Then he saw that the two figures still remained in very nearly the same position, except that they had drawn, if anything, a little closer to the house.
A tiny clock upon the mantelpiece was ticking away the seconds.
Arnold had no idea how long he remained there watching.

Suddenly, however, he received a shock.

For some time he had fancied that one of the two figures had disappeared altogether, and now, outside on the window-sill, scarcely a couple of feet from the glass through which he was looking, a man's hand appeared and gripped the window-sill.

He stared at it, fascinated.

It was so close to him that he could see the thin, yellow fingers, on one of which was a signet ring with a blood-red stone; the misshapen knuckles, the broken nails.