it were best at such a conjuncture to
deposit the sealed document in some place of safety ere he went forth
upon an enterprise the result of which must be doubtful; for all
purposes of confronting Linton it were sufficient to take the forged
deed along with him. These were conclusions formed as rapidly as
they occurred, and acted upon no less speedily; for, folding up the
parchment, he inserted it into a cleft in an aged elm-tree, noting well
the spot, and marking all the signs by which he would be able to return
to it. His next thought was how to reach his chamber: to enter the house
at such a time undiscovered was of course out of the question; he would
be seen and recognized at once, and then there would be an end forever
of all the secrecy by which he hoped to cover the proceedings with
Linton.

It neither suited his inclinations nor his plans that the world should
be a party to his vengeance. "Let them discover it when it is over,"
said he, "but let them not be able to interfere with its course."
All approach to his dressing-room through the house being thus
impracticable, nothing remained but to reach it from without. The
chamber was in the second story of the building, at a great height from
the ground; but the walls were here covered with thick ivy of ancient
growth, and by this Cashel resolved to make the attempt.

The act was not devoid of danger; but there are times when peril is a
relief to the mad conflict of thought, and this was such a moment to
Cashel. In an instant he made himself ready for the attempt, and with
an activity that many a danger had tested, began the ascent. There are
occasions when rashness is safety, and now, the headlong intrepidity of
Roland's attempt proved its security, for at each step, as the ivy gave
way beneath his grasp or his footing, by an upward spring he reached
another spot, which in its turn broke with his weight: every instant the
danger increased, for the frail tendrils grew weaker as he ascended,
and beneath him the jagged and drooping branches hung down in ruinous
disorder. By one bold spring he reached the window-sill, and after a
momentary struggle, in which his athletic frame saved him from certain
death, he gained a footing upon the stone, and was able to see what was
passing within the room.

At a table covered with papers and open letters Linton sat, searching
with eager haste for the missing documents; open boxes and presses on
every side, rifled of their co