ed upon the door; my hands were clenched; the perspiration had
dried suddenly upon my skin; and my tongue clave to the roof of my
mouth. But the footstep, accompanied by a gleam of light,
passed--passed; and from very weakness I sat down again, with a
dreadful indifference to the screams of the plate in my pockets.
Presently there were more footsteps along the hall; then voices; then
drawing of bolts and creaking of locks; then utter darkness, then
silence--lasting, terrible, profound. The house had gone to bed; the
house would quickly be asleep; it was time to be up and doing. But
first and foremost, I must get rid of the plate. Without that hideous
_corpus delicti_, I should have some chance. I must, at all hazards,
creep down into the hall, find my way to the lower regions, and
replace the accursed thing where I found it. It required nerve to
attempt this; but I was thoroughly wound up; and after allowing a
reasonable time to elapse, to give my enemies a fair opportunity of
falling asleep, I set out upon the adventure. The door creaked as I
went out; the plate grated against my very soul as I descended the
steps; but slowly, stealthily, I crept along the wall; and at length
found myself on the level floor. There was but one door on that side
of the hall, the door which led to the area-room--I recollect the fact
distinctly--and it was with inexpressible relief I reached it in
safety, and grasped the knob in my hand. The knob turned--but the door
did not open: it was locked; it was my fate to be a thief; and after a
moment of new dismay, I turned again doggedly, reached the stair, and
re-entered the apartment I had left.

It was like getting home. It was snug and private. I had a chair there
waiting me. I thought to myself, that many a man would take a deal of
trouble to break into such a house. I had only sneaked. I wondered how
Jack Shepherd felt on such occasions. I had seen him at the Adelphi in
the person of Mrs Keeley, and a daring little dog he was. He would
make nothing of getting down into the street from the window, spoons
and all. I tried this: the shutters were not even closed, and the sash
moving noiselessly, I had no difficulty in raising it. I stepped out
into the balcony, and looked over. Nothing was to be seen but a black
and yawning gulf beneath, guarded by the imaginary spikes of an
invisible railing. Jack would have laughed at this difficulty; but
then he had more experience in the craft than I, and