He waited for no more, but went at once to warn Astorre.

He has been long in coming," she added in the tone of one who is still searching for the exact explanation of the thing that is happening.

And then, suddenly and very urgently, "Go, go--go quickly!" she bade me.
As in the dark I was groping my way towards the door she spoke again: "Why does he not knock?
For what does he wait ?" Immediately, from the stairs, came a terrific answer to her question--the unmistakable, slip-slopping footstep of the doctor.
I halted, and for an instant stood powerless to move.

How he had entered I could not guess, nor did I ever discover.

Sufficient was the awful fact that he was in.
I was ice-cold from head to foot.