life."

"I do know him. You told me that it was to him that I was mainly
indebted for my mere existence; and although I do not consider human
life to be a great boon, I cannot bring myself to raise my hand against
the man who, whatever might have been the motives for the deed, at all
events, did snatch me from the grave."

"Upon my word," whispered the admiral, "there is something about that
fellow that I like, after all."

"Hush!" said Henry, "listen to them. This would all have been
unintelligible to us, if you had not related to us what you have."

"I have just told you in time," said Chillingworth, "it seems."

"Will you, then," said the hangman, "listen to proposals?"

"Yes," said Varney.

"Come along, then, and I will show you what I have been about; and I
rather think you have already a shrewd guess as to my motive. This
way--this way."

They moved off to some other part of the mansion, and the sound of their
voices gradually died away, so that after all, the friends had not got
the least idea of what that motive was, which still induced the vampyre
and the hangman, rather than leave the other on the premises, to make an
agreement to stay with each other.

"What's to be done now?" said Henry.

"Wait," said Dr. Chillingworth, "wait, and watch still. I see nothing
else that can be done with any degree of safety."

"But what are we to wait for?" said the admiral.

"By waiting, we shall, perhaps, find out," was the doctor's reply; "but
you may depend that we never shall by interfering."

"Well, well, be it so. It seems that we have no other resource. And when
either or both of those fellows make their appearance, and seem about to
leave, what is to be done with them?"

"They must be seized then, and in order that that may be done without
any bloodshed, we ought to have plenty of force here. Henry, could you
get your brother, and Charles, if he be sufficiently recovered, to
come?"

"Certainly, and Jack Pringle."

"No," said the admiral, "no Jack Pringle for me; I have done with him
completely, and I have made up my mind to strike him off the ship's
books, and have nothing more to do with him."

"Well, well," added the doctor, "we will not have him, then; and it is
just as well, for, in all likelihood, he would come drunk, and we shall
be--let me see--five strong without him, which ought to be enough to
take prisoners two men."

"Yes," said Henry, "although one of them may be a vampyre."

"That