y story," I said. "I went into your room, put out all the
lights, and sat on the edge of the bed."

"You did not get into bed, then?"

"No, I preferred to be up and to be ready for immediate action should
the apparition, the horror, or whatever you call it, appear."

"Good God, it is a horror, Halifax!"

"It is, Sir Henry. A more diabolical contrivance for frightening a man
into his grave could scarcely have been contrived. I can comfort you on
one point, however. The terrible thing you saw is not a figment of your
brain. There is no likelihood of a lunatic asylum in your case. Someone
is playing you a trick."

"I cannot agree with you--but proceed," said the baronet, impatiently.

"I sat for about an hour on the edge of the bed," I continued. "When I
entered the room it was twelve o'clock--one had sounded before there was
the least stir or appearance of anything, then the ticking noise you
have described was distinctly audible. This was followed by a sudden
bright light, which seemed to proceed out of the recesses of the
wardrobe."

"What did you feel when you saw that light?"

"Too excited to be nervous," I answered, briefly. "Out of the circle of
light the horrible eye looked at me."

"What did you do then? Did you faint?"

"No, I went noiselessly across the carpet up to the door of the wardrobe
and looked in."

"Heavens! you are daring. I wonder you are alive to tell this tale."

"I saw a shadowy form," I replied--"dark and tall--the one brilliant eye
kept on looking past me, straight into the room. I made a very slight
noise; it immediately disappeared. I waited for some time--nothing more
happened. I got into your bed, Sir Henry, and slept. I can't say that I
had a comfortable night, but I slept, and was not disturbed by anything
extraordinary for the remaining hours of the night."

"Now what do you mean to do? You say you can trace this thing to its
foundation. It seems to me that all you have seen only supports my firm
belief that a horrible apparition visits that room."

"A material one," I responded. "The shadowy form had substance, of that
I am convinced. Sir Henry, I intend to sleep in that room again
to-night."

"Lady Studley will find out."

"She will not. I sleep in the haunted room again to-night, and during
the day you must so contrive matters that I have plenty of time to
examine the wardrobe. I did not do so yesterday because I had not an
opportunity. You must contrive to get Lady