\"But，\"saidAdam，\"howcouldshehaveknownwewerehere？Shedidn’tknowlastnight。\"
\"Idon’tthinkweneedtroubleaboutthat，Adam。Thereissomuchwedonotunderstand。Thisisonlyanothermystery。Sufficeitthatshedoesknow——perhapsitisallthebetterandsaferforus。\"
\"Howisthat？\"askedAdamwithapuzzledlook。
\"Generalprocessofreasoning，myboy;andtheexperienceofsomeyearsinthediplomaticworld。Thiscreatureisamonsterwithoutheartorconsiderationforanythingoranyone。Sheisnotnearlysodangerousintheopenaswhenshehasthedarktoprotecther。
Besides，weknow，byourownexperienceofhermovements，thatforsomereasonsheshunspublicity。Inspiteofhervastbulkandabnormalstrength，sheisafraidtoattackopenly。Afterall，sheisonlyasnakeandwithasnake’snature，whichistokeeplowandsquirm，andproceedbystealthandcunning。Shewillneverattackwhenshecanrunaway，althoughsheknowswellthatrunningawaywouldprobablybefataltoher。Whatistheletterabout？\"
SirNathaniel’svoicewascalmandself—possessed。Whenhewasengagedinanystruggleofwitshewasalldiplomatist。
\"SheasksMimiandmetoteathisafternoonatDiana’sGrove，andhopesthatyoualsowillfavourher。\"
SirNathanielsmiled。
\"PleaseaskMrs。Saltontoacceptforusall。\"
\"Shemeanssomedeadlymischief。Surely——surelyitwouldbewisernot。\"
\"Itisanoldtrickthatwelearnearlyindiplomacy，Adam——tofightongroundofyourownchoice。Itistruethatshesuggestedtheplaceonthisoccasion;butbyacceptingitwemakeitours。
Moreover，shewillnotbeabletounderstandourreasonfordoingso，andherownbadconscience——ifshehasany，badorgood——andherownfearsanddoubtswillplayourgameforus。No，mydearboy，letusaccept，byallmeans。\"
Adamsaidnothing，butsilentlyheldouthishand，whichhiscompanionshook：nowordswerenecessary。
Whenitwasgettingneartea—time，MimiaskedSirNathanielhowtheyweregoing。
\"Wemustmakeapointofgoinginstate。Wewantallpossiblepublicity。\"Mimilookedathiminquiringly。\"Certainly，mydear，inthepresentcircumstancespublicityisapartofsafety。Donotbesurprisedif，whilstweareatDiana’sGrove，occasionalmessagescomeforyou——foralloranyofus。\"
\"Isee！\"saidMrs。Salton。\"Youaretakingnochances。\"
\"None，mydear。AllIhavelearnedatforeigncourts，andamongstcivilisedanduncivilisedpeople，isgoingtobeutilisedwithinthenextcoupleofhours。\"
SirNathaniel’svoicewasfullofseriousness，anditbroughttoMimiinaconvincingwaytheawfulgravityoftheoccasionInduecourse，theysetoutinacarriagedrawnbyafinepairofhorses，whosoondevouredthefewmilesoftheirjourney。Beforetheycametothegate，SirNathanielturnedtoMimi。
\"IhavearrangedwithAdamcertainsignalswhichmaybenecessaryifcertaineventualitiesoccur。Theseneedbenothingtodowithyoudirectly。ButbearinmindthatifIaskyouorAdamtodoanything，donotloseasecondinthedoingofit。Wemusttrytopassoffsuchmomentswithanappearanceofunconcern。Inallprobability，nothingrequiringsuchcarewilloccur。TheWhiteWormwillnottryforce，thoughshehassomuchofittospare。Whatevershemayattemptto—day，ofharmtoanyofus，willbeinthewayofsecretplot。Someothertimeshemaytryforce，but——ifIamabletojudgesuchathing——notto—day。Themessengerswhomayaskforanyofuswillnotbewitnessesonly，theymayhelptostaveoffdanger。\"Seeingqueryinherface，hewenton：\"Ofwhatkindthedangermaybe，Iknownot，andcannotguess。Itwilldoubtlessbesomeordinarycircumstance;butnonethelessdangerousonthataccount。Hereweareatthegate。Now，becarefulinallmatters，howeversmall。Tokeepyourheadishalfthebattle。\"
Therewereanumberofmeninliveryinthehallwhentheyarrived。
