At last, however, the bumping of the road was exchanged for the crisp smoothness of a gravel-drive, and the carriage came to a stand.

Colonel Lysander Stark sprang out, and, as I followed after him, pulled me swiftly into a porch which gaped in front of us.

We stepped, as it were, right out of the carriage and into the hall, so that I failed to catch the most fleeting glance of the front of the house.

The instant that I had crossed the threshold the door slammed heavily behind us, and I heard faintly the rattle of the wheels as the carriage drove away.
"It was pitch dark inside the house, and the colonel fumbled about looking for matches and muttering under his breath.
Suddenly a door opened at the other end of the passage, and a long, golden bar of light shot out in our direction.

It grew broader, and a woman appeared with a lamp in her hand, which she held above her head, pushing her face forward and peering at us.
I could see that she was pretty, and from the gloss with which the light shone upon her dark dress I knew that it was a rich material.