all, and broke the spell of grave suspense
that had held us so long. We all rose and stretched our limbs, and took
little walks about the room.

"I am glad, Dr. Silence, if you will allow me to say so, that you are
here," he said simply, "very glad indeed. And now I fear I have kept you
both up very late," with a glance to include me, "for you must be tired,
and ready for your beds. I have told you all there is to tell," he
added, "and tomorrow you must feel perfectly free to take any steps you
think necessary."

The end was abrupt, yet natural, for there was nothing more to say, and
neither of these men talked for mere talking's sake.

Out in the cold and chilly hall he lit our candles and took us upstairs.
The house was at rest and still, every one asleep. We moved softly.
Through the windows on the stairs we saw the moonlight falling across
the lawn, throwing deep shadows. The nearer pine trees were just visible
in the distance, a wall of impenetrable blackness.

Our host came for a moment to our rooms to see that we had everything.
He pointed to a coil of strong rope lying beside the window, fastened to
the wall by means of an iron ring. Evidently it had been recently put
in.

"I don't think we shall need it," Dr. Silence said, with a smile.

"I trust not," replied our host gravely. "I sleep quite close to you
across the landing," he whispered, pointing to his door, "and if you--if
you want anything in the night you will know where to find me."

He wished us pleasant dreams and disappeared down the passage into his
room, shading the candle with his big muscular hand from the draughts.

John Silence stopped me a moment before I went.

"You know what it is?" I asked, with an excitement that even overcame my
weariness.

"Yes," he said, "I'm almost sure. And you?"

"Not the smallest notion."

He looked disappointed, but not half as disappointed as I felt.

"Egypt," he whispered, "Egypt!"

II

Nothing happened to disturb me in the night--nothing, that is, except a
nightmare in which Colonel Wragge chased me amid thin streaks of fire,
and his sister always prevented my escape by suddenly rising up out of
the ground in her chair--dead. The deep baying of dogs woke me once,
just before the dawn, it must have been, for I saw the window frame
against the sky; there was a flash of lightning, too, I thought, as I
turned over in bed. And it was warm, for October oppressively warm.

It was after eleven o'clo