his　surtout　was　open。　　He　always　wore　a　long　frogged　and　braided
  coat　reaching　to　the　kneesas　I　now　know；　for　the　purpose　of
  concealing　the　arm　which　hung　（as　he　said；　withered）　at　his　side。
  The　two　last　fastenings　were　now　undone。
  He　held　in　his　hand　a　tiny　chain　made　of　very　delicate　wire。　　This
  he　gave　me；　saying：
  〃Now　what　would　you　conjecture　that　to　be？〃
  〃Had　it　come　into　my　hands　without　any　remark；　I　should　have　said
  it　was　simply　a　very　exquisite　bit　of　ironwork；　but　your　question
  points　to　something　more　out　of　the　way。〃
  〃It　IS　iron…work；〃　he　said。
  Could　I　be　deceived？　　A　third　fastening　of　his　surtout　was　undone！
  I　had　seen　but　two　a　moment　ago。
  〃And　what　am　I　to　conjecture？〃　I　asked。
  〃Where　that　iron　came　from？　　It　was　NOT　from　a　mine。〃　　I　looked　at
  it　again；　and　examined　it　attentively。　　On　raising　my　eyes　in
  inquiryfortunately　with　an　expression　of　surprise；　since　what　met
  my　eyes　would　have　startled　a　cooler　manI　saw　the　fourth
  fastening　undone！
  〃You　look　surprised；〃　he　continued；　〃and　will　be　more　surprised
  when　I　tell　you　that　the　iron　in　your　hands　once　floated　in　the
  circulation　of　a　man。　　It　is　made　from　human　blood。〃
  〃Human　blood！〃　I　murmured。
  He　went　on　expounding　the　physiological　wonders　of　the　blood；how
  it　carried；　dissolved　in　its　currents；　a　proportion　of　iron　and
  earths；　how　this　iron　was　extracted　by　chemists　and　exhibited　as　a
  curiosity；　and　how　this　chain　had　been　manufactured　from　such
  extracts。　　I　heard　every　word；　but　my　thoughts　were　hurrying　to　and
  fro　in　the　agitation　of　a　supreme　moment。　　That　there　was　a　dagger
  underneath　that　coatthat　in　a　few　moments　it　would　flash　forth
  that　a　death…struggle　was　at　hand；I　knew　well。　　My　safety
  depended　on　presence　of　mind。　　That　incalculable　rapidity　with
  which；　in　critical　moments；　the　mind　surveys　all　the　openings　and
  resources　of　an　emergency；　had　assured　me　that　there　was　no　weapon
  within　reachthat　before　I　could　give　an　alarm　the　tiger　would　be
  at　my　throat；　and　that　my　only　chance　was　to　keep　my　eyes　fixed
  upon　him；　ready　to　spring　on　him　the　moment　the　next　fastening　was
  undone；　and　before　he　could　use　his　arm。
  At　last　the　idea　occurred　to　me；　that　as；　with　a　wild　beast；　safety
  lies　in　attacking　him　just　before　he　attacks　you；　so　with　this
  beast　my　best　chance　was　audacity。　　Looking　steadily　into　his　face；
  I　said　slowly：
  〃And　you　would　like　to　have　such　a　chain　made　from　my　blood。〃　　I
  rose　as　I　spoke。　　He　remained　sitting；　but　was　evidently　taken
  aback。
  〃What　do　you　mean？〃　he　said。
  〃I　mean；〃　said　I；　sternly；　〃that　your　coat　is　unfastened；　and　that
  if　another　fastening　is　loosened　in　my　presence；　I　fell　you　to　the
  earth。〃
  〃You're　a　fool！〃　he　exclaimed。
  I　moved　towards　the　door；　keeping　my　eye　fixed　upon　him　as　he　sat
  pale　and　glaring　at　me。
  〃YOU　are　a　fool；〃　I　said〃　and　worse；　if　you　stir。〃
  At　this　moment；　I　know　not　by　what　sense；　as　if　I　had　eyes　at　the
  back　of　my　head；　I　was　aware　of　some　one　moving　behind　me；　yet　I
  dared　not　look　aside。　　Suddenly　two　mighty　folds　of　darkness　seemed
  to　envelop　me　like　arms。　　A　powerful　scent　ascended　my　nostrils。
  There　was　a　ringing　in　my　ears；　a　beating　at　my　heart。　　Darkness
  came　on；　deeper　and　deeper；　like　huge　waves。　　I　seemed　growing　to
  gigantic　stature。　　The　waves　rolled　on　faster　and　faster。　　The
  ringing　became　a　roaring。　　The　beating　became　a　throbbing。　　Lights
  flashed　across　the　darkness。　　Forms　moved　before　me。　　On　came　the
  waves　hurrying　like　a　tide；　and　I　sank　deeper　and　deeper　into　this
  mighty　sea　of　darkness。　　Then　all　was　silent。　　Consciousness　was
  still。
  。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。
  How　long　I　remained　unconscious；　I　cannot　tell。　　But　it　must　have
  been　some　considerable　time。　　When　consciousness　once　more　began　to
  dawn　within　me；　I　found　myself　lying　on　a　bed　surrounded　by　a　group
  of　eager；　watching　faces；　and　became　aware　of　a　confused　murmur　of
  whispering　going　on　around　me。　　〃Er　Lebt〃　（he　lives）　were　the　words
  which　greeted　my　opening　eyeswords　which　I　recognized　as　coming
  from　my　landlord。
  I　had　had　a　very　narrow　escape。　　Another　moment　and　I　should　not
  have　lived　to　tell　the　tale。　　The　dagger　that　had　already　immolated
  two　of　Bourgonef's　objects　of　vengeance　would　have　been　in　my
  breast。　　As　it　was；　at　the　very　moment　when　the　terrible　Ivan　had
  thrown　his　arms　around　me　and　was　stifling　me　with　chloroform；　one