Thedoorsofthedrawing—roomwerethrownopen，andLadyArabellacameforthandofferedthemcordialwelcome。Thishavingbeengotover，LadyArabellaledthemintoanotherroomwhereteawasserved。
Adamwasacutelywatchfulandsuspiciousofeverything，andsawonthefarsideofthisroomapanelledirondoorofthesamecolourandconfigurationastheouterdooroftheroomwherewasthewell—
holewhereinOolangahaddisappeared。Somethinginthesightalarmedhim，andhequietlystoodnearthedoor。Hemadenomovement，evenofhiseyes，buthecouldseethatSirNathanielwaswatchinghimintently，and，hefancied，withapproval。
Theyallsatnearthetablespreadfortea，Adamstillnearthedoor。LadyArabellafannedherself，complainingofheat，andtoldoneofthefootmentothrowalltheouterdoorsopen。
TeawasinprogresswhenMimisuddenlystartedupwithalookoffrightonherface;atthesamemoment，themenbecamecognisantofathicksmokewhichbegantospreadthroughtheroom——asmokewhichmadethosewhoexperienceditgaspandchoke。Thefootmenbegantoedgeuneasilytowardstheinnerdoor。Denseranddensergrewthesmoke，andmoreacriditssmell。Mimi，towardswhomthedraughtfromtheopendoorwaftedthesmoke，roseupchoking，andrantotheinnerdoor，whichshethrewopentoitsfullestextent，disclosingontheoutsideacurtainofthinsilk，fixedtothedoorposts。Thedraughtfromtheopendoorswayedthethinsilktowardsher，andinherfright，shetoredownthecurtain，whichenvelopedherfromheadtofoot。Thensheranthroughthestillopendoor，heedlessofthefactthatshecouldnotseewhereshewasgoing。Adam，followedbySirNathaniel，rushedforwardandjoinedher——Adamcatchinghiswifebythearmandholdinghertight。Itwaswellthathedidso，forjustbeforeherlaytheblackorificeofthewell—hole，which，ofcourse，shecouldnotseewiththesilkcurtainroundherhead。Thefloorwasextremelyslippery;somethinglikethickoilhadbeenspilledwhereshehadtopass;andclosetotheedgeoftheholeherfeetshotfromunderher，andshestumbledforwardtowardsthewell—
hole。
WhenAdamsawMimislip，heflunghimselfbackward，stillholdingher。Hisweighttold，andhedraggedherupfromtheholeandtheyfelltogetherontheflooroutsidethezoneofslipperiness。Inamomenthehadraisedherup，andtogethertheyrushedoutthroughtheopendoorintothesunlight，SirNathanielclosebehindthem。
Theywereallpaleexcepttheolddiplomatist，wholookedbothcalmandcool。ItsustainedandcheeredAdamandhiswifetoseehimthusmasterofhimself。Bothmanagedtofollowhisexample，tothewondermentofthefootmen，whosawthethreewhohadjustescapedaterribledangerwalkingtogethergaily，as，undertheguidingpressureofSirNathaniel’shand，theyturnedtore—enterthehouse。
LadyArabella，whosefacehadblanchedtoadeadlywhite，nowresumedherministrationsatthetea—boardasthoughnothingunusualhadhappened。Theslop—basinwasfullofhalf—burnedbrownpaper，overwhichteahadbeenpoured。
SirNathanielhadbeennarrowlyobservinghishostess，andtookthefirstopportunityaffordedhimofwhisperingtoAdam：
\"Therealattackistocome——sheistooquiet。WhenIgivemyhandtoyourwifetoleadherout，comewithus——andcautionhertohurry。Don’tloseasecond，evenifyouhavetomakeascene。Hs—
s—s—h！\"
Thentheyresumedtheirplacesclosetothetable，andtheservants，inobediencetoLadyArabella’sorder，broughtinfreshtea。
Thenceon，thattea—partyseemedtoAdam，whosefacultieswereattheirutmostintensity，likeaterribledream。AsforpoorMimi，shewassooverwroughtbothwithpresentandfuturefear，andwithhorroratthedangershehadescaped，thatherfacultieswerenumb。
