His eyes were wild and
distended.
"What do you want?" he demanded, impatiently.
"Is Mrs. Abercrombie sick? Can we do anything for you, general?"
said Mr. Craig, uttering the sentences that came first to his
tongue.
"No!" in angry rejection of the offered service. The door shut with
a jar, and the key turned in the lock. Mr. Craig stood for a moment
irresolute, and then went back to his wife. Nothing more was heard
in the adjoining room. Though they listened for a long time, no
voice nor sound of any kind came to their ears. The general had, to
all appearance, thrown himself upon the bed and fallen asleep.
It was late on the next morning when Mr. and Mrs. Craig awoke. Their
first thought was of their neighbors, General and Mrs. Abercrombie.
The profoundest silence reigned in their apartments--a silence
death-like and ominous.
"If he has murdered her!" said Mrs. Craig, shivering at the thought
as she spoke.
"I hope not, but I shouldn't like to be the first one who goes into
that room," replied her husband. Then, after a moment's reflection,
he said:
"If anything has gone wrong in there, we must be on our guard and
make no admissions. It won't do for us to let it be known that we
heard the dreadful things going on there that we did, and yet gave
no alarm. I'm not satisfied with myself, and can hardly expect
others to excuse where I condemn."
CHAPTER XIV.
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