It is settled.
Viviette, say he must stay, and we'll have another hour of these charming
intellectual researches.'

Viviette obeyed with delightful ease. 'Do stay, Mr St. Cleeve!' she said
sweetly.

'Well, in truth I can do without the observation,' replied the young man,
as he gave way. 'It is not of the greatest consequence.'

Thus it was arranged; but the researches among the tomes were not
prolonged to the extent that Louis had suggested. In three-quarters of
an hour from that time they had all retired to their respective rooms;
Lady Constantine's being on one side of the west corridor, Swithin's
opposite, and Louis's at the further end.

Had a person followed Louis when he withdrew, that watcher would have
discovered, on peeping through the key-hole of his door, that he was
engaged in one of the oddest of occupations for such a man,--sweeping
down from the ceiling, by means of a walking-cane, a long cobweb which
lingered on high in the corner. Keeping it stretched upon the cane he
gently opened the door, and set the candle in such a position on the mat
that the light shone down the corridor. Thus guided by its rays he
passed out slipperless, till he reached the door of St. Cleeve's room,
where he applied the dangling spider's thread in such a manner that it
stretched across like a tight-rope from jamb to jamb, barring, in its
fragile way, entrance and egress. The operation completed he retired
again, and, extinguishing his light, went through his bedroom window out
upon the flat roof of the portico to which it gave access.

Here Louis made himself comfortable in his chair and smoking-cap,
enjoying the fragrance of a cigar for something like half-an-hour. His
position commanded a view of the two windows of Lady Constantine's room,
and from these a dim light shone continuously. Having the window partly
open at his back, and the door of his room also scarcely closed, his ear
retained a fair command of any noises that might be made.

In due time faint movements became audible; whereupon, returning to his
room, he re-entered the corridor and listened intently. All was silent
again, and darkness reigned from end to end. Glanville, however, groped
his way along the passage till he again reached Swithin's door, where he
examined, by the light of a wax-match he had brought, the condition of
the spider's thread. It was gone; somebody had carried it off bodily, as
Samson carried off the pin and the web. In o