  of　the　servants　of　the　hotel；　alarmed　or　attracted　by　curiosity　at
  the　sound　of　high　words　within　the　room；　had　ventured　to　open　the
  door　to　see　what　was　going　on。　　The　alarm　had　been　given；　and
  Bourgonef　had　been　arrested　and　handed　over　to　the　police。　　Ivan；
  however；　had　disappeared；　nor　were　the　police　ever　able　to　find
  him。　　This　mattered　comparatively　little。　　Ivan　without　his　master
  was　no　more　redoubtable　than　any　other　noxious　animal。　　As　an
  accomplice；　as　an　instrument　to　execute　the　will　of　a　man　like
  Bourgonef；　he　was　a　danger　to　society。　　The　directing　intelligence
  withdrawn；　he　sank　to　the　level　of　the　brute。　　I　was　not　uneasy；
  therefore；　at　his　having　escaped。　　Sufficient　for　me　that　the　real
  criminal；　the　mind　that　had　conceived　and　directed　those　fearful
  murders；　was　at　last　in　the　hands　of　justice。　　I　felt　that　my　task
  had　been　fully　accomplished　when　Bourgonef's　head　fell　on　the
  scaffold。
  The　Closed　Cabinet
  I
  It　was　with　a　little　alarm　and　a　good　deal　of　pleasurable
  excitement　that　I　looked　forward　to　my　first　grown…up　visit　to
  Mervyn　Grange。　　I　had　been　there　several　times　as　a　child；　but
  never　since　I　was　twelve　years　old；　and　now　I　was　over　eighteen。
  We　were　all　of　us　very　proud　of　our　cousins　the　Mervyns：　it　is　not
  everybody　that　can　claim　kinship　with　a　family　who　are　in　full　and
  admitted　possession　of　a　secret；　a　curse；　and　a　mysterious　cabinet；
  in　addition　to　the　usual　surplusage　of　horrors　supplied　in　such
  cases　by　popular　imagination。　　Some　declared　that　a　Mervyn　of　the
  days　of　Henry　VIII　had　been　cursed　by　an　injured　abbot　from　the
  foot　of　the　gallows。　　Others　affirmed　that　a　dissipated　Mervyn　of
  the　Georgian　era　was　still　playing　cards　for　his　soul　in　some
  remote　region　of　the　Grange。　　There　were　stories　of　white　ladies
  and　black　imps；　of　bloodstained　passages　and　magic　stones。　　We；
  proud　of　our　more　intimate　acquaintance　with　the　family；　naturally
  gave　no　credence　to　these　wild　inventions。　　The　Mervyns；　indeed；
  followed　the　accepted　precedent　in　such　cases；　and　greatly　disliked
  any　reference　to　the　reputed　mystery　being　made　in　their　presence；
  with　the　inevitable　result　that　there　was　no　subject　so
  pertinaciously　discussed　by　their　friends　in　their　absence。　　My
  father's　sister　had　married　the　late　Baronet；　Sir　Henry　Mervyn；　and
  we　always　felt　that　she　ought　to　have　been　the　means　of　imparting
  to　us　a　very　complete　knowledge　of　the　family　secret。　　But　in　this
  connection　she　undoubtedly　failed　of　her　duty。　　We　knew　that　there
  had　been　a　terrible　tragedy　in　the　family　some　two　or　three　hundred
  years　agothat　a　peculiarly　wicked　owner　of　Mervyn；　who　flourished
  in　the　latter　part　of　the　sixteenth　century；　had　been　murdered　by
  his　wife　who　subsequently　committed　suicide。　　We　knew　that　the
  mysterious　curse　had　some　connection　with　this　crime；　but　what　the
  curse　exactly　was　we　had　never　been　able　to　discover。　　The　history
  of　the　family　since　that　time　had　indeed　in　one　sense　been　full　of
  misfortune。　　Not　in　every　sense。　　A　coal　mine　had　been　discovered
  in　one　part　of　the　estate；　and　a　populous　city　had　grown　over　the
  corner　of　another　part；　and　the　Mervyns　of　to…day；　in　spite　of　the
  usual　percentage　of　extravagant　heirs　and　political　mistakes；　were
  three　times　as　rich　as　their　ancestors　had　been。　　But　still　their
  story　was　full　of　bloodshed　and　shame；　of　tales　of　duels　and
  suicides；　broken　hearts　and　broken　honor。　　Only　these　calamities
  seemed　to　have　little　or　no　relation　to　each　other；　and　what　the
  precise　curse　was　that　was　supposed　to　connect　or　account　for　them
  we　could　not　learn。　　When　she　first　married；　my　aunt　was　told
  nothing　about　it。　　Later　on　in　life；　when　my　father　asked　her　for
  the　story；　she　begged　him　to　talk　upon　a　pleasanter　subject；　and
  being　unluckily　a　man　of　much　courtesy　and　little　curiosity；　he
  complied　with　her　request。　　This；　however；　was　the　only　part　of　the
  ghostly　traditions　of　her　husband's　home　upon　which　she　was　so
  reticent。　　The　haunted　chamber；　for　instancewhich；　of　course；
  existed　at　the　Grangeshe　treated　with　the　greatest　contempt。
  Various　friends　and　relations　had　slept　in　it　at　different　times；
  and　no　approach　to　any　kind　of　authenticated　ghost…story；　even　of
  the　most　trivial　description；　had　they　been　able　to　supply。　　Its
  only　claim　to　respect；　indeed；　was　that　it　contained　the　famous
  Mervyn　cabinet；　a　fascinating　puzzle　of　which　I　will　speak　later；
  but　which　certai