However，shewasbracedupforatrial，andshefeltassuredthatwhatevermightcomeshewouldbeabletogothroughwithit。SirNathanielseemedjustasusual——suave，dignified，andthoughtful——
perfectmasterofhimself。
Toherhusband，itwasevidentthatMimiwasillatease。Thewayshekeptturningherheadtolookaroundher，thequickcomingandgoingofthecolourofherface，herhurriedbreathing，alternatingwithperiodsofsuspiciouscalm，wereevidencesofmentalperturbation。Toher，theattitudeofLadyArabellaseemedcompoundedofsocialsweetnessandpersonalconsideration。Itwouldbehardtoimaginemorethoughtfulandtenderkindnesstowardsanhonouredguest。
Whenteawasoverandtheservantshadcometoclearawaythecups，LadyArabella，puttingherarmroundMimi’swaist，strolledwithherintoanadjoiningroom，whereshecollectedanumberofphotographswhichwerescatteredabout，and，sittingdownbesideherguest，begantoshowthemtoher。Whileshewasdoingthis，theservantsclosedallthedoorsofthesuiteofrooms，aswellasthatwhichopenedfromtheroomoutside——thatofthewell—holeintotheavenue。
Suddenly，withoutanyseemingcause，thelightintheroombegantogrowdim。SirNathaniel，whowassittingclosetoMimi，rosetohisfeet，and，crying，\"Quick！\"caughtholdofherhandandbegantodragherfromtheroom。Adamcaughtherotherhand，andbetweenthemtheydrewherthroughtheouterdoorwhichtheservantswerebeginningtoclose。Itwasdifficultatfirsttofindtheway，thedarknesswassogreat;buttotheirreliefwhenAdamwhistledshrilly，thecarriageandhorses，whichhadbeenwaitingintheangleoftheavenue，dashedup。HerhusbandandSirNathaniellifted——almostthrew——Mimiintothecarriage。Thepostillionpliedwhipandspur，andthevehicle，rockingwithitsspeed，sweptthroughthegateandtoreuptheroad。Behindthemwasahubbub——
servantsrushingabout，ordersbeingshoutedout，doorsshutting，andsomewhere，seeminglyfarbackinthehouse，astrangenoise。
Everynerveofthehorseswasstrainedastheydashedrecklesslyalongtheroad。ThetwomenheldMimibetweenthem，thearmsofbothofthemroundherasthoughprotectingly。Astheywent，therewasasuddenriseintheground;butthehorses，breathingheavily，dashedupitatracingspeed，notslackeningtheirpacewhenthehillfellawayagain，leavingthemtohurryalongthedowngrade。
ItwouldbefoolishtosaythatneitherAdamnorMimihadanyfearinreturningtoDoomTower。Mimifeltitmorekeenlythanherhusband，whosenerveswereharder，andwhowasmoreinuredtodanger。Stillsheboreupbravely，andasusualtheeffortwashelpfultoher。Whenonceshewasinthestudyinthetopoftheturret，shealmostforgottheterrorswhichlayoutsideinthedark。
Shedidnotattempttopeepoutofthewindow;butAdamdid——andsawnothing。Themoonlightshowedallthesurroundingcountry，butnowherewastobeobservedthattremulouslineofgreenlight。
Thepeacefulnighthadagoodeffectonthemall;danger，beingunseen，seemedfaroff。Attimesitwashardtorealisethatithadeverbeen。Withcouragerestored，AdamroseearlyandwalkedalongtheBrow，seeingnochangeinthesignsoflifeinCastraRegis。
Whathedidsee，tohiswonderandconcern，onhisreturninghomeward，wasLadyArabella，inhertight—fittingwhitedressanderminecollar，butwithoutheremeralds;shewasemergingfromthegateofDiana’sGroveandwalkingtowardstheCastle。Ponderingonthisandtryingtofindsomemeaninginit，occupiedhisthoughtstillhejoinedMimiandSirNathanielatbreakfast。Theybeganthemealinsilence。Whathadbeenhadbeen，andwasknowntothemall。
Moreover，itwasnotapleasanttopic。
