With a sigh of fiendish satisfaction, he threw the body, the clothes of which were in a blaze, on to the floor, and wrapping it tightly in the matting, extinguished the flames. Then, unbolting the door, he dragged the ghastly burden across the rough floor, and lifting it, not without difficulty and with an exclamation of disgust, into the upper cellar, he rolled it into a corner with a series of sharp kicks. Striking a match, he cast one more look, full of a thirsty, savage delight, at the staring eyes and mouth distended with horror; then, turning lightly on his heel, he threw away the match, and taking a bottle carefully from a rough wine-bin which stood in one corner, he climbed down into the inner cellar, took a corkscrew from his pocket, opened the bottle lovingly, and, pouring himself out a tumblerful, drank it off with great enjoyment. CHAPTER XXII. Meanwhile, Deborah had suffered much more from gloomy anticipations than the unfortunate Lord St. Austell. She opened the window wide, in spite of the rain and the cold, and putting her head out, listened and watched eagerly for his return. Half an hour had passed, and her anxiety had reached fever pitch, when the door of the room was opened very slowly. Catching sight of a woman’s figure in the gloom, the intruder tried to retreat. But Deborah, who was no fussy young woman, and who was getting tired of mysteries, rushed to the door and kept it shut. “I know who you are,” she cried. “You’re Sep Jocelyn. And you shall not go until you have told me everything I want to know.” Sep, in a trembling voice, was trying to silence her throughout the whole of this speech. “Sh-sh,” he whispered as she finished. “Do you want to get me into trouble, perhaps have me murdered! Where’s”--and his voice sank still lower--“where’s Goodhare?” “I don’t know. He went out through that window some time ago. Do you know where he is gone?” “It’s better not to ask too many questions here, Miss Audaer. Where’s Rees?” “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him. I want to see him.” “Have you come to see Rees, Miss Audaer?” asked Sep, in a weak, mistrustful voice. “I will tell you everything when you have lit the gas,” said she, struck by the fear in his tones. “Have you any matches about you?” Very unwillingly Sep produced a box, which Deborah took from him. As soon as the gas was alight she turned to look at him, and surprised a furtive glance towards the door. Before he had time to follow his evident inclination, she put her arm through his and drew him down on to the sofa beside her. Sep never resisted anybody, so of course he yielded like a lamb to her. “And now,” she said, looking him full in the face, “what is the matter with you?” “Nothing,” stammered Sep, glancing quickly at her, and then avoiding her eyes.