Although the admiral had said but little concerning the fearful end
Marchdale had come to, it really did make some impression upon him; and,
much as he held in abhorrence the villany of Marchdale's conduct, he
would gladly in his heart have averted the fate from him that he had
brought upon himself. On the road to the ruins, he calculated upon taking a different kind of
vengeance. When they had got some distance from the cottage, Admiral Bell made a
proposal to Henry to be his second while he fought Marchdale, but Henry
would not hear of it for a moment. "My dear sir," he said, "could I, do you think, stand by and see a
valuable, revered, and a respected life like yours exposed to any hazard
merely upon the chance of punishing a villain? No, no; Marchdale is too
base now to be met in honourable encounter. If he is dealt with in any
way let it be by the laws." This was reasonable enough, and after some argument the admiral
coincided in it, and then they began to wonder how, without Charles,
they should be able to get an entrance to the dungeons, for it had been
his intention originally, had he not felt so fatigued, to go with them. As soon, however, as they got tolerably near to the ruins, they saw what
had happened. Neither spoke, but they quickened their pace, and soon
stood close to the mass of stone-work which now had assumed so different
a shape to what it had a few short hours before. It needed little examination to let them feel certain that whoever might
have been in any of the underground dungeons must have been crushed to
death. "Heaven have mercy upon his soul!" said Henry. "Amen!" said the admiral. They both turned away, and for some time they neither of them spoke, for
their thoughts were full of reflection upon the horrible death which
Marchdale must have endured. At length the admiral said--

"Shall we tell this or not?" "Tell it at once," said Henry; "let us have no secrets." "Good. Then I will not make one you may depend. I only wish that while
he was about it, Charley could have popped that rascal Varney as well in
the dungeon, and then there would have been an end and a good riddance
of them both." CHAPTER LXXVI. THE SECOND NIGHT-WATCH OF MR. CHILLINGWORTH AT THE HALL. [Illustration]

The military party in the morning left Bannerworth Hall, and the old
place resumed its wonted quiet. But Dr. Chillingworth found it difficult
to get rid of his old friend, the hangman, who seemed quite disposed to
share his watch with him. The doctor, without being at all accused of being a prejudiced man,
might well object to the continued companionship of one, who, according
to his own account, was decidedly no better than he should be, if he
were half so good. Moreover, it materially interfered with the proceedings of our medical
friend, whose object was to watch the vampyre with all imaginable
quietness and secrecy, in the event of his again visiting Bannerworth
Hall. "Sir," he said, to the hangman, "now that you have so obligingly related
to me your melancholy history, I will not detain you." "Oh, you are not detaining me." "Yes, but I shall probably remain here for a considerable time." "I have nothing to do; and one place is about the same as another to
me." "Well, then, if I must speak plainly, allow me to say, that as I came
here upon a very important and special errand, I desire most
particularly to be left alone. Do you understand me now?" "Oh! ah!--I understand; you want me to go?" "Just so." "Well, then, Dr. Chillingworth, allow me to tell you, I have come here
on a very special errand likewise." "You have?" "I have. I have been putting one circumstance to another, and drawing a
variety of conclusions from a variety of facts, so that I have come to
what I consider an important resolve, namely, to have a good look at
Bannerworth Hall, and if I continue to like it as well as I do now, I
should like to make the Bannerworth family an offer for the purchase of
it." "The devil you would! Why all the world seems mad upon the project of
buying this old building, which really is getting into such a state of
dilapidation, that it cannot last many years longer." "It is my fancy." "No, no; there is something more in this than meets the eye. The same
reason, be it what may, that has induced Varney the vampyre to become so
desirous of possessing the Hall, actuates you." "Possibly." "And what is that reason? You may as well be candid with me." "Yes, I will, and am. I like the picturesque aspect of the place." "No, you know that that is a disingenuous answer, that you know well. It
is not the aspect of the old Hall that has charms for you. But I feel,
only from your conduct, more than ever convinced, that some plot is
going on, having the accomplishment of some great object as its climax,
a something of which you have guessed." "How much you are mistaken!" "No, I am certain I am right; and I shall immediately advise the
Bannerworth family to return, and to take up their abode again here, in
order to put an end to the hopes which you, or Varney, or any one else
may have, of getting possession of the place." "If you were a man," said the hangman, "who cared a little more for
yourself, and a little less for others, I would make a confidant of
you." "What do you mean?" "Why, I mean, candidly, that you are not selfish enough to be entitled
to my confidence." "That is a strange reason for withholding confidence from any man." "It is a strange reason; but, in this case, a most abundantly true one. I cannot tell you what I would tell you, because I cannot make the
agreement with you that I would fain make." "You talk in riddles." "To explain which, then, would be to tell my secret." Dr. Chillingworth was, evidently, much annoyed, and yet he was in an
extremely helpless condition; for as to forcing the hangman to leave the
Hall, if he did not feel disposed to do so, that was completely out of
the question, and could not be done. In the first place, he was a much
more powerful man than the doctor, and in the second, it was quite
contrary to all Mr. Chillingworth's habits, to engage in anything like
personal warfare. He could only, therefore, look his vexation, and say,--

"If you are determined upon remaining, I cannot help it; but, when some
one, as there assuredly will, comes from the Bannerworths, here, to me,
or I shall be under the necessity of stating candidly that you are
intruding." "Very good. As the morning air is keen, and as we now are not likely to
be as good company to each other as we were, I shall go inside the
house." This was a proposition which the doctor did not like, but he was
compelled to submit to it; and he saw, with feelings of uneasiness, the
hangman make his way into the Hall by one of the windows. Then Dr. Chillingworth sat down to think. Much he wondered what could be
the secret of the great desire which Varney, Marchdale, and even this
man had, all of them to be possessors of the old Hall.