Page:The Mystery of Madeline Le Blanc (1900).djvu/34

34 Presently the small figure, who had gone out at the back door of the room, re-entered; and after listening for a moment with his ear to the floor, he walked to the cellar door, opened it, and said, "Monsieur."

There was no answer.

"Monsieur."

"What is it?" came from below.

"Did you call?"

"No. You must be quiet."

The small figure closed the cellar door, busied himself for a time about the room in the dark, and disappeared again through the rear door.

There was no change for several hours: the dim light, the chemical fumes, and the mysterious muttering talk continued; the small dark person did not enter again, but lay asleep on a couch in the back room; and from without, in the shadow of the starless night, the old stone house looked as dark, gloomy and lifeless as ever.

At about two o'clock the dwarfish person rolled on his bed, rubbed his eyes and sat up, for he thought that something had awakened him. He listened, but