t it was unoccupied; and that was explained by the slamming of
a door, and its being immediately locked upon them; and when the mob
came to the door, they found they had to break their way through another
door.

This did not take long in effecting; and in less than five minutes they
had broken through that door which led into another room; but the first
man who entered it fell from a crashing blow on the head from the ashen
staff of Sir Francis Varney, who hurried and fled, closely pursued,
until he came to another door, through which he dashed.

Here he endeavoured to make a stand and close it, but was immediately
struck and grappled with; but he threw his assailant, and turned and
fled again.

His object had been to defend each inch of the ground as long as he was
able; but he found they came too close upon his steps, and prevented his
turning in time to try the strength of his staff upon the foremost.

He dashed up the first staircase with surprising rapidity, leaving his
pursuers behind; and when he had gained the first landing, he turned
upon those who pursued him, who could hardly follow him two abreast.

"Down with the vampyre!" shouted the first, who rushed up heedless of
the staff.

"Down with a fool!" thundered Varney, as he struck the fellow a terrific
blow, which covered his face with blood, and he fell back into the arms
of his companions.

A bitter groan and execration arose from them below, and again they
shouted, and rushed up headlong.

"Down with the vampyre!" was again shouted, and met by a corresponding,
but deep guttural sound of--

"Down with a fool!"

And sure enough the first again came to the earth without any
preparation, save the application of an ashen stick to his skull, which,
by-the-bye, no means aided the operation of thinking.

Several more shared a similar fate; but they pressed hard, and Sir
Francis was compelled to give ground to keep them at the necessary
length from him, as they rushed on regardless of his blows, and if he
had not he would soon have been engaged in a personal struggle, for they
were getting too close for him to use the staff.

"Down with the vampyre!" was the renewed cry, as they drove him from
spot to spot until he reached the roof of the house, and then he ran up
the steps to the loft, which he had just reached when they came up to
the bottom.

Varney attempted to draw the ladder up but four or five stout men held
that down; then by a sudden turn,