Next morning brought no satisfaction to the locksmith's thoughts, nor next day, nor the next, nor many others.

Often after nightfall he entered the street, and turned his eyes towards the well-known house; and as surely as he did so, there was the solitary light, still gleaming through the crevices of the window-shutter, while all within was motionless, noiseless, cheerless, as a grave.

Unwilling to hazard Mr Haredale's favour by disobeying his strict injunction, he never ventured to knock at the door or to make his presence known in any way.

But whenever strong interest and curiosity attracted him to the spot--which was not seldom--the light was always there.
If he could have known what passed within, the knowledge would have yielded him no clue to this mysterious vigil.

At twilight, Mr Haredale shut himself up, and at daybreak he came forth.