owerful effort, the doctor walked back
into the vaults towards the lantern, which still remained upon the
coffin-lid.

Upon examining the article which had been taken from the skull, he found
it to be _a piece of lead_, of an irregular shape and weighing nearly
two ounces.

'My belief in the guilt of Josephine and her mother is confirmed,'
thought he. 'Shall I deliver them into the hands of justice? that must
be decided hereafter; at all events, I will accuse them of the crime,
and discontinue all connection with the wretched Josephine forever.'

Having carefully placed the piece of lead in his pocket, he advanced to
the door, with the intent of leaving the robber to fasten on the lid of
the coffin. To his surprise and horror he discovered that the door was
locked! He knocked frantically against it, but was only answered by a
low laugh from the outside.

'Wretch--villain!' he exclaimed. 'What mean you by this trick? Open the
door instantly, I command you!'

'Fool!' cried the robber, contemptuously. 'I obey your commands no
longer. You shall be left in this tomb to rot and die. You spoke to me
with scorn, and shall now feel my vengeance. Think not, that I am
ignorant of your true object in entering this tomb;--there has been a
_murder_ committed, and you sought for evidence of the crime. That
evidence is now in your possession; but the secret is known to me, and I
shall not fail to use it to my advantage. I shall seek out the
Franklins, and inform them of the discovery which places them completely
in my power. Farewell, parson--; I leave you to your agreeable
meditations, and to the enjoyment of a long, sound sleep!'

The miserable rector heard the sound of the ruffian's departing
footsteps; with a wild cry of anguish and despair he threw himself
against the iron door, which yielded not to his feeble efforts, and he
sank exhausted upon the floor, in the awful conviction that he was
buried alive!

Soon the horrors of his situation increased to a ten-fold degree--for he
found himself assailed by a legion of rats. These creatures attacked him
in such numbers that he was obliged to act on the defensive; and all his
exertions were scarce sufficient to keep them from springing upon him,
and tearing his flesh with their sharp teeth.

To his dismay he observed that the light of the lantern was growing dim
and came near to being exhausted; darkness was about to add to the
terrors of the place. Nerved to desperation, tho