“I will see him! I will wait, if I stay here till I die!” he yelled wildly, struggling to rise.
My endeavours to hold him down were at length successful, and, apparently exhausted, he lay back, groaning and muttering.
Slowly and wearily the time passed. When at last I looked at my watch its hands pointed to the hour of half-past four.
In a frenzy of excitement I listened breathlessly for every word, hoping to catch some clue to the problem. The sick man moaned and ground his teeth, ever and anon raising his voice, startling me with the suddenness of the outbursts. Lower and lower sank the candle in its socket, until I feared that unless the day soon dawned we should be in darkness.
A cold shiver ran through me.
Then strain was beginning to take effect; my limbs trembled with the tension to which my nerves subjected them.
Presently the day broke, and never was it more welcome.
The candle had just flickered and died out when the injured man spoke with startling distinctness.
“You shall be revenged, Nell, never fear! I’ll find him. He has seen him once—red-handed then. The blood was upon him—he shall be richly repaid!”
Was he talking of me? I had seen the murderer once, certainly.