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285 CHEATING THE GALLOWS. 285

" Oh, sir, you frighten me ! " whispered Polly, cowering before his ardent eyes, which shone in the dimly lit passage.

"Would you come with me?" he hissed. She did not answer ; she shook herself free and ran into the kitchen, trembling with a vague fear.

CHAPTER IV.

THE CRASH.

One morning, earlier than his earliest hour of demanding his shaving-water, Tom rang the bell violently and asked the alarmed Polly what had become of Mr. Roxdal.

"How should I know, sir? " she gasped. " Ain't he been in, sir? "

"Apparently not," Tom answered anxiously. "He never remains out. We have been here three weeks now, and I can't recall a single night he hasn't been home before twelve. I can't make it out." All enquiries proved futile. Mrs. Seacon reminded him of the thick fog that had come on suddenly the night before.

"What fog?" asked Tom.

" Lord ! didn't you notice it, sir?"

" No, I came in early, smoked, read, and went to bed about eleven. I never thought of looking out of the window."

" It began about ten," said Mrs. Seacon, " and got thicker and thicker. I couldn't see the lights of the river from my bedroom. The poor gentleman has been and gone and walked into the water." She began to whimper.

" Nonsense, nonsense," said Tom, though his expression belied his words. " At the worst I should think he couldn't find his way home, and couldn't get a cab, so put up for the