AfillipwasgiventotheconversationwhenAdamtoldofhisseeingLadyArabella，onherwaytoCastraRegis。Theyeachhadsomethingtosayofher，andofwhatherwishesorintentionsweretowardsEdgarCaswall。Mimispokebitterlyofherineveryaspect。Shehadnotforgotten——andneverwould——nevercould——theoccasionwhen，toharmLilla，thewomanhadconsortedevenwiththenigger。Asasocialmatter，shewasdisgustedwithherforfollowinguptherichlandowner——\"throwingherselfathisheadsoshamelessly，\"washowsheexpressedit。ShewasinterestedtoknowthatthegreatkitestillflewfromCaswall’stower。Butbeyondsuchmattersshedidnottrytogo。Theonlycommentshemadewasofstronglyexpressedsurpriseatherladyship’s\"cheek\"inignoringherowncriminalacts，andherimpudenceintakingitforgrantedthatothershadoverlookedthemalso。
CHAPTERXXIV——ASTARTLINGPROPOSITION
ThemoreMimithoughtoverthelateevents，themorepuzzledshewas。Whatdiditallmean——whatcoulditmean，exceptthattherewasanerroroffactsomewhere。Coulditbepossiblethatsomeofthem——allofthemhadbeenmistaken，thattherehadbeennoWhiteWormatall？Oneithersideofherwasabeliefimpossibleofreception。Nottobelieveinwhatseemedapparentwastodestroytheveryfoundationsofbelief……yetinolddaystherehadbeenmonstersontheearth，andcertainlysomepeoplehadbelievedinjustsuchmysteriouschangesofidentity。Itwasallverystrange。
Justfancyhowanystranger——sayadoctor——wouldregardher，ifsheweretotellhimthatshehadbeentoatea—partywithanantediluvianmonster，andthattheyhadbeenwaitedonbyup—to—datemen—servants。
Adamhadreturned，exhilaratedbyhiswalk，andmoresettledinhismindthanhehadbeenforsometime。LikeMimi，hehadgonethroughthephaseofdoubtandinabilitytobelieveintherealityofthings，thoughithadnotaffectedhimtothesameextent。Theidea，however，thathiswifewassufferingill—effectsfromherterribleordeal，bracedhimup。Heremainedwithherforatime，thenhesoughtSirNathanielinordertotalkoverthematterwithhim。Heknewthatthecalmcommonsenseandself—relianceoftheoldman，aswellashisexperience，wouldbehelpfultothemall。
SirNathanielhadcometotheconclusionthat，forsomereasonwhichhedidnotunderstand，LadyArabellahadchangedherplans，and，forthepresentatallevents，waspacific。HewasinclinedtoattributeherchangeddemeanourtothefactthatherinfluenceoverEdgarCaswallwassofarincreased，astojustifyamorefixedbeliefinhissubmissiontohercharms。
Asamatteroffact，shehadseenCaswallthatmorningwhenshevisitedCastraRegis，andtheyhadhadalongtalktogether，duringwhichthepossibilityoftheirunionhadbeendiscussed。Caswall，withoutbeingenthusiasticonthesubject，hadbeencourteousandattentive;asshehadwalkedbacktoDiana’sGrove，shealmostcongratulatedherselfonhernewsettlementinlife。Thattheideawasbecomingfixedinhermind，wasshownbyaletterwhichshewrotelaterinthedaytoAdamSalton，andsenttohimbyhand。Itranasfollows：
\"DEARMR。SALTON，\"Iwonderifyouwouldkindlyadvise，and，ifpossible，helpmeinamatterofbusiness。IhavebeenforsometimetryingtomakeupmymindtosellDiana’sGrove，Ihaveputoffandputoffthedoingofittillnow。Theplaceismyownproperty，andnoonehastobeconsultedwithregardtowhatImaywishtodoaboutit。Itwasboughtbymylatehusband，CaptainAdolphusRangerMarch，whohadanotherresidence，TheCrest，Appleby。Heacquiredallrightsofallkinds，includingminingandsporting。Whenhedied，helefthiswholepropertytome。Ishallfeelleavingthisplace，whichhasbecomeendearedtomebymanysacredmemoriesandaffections——therecollectionofmanyhappydaysofmyyoungmarriedlife，andthemorethanhappymemoriesofthemanIlovedandwholovedmesomuch。Ishouldbewillingtoselltheplaceforanyfairprice——solong，ofcourse，asthepurchaserwasoneIlikedandofwhomI
