Wemustwatchforthatlight。Wemustwatch-“
Thewords，whisperedhoarselyinto。hisear，suddenlydiedaway。
Evenastheystoodthere，farawayfromtheotherlights，anotheroneshonesuddenlyoutinthespottowardswhichshehadpointed，andcontinuedtoburnsteadily。Hefeltthewomanwhowasclingingtohisarmbecomesuddenlyadeadweight。
“Shewasright！“Mrs。Pentolinmoaned。“Heiscomingdownto-night！
Heispreparingtoleavenow；perhapshehasalreadystarted！Whatshallwedo？Whatshallwedo？“
Hamelwasconsciousofagatheringsenseofexcitement。He，too，lookedatthesignalwhichwasflashingoutitsmessagetowardsthem。
Thenhegrippedhiscompanion’sarmandalmostcarriedherbackintothesitting-room。
“Lookhere，“hesaidfirmly，“youcandonothingfurther。Youhavedoneyourpartanddoneitwell。Staywhereyouareandwait。Therestbelongstome。“
“Butwhatcanyoudo？“shedemanded，hervoiceshakingwithfear。
“Meekinswillcomewithhim，andDoctorSarson，unlessheisherealready。Whatcanyoudoagainstthem？Meekinscanbreakanyordinaryman’sback，andMr。Fentolinwillhavearevolver。“
Hamelthrewanotherlogontothefireanddrewherchairclosertoit。
“Nevermindabouthedeclaredcheerfully。“Mr。Fentolinistooclevertoattemptviolence，exceptasalastresource。HeknowsthatIhavefriendsinLondonwhowouldneedsomeexplanationofmydisappearance。Stayhereandwait。“
Sherecognisedthenoteofauthorityinhistone，andshebowedherhead。Thenshelookedupathim；shewasachangedwoman。
“PerhapsIhavedoneilltodragyouintoourtroubles，Mr。Hamel，“
shesaid，“andyet，Ibelieveinyou。IbelievethatyoureallycareforEsther。Ifyoucanhelpusnow，itwillbeforyourhappiness，too。Youareaman。Godblessyou！“
HamelgropedhiswayroundthesideoftheTowerandtookupapositionattheextremecornerofthelandwardsideofthebuilding，withinayardofthecloseddoors。Thelightfaroutupontheleftwasstillgleamingbrightly，buttwooftheothersinalinewithithaddisappeared。Heflattenedhimselfagainstthewallandwaited，listeningintently，hiseyesstrainingthroughthedarkness。
Yettheywerealmostuponhimbeforehehadtheslightestindicationoftheirpresence。Asinglegleamoflightinthepath，comeandgonelikeaflash，thegleamofanelectrictorchdirectedmomentarilytowardstheroad，washisfirstindicationthattheywerenear。Amomentortwolaterheheardthestrangeclick，clickofthelittleengineattachedtoMr。Fentolin’schair。Hamelsethisteethandsteppedafewinchesfurtherback。Thedarknesswassointensethattheywereactuallywithinayardorsoofhimbeforehecouldevendimlydiscerntheirshapes。Therewerethreeofthem-Mr。Fentolininhischair，DoctorSarson，andMeekins。Theypausedforamomentwhilethelatterproducedakey。Hameldistinctlyheardaslow，softwhisperfromDoctorSarson。
“ShallIgoroundtothefrontandseethatheisinbed？“
“Noneed，“Mr。Fentolinrepliedcalmly。“Itisnearlyfouro’clock。
Betternottoriskthesoundofyourfootstepsuponthepebbles。
Now！“
