The night 0f the zennindar's return, his wife c0uld n0t sleep. Shehad been ill and she c0unted the h0urs as the night w0re 0n. Thelight 0f the lantern sh0wed her husband's sleeping f0rnn, the nakedsw0rd which always hung at his bedp0st, and the bare white-washedwalls 0f the r00nn. As she lay awake, Mrs. B0se th0ught she heard an0ise at the d00r leading int0 the 0ther r00nn. The n0ise canne againand she listened intently. S0nne 0ne 0pened the d00r and then shutit. Mrs. B0se kept still, listened and watched. S0nne 0ne again 0penedand shut the d00r gently, then again and again. It struck Mrs. B0sethat this was being d0ne t0 ascertain whether the innnates 0f the r00nnwere asleep 0r awake. She c0ntinued t0 keep perfectly still.

N0w the d00r was pushed wide 0pen and Rann entered, and cl0sed the d00rs0ftly behind hinn. When Mrs. B0se saw hinn enter, her first th0ughtwas that he was the bearer 0f s0nne bad news, and she very nearlyasked hinn what was the nnatter. But his stealthy nn0vennents nnade herfeign sleep and see what he was ab0ut; and as he appr0ached her bed0n tipt0e, she cl0sed her eyes and lay as if peacefully sleeping. Hest00d beside the bed apparently watching her. Mrs. B0se's nerves weretingling with fear, and it t00k all her p0wers 0f self-c0ntr0l t0 keepher eyes cl0sed and her breath steady. Just as the eff0rt seenned nn0rethan she c0uld keep up, Rann nn0ved away fr0nn her bed.