"Oh! now I understand the cause of your hesitation," ejaculated Markham: "you do not believe me--you fancy that I am labouring under a delusion. I conjure you not to suffer justice to be defeated by that idea! The tale is strange; and I myself, had it been communicated to me as it now is to you, should look upon it as improbable. No doubt, too, my appearance is strange; and my manner may be excited, and my tone wild;--but, I swear to you by the great God who hears us, that I am sane--in the possession of my reason,--although, heaven knows! I have this night passed through enough to unhinge the strongest intellects!" "Can you lead us to the house where you allege that these enormities are committed?" demanded the Superintendent, moved by the solemnity and rationality with which Markham had uttered this last appeal to him. "No, I cannot," was the reply: "I had lost my way amongst those streets with which I was totally unacquainted: the night was dark--dark as it is now;--and therefore I could not guide you to that den of such black atrocities. But, I repeat the murderers left that house a little after one to commit a deed of sacrilege in Shoreditch Church. You say that it is now three: perhaps their resurrection-labours are not terminated yet; and you might then capture them in the midst of their unholy pursuits." "And if we do not find that Shoreditch Church has been broken open?" said the Superintendent; "you will admit----" "Admit that I am mad--that I have deceived you--that I deserve to be consigned to a lunatic asylum," exclaimed Markham, in a tone which inspired the Superintendent with confidence. That officer accordingly gave instructions to four constables to accompany Markham to Shoreditch Church. The little party proceeded thither with all possible expedition; but the clock struck four just as they reached the point of destination. They hastily scaled the railings around the burial-ground, and proceeded to the very door from which the body-snatchers had emerged an hour previously. One of the policemen tried the door; and it immediately yielded to his touch. At the same moment his foot struck against something upon the top step. He picked it up:--it was a padlock with the semicircular bolt sawed through. The policemen and Markham entered the church; and the former commenced a strict search by means of their bull's-eye lanterns. "There's no doubt that the gentleman was right, and all he said was true," observed one of the officers; "but the birds have flown--that's clear." "Well--they must have done their work pretty cleverly if they haven't left a trace," said another. "I have heard it stated," remarked Richard, "that resurrection-men are so expert at their calling, that they can defy the most acute eye to discover the spot upon which they have been operating." "Well, if we don't find out which vault they have opened, it's no matter. We have seen enough to convince us that you were right, sir, in all you told us."