Thedoorswungnoiselesslyopen。ThedarknesswassocompletethateventhoughHamelcouldhavetouchedthemwithanoutstretchedhand，theirshapeswereinvisible。Hamel，whohadformednodefiniteplans，hadnotimetohesitate。Asthelastonedisappearedthroughthedoor，he，too，slippedin。Heturnedabruptlytotheleftand，holdinghisbreath，stoodagainstthewall。Thedoorclosedbehindthem。Thegleamoftheelectriclightflashedacrossthestonefloorandrestedforamomentuponatrapdoor，whichMeekinshadalreadystoopedtolift。Itfellbacknoiselesslyuponrubberstuds，andMeekinsimmediatelyslippedthroughitaladder，oneithersideofwhichwasagroovedstretchofboard，evidentlyfashionedtoallowMr。Fentolin’scarriagetopassdown。Hamelheldhisbreath。
Themomentforhimwascritical。Ifthelightflashedonceinhisdirection，hemustbediscovered。BothMeekinsandDoctorSarson，however，wereintentuponthetaskofsteeringMr。Fentolin’slittlecarriagedownbelow。Theyplacedthewheelsinthetwogrooves，andMeekinssecuredthecarriagewitharopewhichheletrunthroughhisfingers。Assoonasthelittlevehiclehadapparentlyreachedthebottom，heturned，thrusttheelectrictorchinhispocket，andsteppedlightlydowntheladder。DoctorSarsonfollowedhisexample。Theydisappearedinperfectsilenceandleftthedooropen。Presentlyagleamoflightcametravellingup，fromwhichHamelknewthattheyhadlitalampbelow。Verysoftlyhecreptacrossthefloor，threwhimselfuponhisstomachandpeereddown。Belowhimwasaroom，orratheracellar，partsofwhichseemedtohavebeencutoutofthesolidrock。Immediatelyunderneathwasaplainironbedstead，onwhichwaslyingstretchedthefigureofaman。InthosefirstfewmomentsHamelfailedaltogethertorecogniseMr。Dunster。Hewasthinandwhite，andheseemedtohaveshrunken；hisface，withitscoarsegrowthofbeard，seemedlikethefaceofanoldman。Yettheeyeswereopen，eyesdullandheavyasthoughwithpain。Sofarnowordhadbeenspoken，butatthatmomentMr。Fentolinbrokethesilence。
“Mydearguest，“hesaid，“Ibringyouourmostsincereapologies。
Ithasgoneverymuchagainstthegrain，Icanassureyou，tohaveneglectedyouforsolongatime。Itisentirelythefaultoftheverytroublesomeyoungmanwhooccupiestheotherportionofthisbuilding。Inthedaytimehispresencemakesitexceedinglydifficultforustoofferyouthoselittleattentionswhichyoumightnaturallyexpect。“
Themanuponthebedneithermovednorchangedhispositioninanyway。Nordidhespeak。Allpowerofinitiativeseemedtohavedesertedhim。Helayquitestill，hiseyesfixeduponMr。Fentolin。
“Therecomesatime，“thelattercontinued，“wheneveryoneofusisconfrontedwithwhatmightbedescribedasthecrisisofourlives。Yourshascome，myguest，atpreciselythismoment。Itis，ifmywatchtellsmethetruth，fiveandtwentyminutestofour。
ItisthelastdayofApril。Theyearyouknow。Youhaveexactlyoneminutetodecidewhetheryouwillliveashorttimelonger，orwhetheryouwillonthislastdayofApril，andbefore-say，aquartertofour，makethatlittlejourneythenatureofwhichyouandIhavediscussedmorethanonce。“
Stillthemanuponthebedmadenomovementnoranyreply。Mr。
FentolinsighedandbeckonedtoDoctorSarson。
“Iamafraid，“hewhispered，“thatthatwonderfuldrugofyours，Doctor，hasbeenevenalittletoofar-reachinginitsresults。Ithaskeptourfriendsoquietthathehaslosteventhepowerofspeech，perhapseventhedesiretospeak。Alittlerestorative，Ithink-justafewdrops。“
