"It would have been strikingly at variance with all
Varney's other conduct, if he had committed such a deliberate and
heartless murder." Then, as the form of the vampyre could be but dimly seen, Charles ran on
for some distance in the direction he had taken, and then paused again;
so that if Varney heard the sound of footsteps, and paused to listen
they had ceased again probably, and nothing was discernible. In this manner he followed the mysterious individual, if we may really
call him such, for above a mile; and then Varney made a rapid detour,
and took his way towards the town. He went onwards with wonderful precision now in a right line, not
stopping at any obstruction, in the way of fences, hedges, or ditches,
so that it took Charles some exertion, to which, just then, he was
scarcely equal, to keep up with him. At length the outskirts of the town were gained, and then Varney paused,
and looked around him, scarcely allowing Charles, who was now closer to
him than he had been, time to hide himself from observation, which,
however, he did accomplish, by casting himself suddenly upon the ground,
so that he could not be detected against the sky, which then formed a
back ground to the spot where he was. Apparently satisfied that he had completely now eluded the pursuit, if
any had been attempted, of those whom he had led in such a state of
confusion, the vampyre walked hastily towards a house that was to let,
and which was only to be reached by going up an avenue of trees, and
then unlocking a gate in a wall which bounded the premises next to the
avenue. But the vampyre appeared to be possessed of every facility for
effecting an entrance to the place and, producing from his pocket a key,
he at once opened the gate, and disappeared within the precincts of
those premises. He, no doubt, felt that he was hunted by the mob of the town, and hence
his frequent change of residence, since his own had been burnt down,
and, indeed, situated as he was, there can be no manner of doubt that he
would have been sacrificed to the superstitious fury of the populace, if
they could but have got hold of him. He had, from his knowledge, which was no doubt accurate and complete, of
what had been done, a good idea of what his own fate would be, were he
to fall into the hands of that ferocious multitude, each individual
composing which, felt a conviction that there would be no peace, nor
hope of prosperity or happiness, on the place, until he, the arch
vampyre of all the supposed vampyres, was destroyed. [Illustration]

Charles did pause for a few moments, after having thus become roused, to
consider whether he should then attempt to have the interview he had
resolved upon having by some means or another, or defer it, now that he
knew where Varney was to be found, until another time. But when he came to consider how extremely likely it was that, even in
the course of a few hours, Varney might shift his abode for some good
and substantial reasons, he at once determined upon attempting to see
him. But how to accomplish such a purpose was not the easiest question in the
world to answer. If he rung the bell that presented itself above the
garden gate, was it at all likely that Varney, who had come there for
concealment, would pay any attention to the summons? After some consideration, he did, however, think of a plan by which, at
all events, he could ensure effecting an entrance into the premises, and
then he would take his chance of finding the mysterious being whom he
sought, and who probably might have no particular objection to meeting
with him, Charles Holland, because their last interview in the ruins
could not be said to be otherwise than of a peaceable and calm enough
character. He saw by the board, which was nailed in the front of the house, that
all applications to see it were to be made to a Mr. Nash, residing close
at hand; and, as Charles had the appearance of a respectable person, he
thought he might possibly have the key entrusted to him, ostensibly to
look at the house, preparatory possibly to taking it, and so he should,
at all events, obtain admission. He, accordingly, went at once to this Mr. Nash, and asked about the
house; of course he had to affect an interest in its rental and
accommodations, which he did not feel, in order to lull any suspicion,
and, finally, he said,--

"I should like to look over it if you will lend me the key, which I will
shortly bring back to you." There was an evident hesitation about the agent when this proposal was
communicated by Charles Holland, and he said,--

"I dare say, sir, you wonder that I don't say yes, at once; but the fact
is there came a gentleman here one day when I was out, and got a key,
for we have two to open the house, from my wife, and he never came back
again." That this was the means by which Varney, the vampyre, had obtained the
key, by the aid of which Charles had seen him effect so immediate an
entrance to the house, there could be no doubt. "How long ago were you served that trick?" he said. "About two days ago, sir." "Well, it only shows how, when one person acts wrongly, another is at
once suspected of a capability to do so likewise. There is my name and
my address; I should like rather to go alone to see the house, because I
always fancy I can judge better by myself of the accommodation, and I
can stay as long as I like, and ascertain the sizes of all the rooms
without the disagreeable feeling upon my mind, which no amount of
complaisance on your part, could ever get me over, that I was most
unaccountably detaining somebody from more important business of their
own." "Oh, I assure you, sir," said Mr. Nash, "that I should not be at all
impatient. But if you would rather go alone--"

"Indeed I would." "Oh, then, sir, there is the key. A gentleman who leaves his name and
address, of course, we can have no objection to. I only told you of what
happened, sir, in the mere way of conversation, and I hope you won't
imagine for a moment that I meant to insinuate that you were going to
keep the key." "Oh, certainly not--certainly not," said Charles, who was only too glad
to get the key upon any terms. "You are quite right, and I beg you will
say no more about it; I quite understand." He then walked off to the empty house again, and, proceeding to the
avenue, he fitted the key to the lock, and had the satisfaction of
finding the gate instantly yield to him. When he passed through it, and closed the door after him, which he did
carefully, he found himself in a handsomely laid-out garden, and saw the
house a short distance in front of him, standing upon a well got-up
lawn. He cared not if Varney should see him before he reached the house,
because the fact was sufficiently evident to himself that after all he
could not actually enforce an interview with the vampyre. He only hoped
that as he had found him out it would be conceded to him.