I must brave the unknown perils with which this strange man had encompassed the path of the trespasser, and gain an entrance to the house.

I sought the seclusion of my room at once, and thought over the result of my investigations.

I had not written to my good friend in London since my arrival in Ogdensburg, and I concluded not to do so until I could give him definite information.
Late in the afternoon a slow, drizzling rain began to pour down, and when night fell every luminary in the heavens was obscured by thick clouds.

It was a favorable time for carrying out my project, as the darkness was intensified by a fog that had settled over the city.

By the light of my lamp I prepared for the undertaking, in such a state of excitement that I was frequently startled by my own whispers, through which I found myself now and then giving involuntary utterance to my thoughts.