He listened—but all was still!
“A false alarm,” he murmured to himself—and resumed his seat.
But the incident had completely disturbed the current of his thoughts which were flowing into a more voluptuous channel than for years and years they had done,—the beauty of Perdita having made a deep impression upon the mind of the miser, and for a few minutes weaned away his attention from the hitherto all-absorbing gold that he worshipped so devotedly.
And now that alarm,—whether false or real, we cannot as yet determine,—recalled his errant thoughts to the one engrossing subject: and carefully depositing his cash-box in the safe, he next secured the safe itself.
Then, having placed the key in his pocket, he took the candle in his hand, and once more inspected the street-door—the shutters in the front-room—and the bolt of the back-gate.
He descended into the kitchen,—that kitchen which no domestic occupied, and the hearth of which so seldom sparkled or shone with blazing coal or wood,—a cursed hearth which, even in the very midst of summer, seemed cheerless and cold! The area that gave light to the kitchen-window was strongly barred over: the window itself was likewise barred;—and the door opening into the area was well secured with bolts and chains.
All these multiplied precautions were duly inspected by the miser. Forgotten now was the image of Perdita:—gold—gold—his gold,—this was the one absorbing idea!
No—not the only one: for with the thought of possessing gold is ever associated the dread of losing it;—and at this moment the man’s mind was a prey to vague fears—undefined alarms—gloomy misgivings.
He did not like that noise which he had heard:—it haunted him like a spectre;—it was something that weighed upon his soul like lead.
He felt—he knew that he was really alone in that house,—aye, and that the house was lonely in situation likewise: for he could not count for aid, in case of need, on the elderly widow next door and her two or three poor female lodgers. Thus, the fact that there was a house adjoining did not detract from the sense of utter loneliness awakened in his mind respecting his own abode.