For what seemed to be an interminable time I lay quietly, not daring to open my eyes fully. It was probably only about an hour, although it seemed more like a week. But I soon had cause to rejoice that I had waited so long, for, although I had heard no sound, a sudden light on my eyelids told me that some one had turned up the light in my room again. I was lying with my back to the room now, and so I ventured to open my eyes a little. Of course I could not see who stood in the room at my back directly. But fortunately the hangings on the wall in front of me were of that Indian type of material which is inset with tiny bits of looking-glass. And presently, in one of these I caught a momentary glimpse of the miniature face of my new companion. It was Mrs. Fawcette! And she was approaching the couch on which I lay! But she never reached it for suddenly the light in the room faded out altogether, there was a stifled scream and the sound of a scuffle, carried on wordlessly. It was too much for my self-control. I turned over on the couch. My door was open and I saw a group of silent struggling figures framed in it for an instant against the light, now dim, in the big hall beyond. Then the door closed. I jumped to my feet, groped my way to the door and flung it open, rushing out into the hall beyond. It was entirely deserted. After a moment of hesitation I turned and staggered back to my room again, muttering drunkenly. I did not dare to start on a search yet, in any case, and what chance had I of finding my abrupt visitors in such a maze? The door of my room had closed behind me. When I opened it, I found my light burning dimly as before. I went back to the divan, lay down on it and, still grumbling to myself, pretended to go to sleep again. At least they had treated me only as a guest as yet. So there was still a chance that I might escape. But before that I was determined to find out more about the place, the conditions under which it was run and, above all, the people running it. So I lay quietly and waited, and presently I began to snore softly. And after a long time the light in my room slowly faded and went out altogether, leaving me in total darkness. This much at least was a good sign, I thought. Chapter XIX Fast in the Web My watch had a luminous dial, and after waiting half an hour or so, snoring softly now and then, I ventured to look at it. It was only ten-thirty! That wait was the most trying time I have ever spent. I lay in the darkness, only daring to shift my position a very little now and then, for the better part of three hours, before I dared even consider making a move. Probably all the men at the banquet were snoring by this time. But what about the others, at the other entertainments? And did the people who ran the place ever go to bed? The evidence of efficiency they had shown did not lead me to think so.