approved。MayIsaythatyouyourselfwouldbetheidealperson。
ButIdarenothopeforsomuch。Itstrikesme，however，thatamongyourAustralianfriendsmaybesomeonewhowishestomakeasettlementintheOldCountry，andwouldcaretofixthespotinoneofthemosthistoricregionsinEngland，fullofromanceandlegend，andwithanever—endingvistaofhistoricalinterest——anestatewhich，thoughsmall，isinperfectconditionandwithillimitablepossibilitiesofdevelopment，andmanydoubtful——orunsettled——
rightswhichhaveexistedbeforethetimeoftheRomansorevenCelts，whoweretheoriginalpossessors。Inaddition，thehousehasbeenkeptuptotheDERNIERCRI。Immediatepossessioncanbearranged。Mylawyerscanprovideyou，orwhoeveryoumaysuggest，withallbusinessandhistoricaldetails。Awordfromyouofacceptanceorrefusalisallthatisnecessary，andwecanleavedetailstobethrashedoutbyouragents。Forgiveme，won’tyou，fortroublingyouinthematter，andbelieveme，yoursverysincerely。
\"ARABELLAMARCH。\"
Adamreadthisoverseveraltimes，andthen，hismindbeingmadeup，hewenttoMimiandaskedifshehadanyobjection。Sheanswered——
afterashudder——thatshewas，inthis，asinallthings，willingtodowhateverhemightwish。
\"Dearest，Iamwillingthatyoushouldjudgewhatisbestforus。
Bequitefreetoactasyouseeyourduty，andasyourinclinationcalls。WeareinthehandsofGod，andHehashithertoguidedus，andwilldosotoHisownend。\"
Fromhiswife’sroomAdamSaltonwentstraighttothestudyinthetower，whereheknewSirNathanielwouldbeatthathour。Theoldmanwasalone，so，whenhehadenteredinobediencetothe\"Comein，\"whichansweredhisquery，heclosedthedoorandsatdownbesidehim。
\"Doyouthink，sir，thatitwouldbewellformetobuyDiana’sGrove？\"
\"Godblessmysoul！\"saidtheoldman，startled，\"whyonearthwouldyouwanttodothat？\"
\"Well，IhavevowedtodestroythatWhiteWorm，andmybeingabletodowhateverImaychoosewiththeLairwouldfacilitatemattersandavoidcomplications。\"
SirNathanielhesitatedlongerthanusualbeforespeaking。Hewasthinkingdeeply。
\"Yes，Adam，thereismuchcommonsenseinyoursuggestion，thoughitstartledmeatfirst。Ithinkthat，forallreasons，youwoulddowelltobuythepropertyandtohavetheconveyancesettledatonce。
Ifyouwantmoremoneythanisimmediatelyconvenient，letmeknow，sothatImaybeyourbanker。\"
\"Thankyou，sir，mostheartily;butIhavemoremoneyatimmediatecallthanIshallwant。Iamgladyouapprove。\"
\"Thepropertyishistoric，andastimegoesonitwillincreaseinvalue。Moreover，Imaytellyousomething，whichindeedisonlyasurmise，butwhich，ifIamright，willaddgreatvaluetotheplace。\"Adamlistened。\"Hasiteverstruckyouwhytheoldname，’TheLairoftheWhiteWorm，’wasgiven？Weknowthattherewasasnakewhichinearlydayswascalledaworm;butwhywhite？\"
\"Ireallydon’tknow，sir;Ineverthoughtofit。Isimplytookitforgranted。\"
\"SodidIatfirst——longago。ButlaterIpuzzledmybrainforareason。\"
\"Andwhatwasthereason，sir？\"
\"SimplyandsolelybecausethesnakeorwormWASwhite。WearenearthecountyofStafford，wherethegreatindustryofchina—burningwasoriginatedandgrew。Staffordowesmuchofitswealthtothelargedepositsoftherarechinaclayfoundinitfromtimetotime。
Thesedepositsbecomeintimeprettywellexhausted;butforcenturiesStaffordadventurerslookedforthespecialclay，asOhioandPennsylvaniafarmersandexplorerslookedforoil。Anyoneowningrealestateonwhichchinaclaycanbediscoveredstrikesasortofgoldmine。\"
\"Yes，andthen——\"Theyoungmanlookedpuzzled。
\"Theoriginal’Worm’so—called，fromwhichthenameoftheplacecame，hadtofindadirectwaydowntothemarshesandthemud—
