howed us,
close against a side-door that led out to the street.

'There,' said he, 'I can do you better watchman's service than if I lay
within; and by that door you may come and go unespied of any gossips.'

Althea smiled, and commended his thoughtfulness. Then she said,--

'You will come with us now, Will? We must examine this house;' so he
stepped in, shuddering, and looking round almost with horror.

However rich the room, it was in great disorder; and when we went
up-stairs we found matters no better--beds half stript, chests and
cabinets left open, floors strewed with things pulled forth in haste and
left there. We pitched on one sleeping-room to the back, to use
ourselves; and, having satisfied ourselves that no evil-disposed person
lay hid in any room, we shut them all up (the keys being left in the
locks) except that sleeping-room, the parlour we had first entered, the
kitchen, and one great room looking to the front, agreeing to use no
other apartments; and to this rule we kept, except when, as I have told,
I went a-hunting for means to write this history.

That work of examining the house was terrible to me, especially when we
looked into Mr. Dacre's own chamber. There we found a mighty rich bed,
with hangings of silk and silver, and all the toilet furniture in silver
also; with couches and cushions richly wrought, and certain splendid
garments, with a jewelled sword, left flung upon them, as if the owner
had just put them off; but all was disordered wildly, as if by the dying
struggles of a madman, and the gorgeousness seemed to add to the horror
of it. I trembled as I looked at the glimmering mirror and thought of
what it might have reflected; our cousin's image seemed to rise up in
all his pride and bravery as I last saw him, but with the ghastly face
of death; so I hurried out and flung the door to behind us, and Althea
turned the key in the lock. After which we avoided passing that way; for
the place was not less dreadful to her than to me; she acknowledged it
made her remember what we had heard of the great burying-pit in Aldgate,
and the dishonoured corpses that were flung into it, heaps upon heaps.

'He may have gone to that grave from this splendid chamber--it's a
hideous mockery,' she said.

CHAPTER X.

HOW WE DWELT IN A HOUSE THAT WAS NOT OUR OWN.

And now Althea began her search after Andrew, with none to help her but
poor me and honest Will. Our chief care being not to be seen go