The Press., 1886-11-25
tGontinued from last weekly THE HAUNTED CHAMBER
CHAPTER VI.

2
 M AAE-tf-
 CHAPTER VI.
 .Dear Sir Adrian, says Dora Talbot, laying down her bat upon garden chair, and forsaking the game of ten his then proceeding to go forward and greet her host, where have you been2 We have missed you so much. Flor, T, ence"-turning to her cousin = will you take my bat, dearest2 am quite ! tired of tryina to defeat I6 ord LisIB." SIOrd Isisl6, D mid 1Ae-Aged gentleman of sunburned appearance, looks unmis- takably delighted at the prospect of a change in the game. He is married; has large family of promising young Lisles, and ferFent passion for ten- his. Mrs. Talbot having proved very contemptible adversary, he is charmed at his chance of getting rid of her.
 So Florence, eice Dora retired, joins the game, and the play continues with unabated vigOr. When However Lord Lisle has Scored D grand victory, and all the players declar6 themselves thorouGh1y exhausted and in need of refreshments, Sir Adrian comes for ward, and walks straight up to Miss Delmaine, to Dora'S intense chagrin and the secret rage of Arthur Dynes
 &You have often asked to see the haunted chamber {" he says; @Why not come and visit it noW2 It ism much to see, you know; but still, in 8 ghostly sense, it is, I suppose, interesting"
 "Let us make a party and go to- gether," suggests Dora, enthusiastical- lys claSping her hands-her favorite method of showing false emotion of any kind. She is determined to have her part in the programme, and is equally determined that Florence shall go nowhere alone with Sir Adrian.
 What a capital ideal" puts in Ar thur Dynecourt, coming up to Miss Delmaine, and specially addressing her with all the air of a fightfal owner.
 Charming" mutters young lady standing by; and so the question is sH win be rather < fatiquing 5ourney, you know" says Captain RingWood, confidentially, to Ethel Villiers. Its an awful lot of stairs; I've been there, so I know all about it it's worse than 5s E4tsea tresdmah hn5l Saeb too9. from under her long flashes. I~ as @ef 2 Mot yet" answers the captain, with a little grin. But, l say, don't go- will you"
 T must; am dying to see it, replies Ethels @YOu needn't come, you know; I dare say I shalk be Able to get on without you for half an hour or so."
 T dare say you could get on uncom- monly well without me forever" re- torts the captain rather gloomily. To himself he confeSseS moodily that this girl with the auburn hair and the blue eyes has the power of taking the "curl out of him" Whensoever she wishes.
 T believe you are afraid of the bOgies hidden in this secret. chamber, and so don't care to come" says Miss Viffiers tauntingly.
 q know something else Pm a great deal more afraid of" responds the gal lant capt nmeaningly.
 Mew she asks innOcently, but cer- tainly coquettishly. "Oh, Captain Ring wood"-in a tone of mock injury %What an unkind speechl Now know you look upon me in the light of an ogresS, or 8 witch, or something equal ly dreadful. We'll, as have the name of 1t, may as well have the gain of it, and so-I command you to attend me to the haunted chamber"
 You oGder-I obey" says the cap thougHI diel' ]" After which quotation he accompanies her toWard the house in the wake of Dora and Sir Adrian, who has been. pressed by the : clever widow into her service.
 Florence and Arthur Dynecourt fol- low them, Arthur talking gayly, as though determined to ignore the fact that he is thoroughly unwelcome to his and and naughty naughty efootsteps and eyes care
 Past the hall, through the corridor, up the staircase, through the galleries, along more corridors they go, laughing and talking eagerly, until they come at last to an old and apparently much dis used part of the house.
 Irayersiag more corridors, upon which dust lies thickly, they come at last to a small iron-bound door that blocks the end of one passage.
 Now we really begin to get,near it. says Sir Adrian eneouragngly, turning as he always does, when Opportunity offers, to address himself solely to Flor Don't you feel creepy-creepyp" asks Ethel V1lliers, with a smothered laugh, looking up at Captain Ringwood. :, door, revealing a steep flight of stone steps that leads upward to another door above. This door, like the lower one, is bound with iron.
 This IS the tower, ," explains Sir AGl- rlan, still acting as cicerone to the small party, who look with interest around them. Mrs. Talbot, affecting nervousness, clings closely to Sir Ad- rlan's arm. Indeed she is debating in her own mind whether it would be ef- fect1ve or otherwise to Subside into a graceful swoon within his arms @Yon- der is the door of the chamber" con- t1nues Sir Adrian. Come let us go up to it.''
 They all ascend the last flight of stone stairs; and presently their host opens the door, and reveals to them whatever mystery may lie beyond. He enters first, and they all follow him, but as ifasuddenly reeollecting some important point, he turns, and calls loudly to Captain Ringwood not to let the door shut behind him.
 There is 8 sp0culiar spring in the lock-" he explains a moment later: and, if the door slammed to, we should ind 1t impossible to open it from the inside, and might remain here prison CTS forever unless the household came to the rescue."s sx4F raFr g~
 '@Oh, Captain eRingwood, pray be careful" cries Dora faltering1y. @Our very. lives depend upon your atten-
 Miss Villiers, do come here and help me to remember my duty, {" says Capt. Ringwood, planting his back against the open door lest by any means it should shut. ss s3
 The chamber is round, and has, in- stead Of windows, three narrow aper- lures Tn the walls, through which can be obtained glimpse of the sky, but of nothing else. These apertures are just The room is without furniture of any dissertation and 0Tl fIks 11ro1.1lc 4T,n ES1s,r.iy