holes。Now，theclayiseasilypenetrable，andtheoriginalholeprobablypiercedabedofchinaclay。WhenoncethewaywasmadeitwouldbecomeasortofhighwayfortheWorm。Butasmuchmovementwasnecessarytoascendsuchagreatheight，someoftheclaywouldbecomeattachedtoitsroughskinbyattrition。Thedownwaymusthavebeeneasywork，buttheascentwasdifferent，andwhenthemonstercametoviewintheupperworld，itwouldbefreshfromcontactwiththewhiteclay。Hencethename，whichhasnocrypticsignificance，butonlyfact。Now，ifthatsurmisebetrue——andIdonotseewhynot——theremustbeadepositofvaluableclay——possiblyofimmensedepth。\"
Adam’scommentpleasedtheoldgentleman。
\"Ihaveitinmybones，sir，thatyouhavestruck——orratherreasonedout——agreattruth。\"
SirNathanielwentoncheerfully。\"Whentheworldofcommercewakesuptothevalueofyourfind，itwillbeaswellthatyourtitletoownershiphasbeenperfectlysecured。Ifanyoneeverdeservedsuchagain，itisyou。\"
Withhisfriend’said，Adamsecuredthepropertywithoutlossoftime。Thenhewenttoseehisuncle，andtoldhimaboutit。Mr。
Saltonwasdelightedtofindhisyoungrelativealreadyconstructivelytheownerofsofineanestate——onewhichgavehimanimportantstatusinthecounty。HemademanyanxiousenquiriesaboutMimi，andthedoingsoftheWhiteWorm，butAdamre—assuredhim。
Thenextmorning，whenAdamwenttohishostinthesmoking—room，SirNathanielaskedhimhowhepurposedtoproceedwithregardtokeepinghisvow。
\"Itisadifficultmatterwhichyouhaveundertaken。TodestroysuchamonsterissomethinglikeoneofthelaboursofHercules，inthatnotonlyitssizeandweightandpowerofusingtheminlittle—
knownwaysareagainstyou，buttheoccultsideisaloneanunsurpassabledifficulty。TheWormisalreadymasterofalltheelementsexceptfire——andIdonotseehowfirecanbeusedfortheattack。Ithasonlytosinkintotheearthinitsusualway，andyoucouldnotovertakeitifyouhadtheresourcesofthebiggestcoal—mineinexistence。ButIdaresayyouhavemappedoutsomeplaninyourmind，\"headdedcourteously。
\"Ihave，sir。But，ofcourse，itmaynotstandthetestofpractice。\"
\"MayIknowtheidea？\"
\"Well，sir，thiswasmyargument：AtthetimeoftheChartisttrouble，anideaspreadamongstfinancialcirclesthatanattackwasgoingtobemadeontheBankofEngland。Accordingly，thedirectorsofthatinstitutionconsultedmanypersonswhoweresupposedtoknowwhatstepsshouldbetaken，anditwasfinallydecidedthatthebestprotectionagainstfire——whichiswhatwasfeared——wasnotwaterbutsand。Tocarrytheschemeintopracticegreatstoreoffinesea—
sand——thekindthatblowsaboutandisusedtofillhour—glasses——
wasprovidedthroughoutthebuilding，especiallyatthepointsliabletoattack，fromwhichitcouldbebroughtintouse。
\"IproposetoprovideatDiana’sGrove，assoonasitcomesintomypossession，anenormousamountofsuchsand，andshalltakeanearlyoccasionofpouringitintothewell—hole，whichitwillintimechoke。ThusLadyArabella，inherguiseoftheWhiteWorm，willfindherselfcutofffromherrefuge。Theholeisanarrowone，andissomehundredsoffeetdeep。Theweightofthesandthiscancontainwouldnotinitselfbesufficienttoobstruct;butthefrictionofsuchabodyworkingupagainstitwouldbetremendous。\"
\"Onemoment。Whatusewouldthesandbefordestruction？\"
\"None，directly;butitwouldholdthestrugglingbodyinplacetilltherestofmyschemecameintopractice。\"
\"Andwhatistherest？\"
\"Asthesandisbeingpouredintothewell—hole，quantitiesofdynamitecanalsobethrownin！\"
\"Good。Buthowwouldthedynamiteexplode——for，ofcourse，thatiswhatyouintend。Wouldnotsomesortofwireorfuseherequiredforeachparcelofdynamite？\"
Adamsmiled。
