will not sustain the villain's
weight, and if he attains to any considerable height, and then falls,
his instant death is certain.'

The platform reached the bottom of the abyss--a short pause ensued, and
then it began slowly to ascend; higher, higher it mounted, until our
hero, fearing that the rope might not break, was about to cut it again,
when a yell of agony reached his ear from the depths of the pit, and at
the same moment the slackened condition of the rope convinced him that
the platform had fallen. He listened, and heard a sound like the
plunging of a body into water; then all was silent as the grave.

'The villain has met with a just doom,' thought Frank; and no longer
apprehensive of the return of his mortal enemy, he left the cellar, and
entering the room above, in which the stolen goods were deposited, threw
himself upon a heap of clothes and garments, and fell into a deep
slumber.

It was broad daylight when he awoke; and starting up, his eyes rested
upon an object which caused him to recoil with horror. The woman whom he
had left insensible from the effects of the powerful drug which she had
taken, was standing near him, her eyes rolling with insanity, her hair
dishevelled, her clothes torn to rags and her face scratched and
bleeding, she having in her own madness inflicted the wounds with her
own nails.

'Ha!' she exclaimed--'had'st thou not awakened, I would have killed
thee! Thy heart would have made me a brave breakfast, and I would have
banqueted on thy life-blood! Go hence--go hence! thou shalt not unfold
the awful mysteries of this charnel-house!--Ye must not behold the
murdered man who lies rotting in the cellar, nor open the dark dungeon
of the deformed child of crime!--'tis the hideous offspring of hideous
parents--my child and the Dead Man's! 'Twas a judgement from Heaven,
that monstrous being; we dare not kill it, so we shut it up from the
light of day. Go hence--go hence, or I will fly at thee and tear thine
eyes out!'

Frank left the room, and ascended to the chamber, hoping to find a key
which would enable him to unlock the front door; and in a table drawer
he discovered one, which he doubted not would release him from his
imprisonment. Before departing, he wrote the following words on a scrap
of paper:--

'If the villain known as the _Dead Man_ still lives, he is
informed that he is indebted to _me_ for his unexpected fall
last night. Let the miscreant tremble--for