"Peter!--oh, Peter, I am afraid!--wake! wake!"
A cold sweat broke out upon me and I glared helplessly, towards
the door.
"Quick, Peter!--come to me--oh, God!"
I strove to move, but still I could not. And now, in the
darkness, hands were shaking me wildly, and Charmian's voice was
speaking in my ear.
"The door!" it whispered, "the door!"
Then I arose, and was in the outer room, with Charmian close
beside me in the dark, and my eyes were upon the door. And then
I beheld a strange thing, for a thin line of white light
traversed the floor from end to end. Now, as I watched this
narrow line, I saw that it was gradually widening and widening;
very slowly, and with infinite caution, the door was being opened
from without. In this remote place, in this still, dead hour of
the night, full of the ghostly hush that ever precedes the dawn
--there was something devilish--something very like murder in its
stealthy motion. I heard Charmian's breath catch, and, in the
dark, her hand came and crept into mine and her fingers were cold
as death.
And now a great anger came upon me, and I took a quick step
forward, but Charmian restrained me.
"No, Peter!" she breathed; "not yet--wait!" and wound her arms
round mine.
In a corner near by stood that same trusty staff that had been
the companion of my wanderings, and now I reached, and took it
up, balancing it in my hand. And all the time I watched that
line of light upon the floor widening and widening, growing ever
broader and more broad. The minutes dragged slowly by, while the
line grew into a streak, and the streak into a lane, and upon the
lane came a blot that slowly resolved itself into the shadow of a
hand upon the latch. Slowly, slowly, to the hand came a wrist,
and to the wrist an arm--another minute, and this maddening
suspense would be over. Despite Charmian's restraining clasp, I
crept a long pace nearer the softly moving door.
The sharp angle of the elbow was growing obtuse as the shadowy
arm straightened itself. Thirty seconds more! I began to count,
and, gripping my staff, braced myself for what might be, when
--with a sudden cry, Charmian sprang forward, and, hurling herself
against the door, shut it with a crash.
"Quick, Peter!" she panted. I was beside her almost as she
spoke, and had my hand upon the latch.
"I must see who this was," said I.