Do you not see the beams come from that half glass-door leading to
the greenhouse?" "Yes; and there's the footstep again, or another." Tramp, tramp came a footfall again upon the gravel path, and, as before,
died away upon their listening ears. "What do you say now," said Mr. Chillingworth--"are there not two?" "If they were a dozen," said the admiral, "although we have lost one of
our force, I would tackle them. Let's creep on through the rooms in the
direction the footsteps went." "My life on it," said Mr. Chillingworth as they left the apartment, "if
this be Varney, he makes for that apartment where Flora slept, and which
he knows how to get admission to. I've studied the house well, admiral,
and to get to that window any one from here outside must take a
considerable round. Come on--we shall be beforehand." "A good idea--a good idea. Be it so." Just allowing themselves sufficient light to guide them on the way from
the lantern, they hurried on with as much precipitation as the
intricacies of the passage would allow, nor halted till they had reached
the chamber were hung the portrait which bore so striking and remarkable
a likeness to Varney, the vampyre. They left the lamp outside the door, so that not even a straggling beam
from it could betray that there were persons on the watch; and then, as
quietly as foot could fall, they took up their station among the
hangings of the antique bedstead, which has been before alluded to in
this work as a remarkable piece of furniture appertaining to that
apartment. "Do you think," said the admiral, "we've distanced them?" "Certainly we have. It's unlucky that the blind of the window is down." "Is it? By Heaven, there's a d----d strange-looking shadow creeping over
it." Mr. Chillingworth looked almost with suspended breath. Even he could not
altogether get rid of a tremulous feeling, as he saw that the shadow of
a human form, apparently of very large dimensions, was on the outside,
with the arms spread out, as if feeling for some means of opening the
window. It would have been easy now to have fired one of the pistols direct upon
the figure; but, somehow or another, both the admiral and Mr.
Chillingworth shrank from that course, and they felt much rather
inclined to capture whoever might make his appearance, only using their
pistols as a last resource, than gratuitously and at once to resort to
violence. "Who should you say that was?" whispered the admiral. "Varney, the vampyre." "D----e, he's ill-looking and big enough for anything--there's a noise!" There was a strange cracking sound at the window, as if a pane of glass
was being very stealthily and quietly broken; and then the blind was
agitated slightly, confusing much the shadow that was cast upon it, as
if the hand of some person was introduced for the purpose of effecting a
complete entrance into the apartment. "He's coming in," whispered the admiral. "Hush, for Heaven's sake!" said Mr. Chillingworth; "you will alarm him,
and we shall lose the fruit of all the labour we have already bestowed
upon the matter; but did you not say something, admiral, about lying
under the window and catching him by the leg?" "Why, yes; I did." "Go and do it, then; for, as sure as you are a living man, his leg will
be in in a minute." "Here goes," said the admiral; "I never suggest anything which I'm
unwilling to do myself." Whoever it was that now was making such strenuous exertions to get into
the apartment seemed to find some difficulty as regarded the fastenings
of the window, and as this difficulty increased, the patience of the
party, as well as his caution deserted him, and the casement was rattled
with violence. With a far greater amount of caution than any one from a knowledge of
his character would have given him credit for, the admiral crept forward
and laid himself exactly under the window. The depth of wood-work from the floor to the lowest part of the
window-frame did not exceed above two feet; so that any one could
conveniently step in from the balcony outride on to the floor of the
apartment, which was just what he who was attempting to effect an
entrance was desirous of doing. It was quite clear that, be he who he might, mortal or vampyre, he had
some acquaintance with the fastening of the window; for now he succeeded
in moving it, and the sash was thrown open. The blind was still an obstacle; but a vigorous pull from the intruder
brought that down on the prostrate admiral; and then Mr. Chillingworth
saw, by the moonlight, a tall, gaunt figure standing in the balcony, as
if just hesitating for a moment whether to get head first or feet first
into the apartment. Had he chosen the former alternative he would need, indeed, to have been
endowed with more than mortal powers of defence and offence to escape
capture, but his lucky star was in the ascendancy, and he put his foot
in first. He turned his side to the apartment and, as he did so, the blight
moonlight fell upon his face, enabling Mr. Chillingworth to see, without
the shadow of a doubt, that it was, indeed, Varney, the vampyre, who was
thus stealthily making his entrance into Bannerworth Hall, according to
the calculation which had been made by the admiral upon that subject. The doctor scarcely knew whether to be pleased or not at this discovery;
it was almost a terrifying one, sceptical as he was upon the subject of
vampyres, and he waited breathless for the issue of the singular and
perilous adventure. No doubt Admiral Bell deeply congratulated himself upon the success
which was about to crown his stratagem for the capture of the intruder,
be he who he might, and he writhed with impatience for the foot to come
sufficiently near him to enable him to grasp it. His patience was not severely tried, for in another moment it rested
upon his chest. "Boarders a hoy!" shouted the admiral, and at once he laid hold of the
trespasser. "Yard-arm to yard-arm, I think I've got you now. Here's a
prize, doctor! he shall go away without his leg if he goes away now. Eh! what! the light--d----e, he has--Doctor, the light! the light! Why
what's this?--Hilloa, there!" Dr. Chillingworth sprang into the passage, and procured the light--in
another moment he was at the side of the admiral, and the lantern slide
being thrown back, he saw at once the dilemma into which his friend had
fallen. There he lay upon his back, grasping, with the vehemence of an embrace
that had in it much of the ludicrous, a long boot, from which the
intruder had cleverly slipped his leg, leaving it as a poor trophy in
the hands of his enemies. "Why you've only pulled his boot off," said the doctor; "and now he's
gone for good, for he knows what we're about, and has slipped through
your fingers." Admiral Bell sat up and looked at the boot with a rueful countenance. "Done again!" he said. "Yes, you are done," said the doctor; "why didn't you lay hold of the
leg while you were about it, instead of the boot? Admiral, are these
your tactics?"