DoctorSarsonnoddedsilently。Hedrewfromhispocketalittlephialandpouredintoawine-glasswhichstoodonatablebythesideofthebed，halfadozendropsofsomeruby-colouredliquid，towhichheaddedatablespoonfulofwater。Thenheleanedoncemoreoverthebedandpouredthecontentsoftheglassbetweenthelipsofthesemi-consciousman。
“Givehimtwominutes，“hesaidcalmly。“Hewillbeabletospeakthen。“
Mr。Fentolinnoddedandleanedbackinhischair。Heglancedaroundtheroomalittlecritically。Therewasathickcarpetuponthefloor，asofapiledwithcushionsinonecorner，andseveralotherarticlesoffurniture。Thewalls，however，wereuncoveredandwerestainedwithdamp。Agreatpinkfungusstoodoutwithinafewinchesofthebed，agrimmixtureofexquisitecolouringandloathsomeimperfections。Theatmospherewasfetid。Meekinssuddenlystruckamatchandlitsomegrainsofpowderinasaucer。Acuriousodourofincensestolethroughtheplace。Mr。Fentolinnoddedappreciatively。
“Thatisbetter，“hedeclared。“Really，theatmospherehereispositivelyunpleasant。Iamashamedtothinkthatourguesthashadtoputupwithitsolong。Andyet，“hewenton，“Ithinkwemustcallithisownfault。Itrustthathewillnolongerbeobstinate。“
Theeffectoftherestorativebegantoshowitself。Themanonthebedmovedrestlessly。Hiseyeswerenolongeraltogetherexpressionless。HewasstaringatMr。Fentolinasonelooksatsomehorriblevision。Mr。Fentolinsmiledpleasantly。
“Nowyouarelookingmorelikeyouroldself，mydearMr。Dunster，“
heremarked。“Idon’tthinkthatIneedrepeatwhatIsaidwhenI
firstcame，needI？Youhavejusttoutterthatoneword，andyourlittlevisittouswillbeatanend。“
Themanlookedaroundatallofthem。Heraisedhimselfalittleonhiselbow。Forthefirsttime，Hamel，crouchingabove，recognisedanylikenesstoMr。JohnP。Dunster。
“I’llseeyouinhellfirst！“
Mr。Fentolin’sfacemomentarilydarkened。Hemovedalittlenearertothemanuponthebed。
“Dunster，“hesaid，“Iamingrimearnest。Nevermindarguments。
NevermindwhyIamontheotherside。TheyarerestlessaboutyouinAmerica。UnlessIcancablethatwordto-morrowmorning，they’llcommunicatedirectwithTheHague，andIshallhavehadmytroublefornothing。Itisnotmycustomtoputupwithfailure。Therefore，letmetellyouthatnosingleoneofmythreatshasbeenexaggerated。Mypatiencehasreacheditsbreakingpoint。Givemethatword，orbeforefouro’clockstrikes，youwillfindyourselfinanewchamber，amongthecorpsesofthosemisguidedfishermen，marinersofancientdays，andafewothers。It’sonlyamatteroffiftyyardsouttothegreatseapitbelowtheDaggerRocks-I’vespokentoyouaboutitbefore，haven’tI？SosurelyasIspeaktoyouofitatthismomentMr。Fentolin’sspeechcametoanabrupttermination。AconvulsivemovementofMeekins’，anexpressionofblankamazementonthepartofDoctorSarson，hadsuddenlycheckedthewordsuponhislips。Heturnedhisheadquicklyinthedirectiontowardswhichtheyhadbeengazing，towardswhichinfact，atthatmoment，Meekins，withalowcry，hadmadeafruitlessspring。Theladderdownwhichtheyhaddescendedwasslowlydisappearing。Meekins，withajump，missedthelastrungbyonlyafewinches。Someunseenhandwasdrawingitup。Alreadythelastfewfeetwerevanishinginmid-air。Mr。
Fentolinsatquitequietandstill。Helookedthroughthetrap-doorandsawHamel。
