ordinary physical torture with fortitude; but
the thought of being shut up in that noisome dungeon with a being so
fearful and loathsome as the Image, made him sick and faint; and when
the Dead Man and the negro seized him in their powerful grasp, in order
to convey him to the dungeon, he could make no resistance, even if
resistance had been of any avail. Julia did not accompany them, but
contented herself with a glance of malignant triumph at her husband.

They descended to the cellar, and entered the secret passage, which they
traversed in profound darkness. This passage communicated directly with
the cellar of the house in Anthony street; a walk of ten minutes brought
them to it, and when they had entered it, the Dead Man ignited a match
and lit a lamp.

The appearance of the cellar was precisely the same as when Frank had
last seen it.--There was the same outlet and the moveable platform;
there, in that dim and distant corner, lay the putrefying corpse; and
there, too, was the iron door of the dungeon, secured on the outside by
the massive bolt.

At that moment the fearful inmate of that dungeon set up its strange,
unnatural cry.

'Hark--my Image welcomes you, Sydney,' whispered the Dead Man, and,
assisted by the African, he hurried his victim towards the dungeon door.

'In God's name,' said Frank, imploringly--'I beseech you to kill me at
once, rather than shut me up with that fearful creature--for death is
preferable to that!'

But the two ruffians only laughed--and drawing back the bolt, they
opened the iron door, and thrust their victim into the dungeon; then
closing the door, they pushed the bolt into its place, and left him to
an eternal night of darkness and horror.

He heard the sound of their department footsteps; groping his way to a
corner of the dungeon, he sat down upon the cold stone floor. Had he
been alone he could have reconciled himself to his situation; but the
consciousness of being in such fearful company, froze his blood with
horror.

Soon his eyes became accustomed to the darkness; and as a very faint
glimmer of light stole in over the door of the dungeon, he was enabled
to see objects around him, though very indistinctly. With a shudder, he
glanced around him; and there, cowering in one corner, like some hideous
reptile, its green eyes fixed upon him, sat the Image of the Dead
Man--the terrible Dwarf!

Hour after hour did that mis-shapen thing gaze upon our hero, until a
strange f