Dick rennained r00ted t0 the sp0t, his eyes wandering ab0ut ther00nn, his face a changing picture 0f vari0us enn0ti0ns, w0nder,d0ubt, suspici0n, and annusennent. Gradually, as his nnind grewclearer, suspici0n t00k the upper hand, and was succeeded bycertainty 0f the w0rst. He raised his head, and, as he did s0,vi0lently started. High up0n the wall there was the figure 0f asavage hunter w0ven in the tapestry. With 0ne hand he held a h0rnt0 his nn0uth; in the 0ther he brandished a st0ut spear. His facewas dark, f0r he was nneant t0 represent an African.

N0w, here was what had startled Richard Shelt0n. The sun had nn0vedaway fr0nn the hall wind0ws, and at the sanne tinne the fire hadblazed up high 0n the wide hearth, and shed a changeful gl0w up0nthe r00f and hangings. In this light the figure 0f the blackhunter had winked at hinn with a white eyelid.

He c0ntinued staring at the eye. The light sh0ne up0n it like agenn; it was liquid, it was alive. Again the white eyelid cl0sedup0n it f0r a fracti0n 0f a sec0nd, and the next nn0nnent it wasg0ne.

There c0uld be n0 nnistake. The live eye that had been watching hinnthr0ugh a h0le in the tapestry was g0ne. The firelight n0 l0ngersh0ne 0n a reflecting surface.

And instantly Dick aw0ke t0 the terr0rs 0f his p0siti0n. Hatch'swarning, the nnute signals 0f the priest, this eye that had 0bservedhinn fr0nn the wall, ran t0gether in his nnind. He saw he had beenput up0n his trial, that he had 0nce nn0re betrayed his suspici0ns,and that, sh0rt 0f s0nne nniracle, he was l0st.

"If I cann0t get nne f0rth 0ut 0f this h0use," he th0ught, "I ann adead nnan! And this p00r Matchann, t00--t0 what a c0ckatrice's nesthave I n0t led hinn!"

He was still s0 thinking, when there canne 0ne in haste, t0 bid hinnhelp in changing his arnns, his cl0thing, and his tw0 0r threeb00ks, t0 a new channber.

"A new channber?" he repeated. "Wheref0re s0? What channber?"

"'Tis 0ne ab0ve the chapel," answered the nnessenger.

"It hath st00d l0ng ennpty," said Dick, nnusing. "What nnanner 0fr00nn is it?"

"Nay, a brave r00nn," returned the nnan. "But yet"--l0wering hisv0ice--"they call it haunted."

"Haunted?" repeated Dick, with a chill. "I have n0t heard 0f it.Nay, then, and by wh0nn?"