He shook his clenched hand as he spoke, and ground his teeth with concentrated anger. The question now was whether to ascend or descend in the house, and after some moments of anxious consideration, he thought his better chance would be to descend, and make an effort to pass himself as one of the crowd which had come from the Strand in pursuit of the murderer. He wiped the blood, as he thought, well from his hands, and the dust and mud from his face; then arranging his disordered apparel, he fancied he might pass muster without much suspicion, as he was confident none of those who followed him could have obtained more than a transitory glance at him. He then carefully groped his way in the pitchy darkness to the top of the stairs and began slowly to descend. It was many minutes before he reached the passage, and when he did, he felt for the wall of the passage, and glided along it towards the open doorway. As he neared it, he heard two persons conversing, and the theme of their conversation struck a chill to his heart. “Yes, you may pass in,” said a voice; “my orders are to let nobody out. We are hunting up a fellow who has committed a murder.” “Indeed!” “Yes. If the people in the parlour here know you, you can pass.” “I live in the house,” said the other speaker, “they will recognise me directly.” Some little bustle now ensued, and a third voice inquired,— “Do you know this person?” said the person who was keeping guard. “Oh yes,” was the reply, “he lives up stairs.” “Very well. Sorry to have detained you sir.” “Never mind that; I hope you may catch the scoundrel.” Jacob Gray shrank as close to the wall as he could, and some one brushed quite against him in passing along the passage, without, however, noticing him, although the imminent danger almost made him faint upon the spot. CHAPTER LIV. The Staircase.—The Old Attic.—A Friend in Need.—Fair Play.—Gray’s Despair. For several moments now Gray stood in the passage quite incapable of thought or action; his only impulse was by a kind of natural instinct to stand as close to the damp passage wall as he possibly could, to decrease the chances of any one seeing him or touching him in the act of passing. His brain seemed to be in a complete whirl, and many minutes must have elapsed before he acquired a sufficient calmness to reflect with any degree of rationality upon his present very precarious position. When he could think, his terrors by no means decreased; for what plausible course of action was there now open to him, as he could not leave the house? The thought then occurred to him, that if he could make his way into the cellars, he might have a chance of lying concealed until the guard at the door was removed, and with this feeling he crept along the passage, with the hope of finding some staircase leading to the lower part of the premises.