"
There was silence.
"I have sounded that side," said the first voice sharply.
"Well, but--"
"I tell you I have sounded it. There is no time to be lost. My lord--"
"Hark!" said the second voice. "There is my lord's man--"
There followed a movement of feet towards the door, as it seemed to the
priest.
He could hear the first man grumbling to himself, and beating listlessly
on the walls somewhere. Then a voice called something unintelligible
from the direction of the stairs; the beating ceased, and footsteps went
across the floor again into silence.
VI
He was dazed and blinded by the light when, after infinite hours, he
drew the bolts and slid the panel open.
* * * * *
He had lost all idea of time utterly: he did not know whether he should
find that night had come, or that the next day had dawned. He had waited
there, period after period; he marked one of them by eating food that
had no taste and drinking liquid that stung his throat but did not
affect his palate; he had marked another by saying compline to himself
in a whisper.
During the earlier part of those periods he had followed--he thought
with success--the dreadful drama that was acted in the house. Someone
had made a formal inspection of all the chambers--a man who said little
and moved heavily with something of a limp (he had thought this to be my
lord Shrewsbury himself, who suffered from the gout): this man had
walked slowly through the chapel and out again.
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