ht his
antagonist to the earth, at the same time bestowing upon him some
desperate blows.

"Thou shall go to the same element from which I took thee," said the
ferryman, "and there swim or sink as thou wilt until some one shall drag
thee ashore, and when they do, may they have a better return than I."

As he spoke, he dragged along the stranger by main force until they came
to the bank of the river, and then pausing, to observe the deepest part,
he said,--

"Here, then, you shall go."

The vampyre struggled, and endeavoured to speak, but he could not; the
grasp at his throat prevented all attempts at speech; and then, with a
sudden exertion of his strength, the ferryman lifted the stranger up,
and heaved him some distance into the river.

Then in deep water sank the body.

The ferryman watched for some moments, and farther down the stream he
saw the body again rise upon the current and struggling slightly, as for
life--now whirled around and around, and then carried forward with the
utmost velocity.

This continued as far as the moonlight enabled the ferryman to see, and
then, with a slow step and clouded brow, he returned to his cottage,
which he entered, and closed the door.

CHAPTER XC.

DR. CHILLINGWORTH AT THE HALL.--THE ENCOUNTER OF MYSTERY.--THE
CONFLICT.--THE RESCUE, AND THE PICTURE.

[Illustration]

There have been many events that have passed rapidly in this our
narrative; but more have yet to come before we can arrive at that point
which will clear up much that appears to be most mysterious and
unaccountable.

Doctor Chillingworth, but ill satisfied with the events that had yet
taken place, determined once more upon visiting the Hall, and there to
attempt a discovery of something respecting the mysterious apartment in
which so much has already taken place.

He communicated his design to no one; he resolved to prosecute the
inquiry alone. He determined to go there and await whatever might turn
up in the shape of events. He would not for once take any companion;
such adventures were often best prosecuted alone--they were most easily
brought to something like an explanatory position, one person can often
consider matters more coolly than more. At all events, there is more
secrecy than under any other circumstances.

Perhaps this often is of greater consequence than many others; and,
moreover, when there is more than one, something is usually overdone.
Where one adventurous individual