"I feel very little hope that it will," answered Mannering."The inquiry will proceed, whatever happens to-night, and we may all have to go to London to attend it.After they have turned Chadlands and everybody in it upside down, as they surely will, then we may be called, if they arrive at no conclusion.""I am prepared to be.I shall not leave the country, of course, until I receive permission to do so.It must be apparent to everybody that I am, of all men, if not the most involved, at least the most anxious to clear this mystery - that nobody can doubt.""Then you must conserve your strength and be guided," said Mannering."I do beg of you to retire now, and insist upon Mary doing the same.Nothing can be gained by the dead, and necessary energy is lost to the living by this irrational vigil.It is far past midnight; I beg you to retire, Sir Walter, and Mary, too.There is nothing that should keep you out of bed, and I urge you to go to it."But the elder refused.
"Few will sleep under this roof to-night," he said."There is a spirit of human anxiety and distress apparent, and naturally so.I will stay here with this good man.He is better company than many of the living.I feel a great peace here.The dead sustains me."He joined Mannering, however, in an appeal to his daughter, and, satisfied that their friend would not be far off at any time, Mary presently left them.She declared herself as not anxious or nervous.She had never believed that anything but natural causes were responsible for her husband's death, and felt an assurance that morning would bring some measure, at least, of explanation.She went out of the room with Mannering, and, promising her to keep a close watch on her father, the doctor left Mary, lighted his pipe, and strolled to the billiard-room.Presently he patrolled the hall and pursued his own reflections.Where his thoughts bent, there his body unconsciously turned, and, forgetting the injunction of the silent men aloft - indeed, forgetting them also for a moment - Mannering ascended the stairs and proceeded along the corridor toward the Grey Room.But he did not get far.Out of the darkness a figure rose and stopped him.The man turned an electric torch on Dr.Mannering, and recognized him.It appeared that while one detective kept guard outside, the others watched within.At the sound of voices the door of the Grey Room opened, and in the bright light that streamed from it a weird figure stood - a tall, black object with huge and flashing eyes and what looked like an elephant's trunk descending from between them.
The watchers, wearing hoods and gas masks, resembled the fantastic demons of a Salvator Rosa, or Fuselli.Their chief now accosted the doctor somewhat sharply.He knew his name and received his apology, but bade him leave the corridor at once."I must, however, search you first," said Frith."You were wrong to come," he continued."This is no time to distract us.Explain to-morrow, please."The doctor, after holding up his hands and submitting to a very close scrutiny, departed and swore at his own inadvertence.He had forgotten that, in common with everybody else involved, he must bear the brunt of suspicion, and he perceived that his approach to the Grey Room, after it was clearly understood that none should on any account attempt to do so, must attract unpleasant attention to himself.And he could offer no better excuse than that he had forgotten the order.He apprehended an unpleasantness on the following day, and wondered at himself that he could have done anything so open to question.Brain fag was a poor excuse, but he had none better.
In an hour he returned to Sir Walter, hoping to find him asleep; but the master of Chadlands was still reading, and in a frame of mind very quiet and peaceful.He regretted the forgetfulness that had taken his friend into the forbidden gallery.
"I am concerned for Mary," he said."She is only keeping up at a terrible cost of nervous power.It is more than time that she was away; but she will not go until I am able to accompany her.""It should not be long.We must hope they will get to the bottom of it soon, if not to-night.I am most anxious for both of you to be off.""We design to go to Italy.She shrinks from the Riviera and longs for Florence, or some such peaceful place.""It will be cold there." "Cold won't hurt us.""Shall you shut up Chadlands?"
