In thoughts such as these the night passed slowly and the hours seemed interminable. The candle in the lantern burned itself out, and he found himself in complete darkness, while the silence was only broken by the drip of water from the walls, or by his own breathing and restless movements. Dan felt as though he were in a tomb, and his lively imagination conjured up all kinds of horrors until, worn out physically and mentally, he fell into a profound slumber. When he opened his eyes again, it was dawn, for he saw the cold light streaming down through the air shaft. A glance at his watch assured him that it was seven o'clock, and he wondered if food would be brought to him shortly. As he had only eaten a sandwich and drank a glass of port-wine since a yesterday morning breakfast, he felt most uncommonly hungry, and, in spite of the peril in which he stood, he longed ardently for food. In the meantime, for comfort, he lighted his pipe again, sat on his bed, and watched the thin beam of sunlight move slowly across the stone floor of his cell. This was an unexpected adventure, sure enough, and, unpleasant as it was now, it promised to be still more unpleasant before it was concluded. All that Halliday could hope for was that Laurance, with the police, would arrive in time to save his life, and deliver him from imprisonment. At ten o'clock--Dan looked again at his watch when the door opened--Mrs. Jarsell entered with a tray, on which were two boiled eggs, bread and butter, and coffee. Placing this on the table, she was about to leave, as she had entered, in silence, when Dan caught her dress. At once, with a shiver, she drew back and displayed the lancet tipped with the serpent-poison. "If you try to escape, I shall kill you," she said in her heavy voice. Dan looked at her curiously, and saw that she was less imposing than ever for all her massive looks. All her self-restraint was gone, her eyes were red; her face was disfigured with tears; and her big body looked flabby and inert. A greater collapse or a more pitiful spectacle can scarcely be imagined, and Dan felt quite sorry for her, even though he knew she was banded against him with others to bring him to a cruel death. "I shall not try to escape," he said, slowly; "that is, I shan't try just now." Pausing at the door, Mrs. Jarsell, still on guard with the lancet, looked at him sorrowfully. "You can never escape," she said brokenly, "try as you may, for the house is guarded by four men, who are sworn to obey Miss Armour." "Queen Beelzebub, you mean," said Halliday with a shrug. "I wish I had never heard the name," cried Mrs. Jarsell with a sob. "I quite believe that. I am very sorry for you." "You have every need to be. Thanks to you, we are all caught in a trap, and there is no means of escape." "Really. I thought that Miss Armour----"