I am not, as you know, a superstitious man." "You certainly are not." "And yet, I never in all my life was so absolutely staggered as I have been by the occurrences of to-night." "Say on." "There is a frightful, a hideous solution of them; one which every consideration will tend to add strength to, one which I tremble to name now, although, yesterday, at this hour, I should have laughed it to scorn." "Indeed!" "Yes, it is so.

Tell no one that which I am about to say to you.

Let the dreadful suggestion remain with ourselves alone, Henry Bannerworth." "I--I am lost in wonder." "You promise me ?" "What--what ?" "That you will not repeat my opinion to any one." "I do." "On your honour." "On my honour, I promise." Mr.Marchdale rose, and proceeding to the door, he looked out to see that there were no listeners near.

Having ascertained then that they were quite alone, he returned, and drawing a chair close to that on which Henry sat, he said,-- "Henry, have you never heard of a strange and dreadful superstition which, in some countries, is extremely rife, by which it is supposed that there are beings who never die." "Never die!" "Never.

In a word, Henry, have you never heard of--of--I dread to pronounce the word." "Speak it.