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721
Turn
which
way
he
would
,
there
appeared
to
be
no
avoiding
the
blow
which
hung
over
him
.
Yet
the
old
man
never
wavered
in
his
resolution
to
part
with
life
itself
before
he
consented
to
what
he
regarded
as
his
daughter
's
dishonour
.
722
He
was
sitting
alone
one
evening
pondering
deeply
over
his
troubles
,
and
searching
vainly
for
some
way
out
of
them
.
That
morning
had
shown
the
figure
2
upon
the
wall
of
his
house
,
and
the
next
day
would
be
the
last
of
the
allotted
time
.
What
was
to
happen
then
?
All
manner
of
vague
and
terrible
fancies
filled
his
imagination
.
And
his
daughter
--
what
was
to
become
of
her
after
he
was
gone
?
Was
there
no
escape
from
the
invisible
network
which
was
drawn
all
round
them
.
He
sank
his
head
upon
the
table
and
sobbed
at
the
thought
of
his
own
impotence
.
723
What
was
that
?
In
the
silence
he
heard
a
gentle
scratching
sound
--
low
,
but
very
distinct
in
the
quiet
of
the
night
.
It
came
from
the
door
of
the
house
.
Ferrier
crept
into
the
hall
and
listened
intently
.
There
was
a
pause
for
a
few
moments
,
and
then
the
low
insidious
sound
was
repeated
.
Someone
was
evidently
tapping
very
gently
upon
one
of
the
panels
of
the
door
.
Was
it
some
midnight
assassin
who
had
come
to
carry
out
the
murderous
orders
of
the
secret
tribunal
?
Or
was
it
some
agent
who
was
marking
up
that
the
last
day
of
grace
had
arrived
.
John
Ferrier
felt
that
instant
death
would
be
better
than
the
suspense
which
shook
his
nerves
and
chilled
his
heart
.
Springing
forward
he
drew
the
bolt
and
threw
the
door
open
.
Отключить рекламу
724
Outside
all
was
calm
and
quiet
.
The
night
was
fine
,
and
the
stars
were
twinkling
brightly
overhead
.
The
little
front
garden
lay
before
the
farmer
's
eyes
bounded
by
the
fence
and
gate
,
but
neither
there
nor
on
the
road
was
any
human
being
to
be
seen
.
With
a
sigh
of
relief
,
Ferrier
looked
to
right
and
to
left
,
until
happening
to
glance
straight
down
at
his
own
feet
he
saw
to
his
astonishment
a
man
lying
flat
upon
his
face
upon
the
ground
,
with
arms
and
legs
all
asprawl
.
725
So
unnerved
was
he
at
the
sight
that
he
leaned
up
against
the
wall
with
his
hand
to
his
throat
to
stifle
his
inclination
to
call
out
.
His
first
thought
was
that
the
prostrate
figure
was
that
of
some
wounded
or
dying
man
,
but
as
he
watched
it
he
saw
it
writhe
along
the
ground
and
into
the
hall
with
the
rapidity
and
noiselessness
of
a
serpent
.
Once
within
the
house
the
man
sprang
to
his
feet
,
closed
the
door
,
and
revealed
to
the
astonished
farmer
the
fierce
face
and
resolute
expression
of
Jefferson
Hope
.
726
"
Good
God
!
"
gasped
John
Ferrier
.
"
How
you
scared
me
!
Whatever
made
you
come
in
like
that
.
"
727
"
Give
me
food
,
"
the
other
said
,
hoarsely
.
"
I
have
had
no
time
for
bite
or
sup
for
eight-and-forty
hours
.
"
He
flung
himself
upon
the
21
cold
meat
and
bread
which
were
still
lying
upon
the
table
from
his
host
's
supper
,
and
devoured
it
voraciously
.
"
Does
Lucy
bear
up
well
?
"
he
asked
,
when
he
had
satisfied
his
hunger
.
Отключить рекламу
728
"
Yes
.
She
does
not
know
the
danger
,
"
her
father
answered
.
729
"
That
is
well
.
The
house
is
watched
on
every
side
.
That
is
why
I
crawled
my
way
up
to
it
.
They
may
be
darned
sharp
,
but
they
're
not
quite
sharp
enough
to
catch
a
Washoe
hunter
.
"
730
John
Ferrier
felt
a
different
man
now
that
he
realized
that
he
had
a
devoted
ally
.
He
seized
the
young
man
's
leathery
hand
and
wrung
it
cordially
.
"
You
're
a
man
to
be
proud
of
,
"
he
said
.
"
There
are
not
many
who
would
come
to
share
our
danger
and
our
troubles
.
"