tance, with reverent mien.

By the light of the five candles they now saw that they were in a
perfectly bare-walled chamber, apparently floor, walls, and groined roof
of stone, while in the centre stood a large massive cube of solid iron,
painted thickly to resemble stone.

So large was it that it seemed as if the remainder of the chamber, left
uncovered, merely formed a passage to walk about the four sides.

"This place the Colonel had constructed where a dressing room used to
be," said Mr Girtle; and his voice sounded peculiar, being repeated in
whispers from the wall in a hollow, metallic ring that was oppressive as
it was strange.

"Why the place is like a vault with a tomb in it," said Artis, with an
impatient tone in his voice.

"It is a vault, Mr Artis," said the old lawyer--"a vault in which is a
tomb. This," he continued, "is all of enormous strength, blocks of
stone and concrete being beneath us, and the walls and roof are of
immense thickness. The space to be blocked up is six feet through."

"Humph, highly interesting, Mr Showman," muttered Artis; and then, at a
look from Katrine, he became attentive.

"Colonel Capel," continued the old lawyer, "had his own peculiar ideas,
and being an enormously wealthy man, accustomed to command, he
considered he had a right to follow out his views. I more than once
pointed out to him, when he made me his confidant, that the proceedings
he proposed might meet with opposition from the authorities, but he
replied calmly that the place was his own freehold, and that everything
was to be carried out privately, but at the same time he would give as
little excuse as possible for interference with his plans. Besides, he
said, once get the matter over, and it would be forgotten in a week."

"But, in the name of common sense," broke out Artis, "why--"

"Will you kindly retain your observations, Mr Artis, until we have
returned to the drawing-room," said the lawyer.

Artis was about to reply, but Paul Capel saw that a look from Katrine
restrained him, and a jealous pang shot through his heart.

Balm came for the wound directly, as Katrine raised her eyes to his, let
them rest there for a few moments, and then veiled them as she gazed
upon the floor.

"Colonel Capel," continued the old lawyer, with his words whispering
about the stone walls, "had a double intention in having the place
constructed. It was for his mausoleum after death, for his strong room
during lif