"There was a long silence. Everybody waited with livid face and hair on end. Only the doctor kept calm. Passing his hand two or three times over the woman's forehead, he recommenced his questions. Agatha described how Sir Thomas's death happened.
"'He was bathing in the lake of the source. The spider saw his bare back from behind. It had been fasting for a long time, and was hungry. Then it saw Sir Thomas's arm on the water. All of a sudden it rushed out, put its claws round the commodore's neck. He cried out, "Mon Dieu, Mon Dieu." The spider stung him and went back, and Sir Thomas fell into the water and died. Then the spider returned, spun its web round him, and swam slowly, gently back to the extremity of the cavern; drawing Sir Thomas after it by the thread attached to its own body.'
"I was still sitting in the chimney corner, overwhelmed with fright. The doctor turned to me.
"'Is it true, Frantz, that the commodore was going to bathe?'
"'Yes, cousin.'
"'At what time?'
"'At four o'clock.'
"'At four o'clock? It was very hot then, was it not?'
"'Yes; oh, yes.'
"'That's it. The monster was not afraid to come out then.'