\"Notinthesedays，sir。ThatwasprovedinNewYork。Athousandpoundsofdynamite，insealedcanisters，wasplacedaboutsomeworkings。Atthelastachargeofgunpowderwasfired，andtheconcussionexplodedthedynamite。Itwasmostsuccessful。Thosewhowerenon—expertsinhighexplosivesexpectedthateverypaneofglassinNewYorkwouldbeshattered。But，inreality，theexplosivedidnoharmoutsidetheareaintended，althoughsixteenacresofrockhadbeenminedandonlythesupportingwallsandpillarshadbeenleftintact。Thewholeoftherockswereshattered。\"
SirNathanielnoddedapproval。
\"Thatseemsagoodplan——averyexcellentone。Butifithastoteardownsomanyfeetofprecipice，itmaywreckthewholeneighbourhood。\"
\"Andfreeitforeverfromamonster，\"addedAdam，ashelefttheroomtofindhiswife。
CHAPTERXXV——THELASTBATTLE
LadyArabellahadinstructedhersolicitorstohurryonwiththeconveyanceofDiana’sGrove，sonotimewaslostinlettingAdamSaltonhaveformalpossessionoftheestate。AfterhisinterviewwithSirNathaniel，hehadtakenstepstobeginputtinghisplanintoaction。Inordertoaccumulatethenecessaryamountoffinesea—sand，heorderedthestewardtoprepareforanelaboratesystemoftop—dressingallthegrounds。Agreatheapofthesand，broughtfrombaysontheWelshcoast，begantogrowatthebackoftheGrove。Nooneseemedtosuspectthatitwasthereforanypurposeotherthanwhathadbeengivenout。
LadyArabella，whoalonecouldhaveguessed，wasnowsoabsorbedinhermatrimonialpursuitofEdgarCaswall，thatshehadneithertimenorinclinationforthoughtextraneoustothis。Shehadnotyetmovedfromthehouse，thoughshehadformallyhandedovertheestate。
Adamputuparoughcorrugated—ironshedbehindtheGrove，inwhichhestoredhisexplosives。Allbeingreadyforhisgreatattemptwheneverthetimeshouldcome，hewasnowcontenttowait，and，inordertopassthetime，interestedhimselfinotherthings——eveninCaswall’sgreatkite，whichstillflewfromthehightowerofCastraRegis。
ThemoundoffinesandgrewtoproportionssovastastopuzzlethebailiffsandfarmersroundtheBrow。Thehouroftheintendedcataclysmwasapproachingapace。Adamwished——butinvain——foranopportunity，whichwouldappeartobenatural，ofvisitingCaswallintheturretofCastraRegis。Atlast，onemorning，hemetLadyArabellamovingtowardstheCastle，sohetookhiscourageEDEUX
MAINSandaskedtobeallowedtoaccompanyher。Shewasglad，forherownpurposes，tocomplywithhiswishes。Sotogethertheyentered，andfoundtheirwaytotheturret—room。CaswallwasmuchsurprisedtoseeAdamcometohishouse，butlenthimselftothetaskofseemingtobepleased。HeplayedthehostsowellastodeceiveevenAdam。Theyallwentoutontheturretroof，whereheexplainedtohisgueststhemechanismforraisingandloweringthekite，takingalsotheopportunityoftestingthemovementsofthemultitudesofbirds，howtheyansweredalmostinstantaneouslytotheloweringorraisingofthekite。
AsLadyArabellawalkedhomewithAdamfromCastraRegis，sheaskedhimifshemightmakearequest。Permissionhavingbeenaccorded，sheexplainedthatbeforeshefinallyleftDiana’sGrove，whereshehadlivedsolong，shehadadesiretoknowthedepthofthewell—
hole。Adamwasreallyhappytomeetherwishes，notfromanysentiment，butbecausehewishedtogivesomevalidandostensiblereasonforexaminingthepassageoftheWorm，whichwouldobviateanysuspicionresultingfromhisbeingonthepremises。HebroughtfromLondonaKelvinsoundingapparatus，withasufficientlengthofpiano—wirefortestinganyprobabledepth。Thewirepassedeasilyovertherunningwheel，andwhenthiswasoncefixedoverthehole，hewassatisfiedtowaittillthemostadvantageoustimeforhisfinalexperiment。