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144 Madhav to see her safe to the interior of the house.

"Will you give up your search so easily? I assure you there is no danger," said Madhav with some vehemence, for his curiosity and interest had been intensely awakened, and he had forgotten his own precarious, and with Tara in his company, delicate situation, for its gratification.

Tara remained silent for some moments. Mustering resolution at last, she replied, "Where can we search? Have not the robbers searched everywhere?”

"Yes, but I see now that one thing escaped them. There is a door," he said, pointing to the little iron-door we have described before, "which remained to be opened."

"It evidently leads to the other room: did not they examine that other room also?"

At this moment, again came the hollow agony-bespeaking sound, clearer, more distinct than ever. The listeners started; its touching and startling tones thrilled them in every nerve.

A short pang shot across Madhav's brain. A dark and agonizing thought seized him. Wrenching almost with violence the bunch of keys from Tara's hand, he madly sprung towards the little door, knelt down, and pushed a key into the keyhole. It did not turn. With the same vehemence of movement he tried a second and a third key, but with the same ill-success. Maddened with vexation, and the torture of suspense, he would have torn open the ponderous metal, had he the strength. Happily for his self-command,