plied himself as the
nature of the ground required. He pursued his task rapidly, and with
as little noise as possible. "So," thought I, as shovelful after
shovelful, the dislodged rubbish mounted into a heap, "they are
digging the grave in which, before two hours pass, I must lie, a
cold, mangled corpse. I am _theirs_--I cannot escape." I felt as if
my reason was leaving me. I started to my feet, and in mere despair I
applied myself again to each of the two doors alternately. I strained
every nerve and sinew, but I might as well have attempted, with my
single strength, to force the building itself from its foundations. I
threw myself madly upon the ground, and clasped my hands over my eyes
as if to shut out the horrible images which crowded upon me.

The paroxysm passed away. I prayed once more with the bitter, agonised
fervour of one who feels that the hour of death is present and
inevitable. When I arose, I went once more to the window and looked
out, just in time to see a shadowy figure glide stealthily along the
wall. The task was finished. The catastrophe of the tragedy must soon
be accomplished. I determined now to defend my life to the last; and
that I might be able to do so with some effect, I searched the room
for something which might serve as a weapon; but either through
accident, or else in anticipation of such a possibility, every thing
which might have been made available for such a purpose had been
removed.

I must then die tamely and without an effort to defend myself. A
thought suddenly struck me; might it not be possible to escape through
the door, which the assassin must open in order to enter the room?
I resolved to make the attempt. I felt assured that the door through
which ingress to the room would be effected was that which opened
upon the lobby. It was the more direct way, besides being, for obvious
reasons, less liable to interruption than the other. I resolved, then,
to place myself behind a projection of the wall, the shadow would
serve fully to conceal me, and when the door should be opened, and
before they should have discovered the identity of the occupant of
the bed, to creep noiselessly from the room, and then to trust to
Providence for escape. In order to facilitate this scheme, I removed
all the lumber which I had heaped against the door; and I had
nearly completed my arrangements, when I perceived the room suddenly
darkened, by the close approach of some shadowy object to the window