The moon was shining with an uncertain radiance upon the antique grey buildings, and obliquely upon the narrow court beneath; one side of it was therefore clearly illuminated, while the other was lost in obscurity, the sharp outlines of the old gables, with their nodding clusters of ivy, being at first alone visible.  Whoever or whatever occasioned the noise which had excited my curiosity, was concealed under the shadow of the dark side of the quadrangle.  I placed my hand over my eyes to shade them from the moonlight, which was so bright as to be almost dazzling, and, peering into the darkness, I first dimly, but afterwards gradually, almost with full distinctness, beheld the form of a man engaged in digging what appeared to be a rude hole close under the wall.  Some implements, probably a shovel and pickaxe, lay beside him, and to these he every now and then applied himself as the nature of the ground required.  He pursued his task rapidly, and with as little noise as possible.  “So,” thought I, as shovelful after shovelful, the dislodged rubbish mounted into a heap, “they are digging the grave in which, before two hours pass, I must lie, a cold, mangled corpse.  I am theirs—­I cannot escape.”  I felt as if my reason was leaving me.  I started to my feet, and in mere despair I applied myself again to each of the two doors alternately.  I strained every nerve and sinew, but I might as well have attempted, with my single strength, to force the building itself from its foundations.  I threw myself madly upon the ground, and clasped my hands over my eyes as if to shut out the horrible images which crowded upon me.

The paroxysm passed away.  I prayed once more with the bitter, agonised fervour of one who feels that the hour of death is present and inevitable.  When I arose, I went once more to the window and looked out, just in time to see a shadowy figure glide stealthily along the wall.  The task was finished.  The catastrophe of the tragedy must soon be accomplished.  I determined now to defend my life to the last; and that I might be able to do so with some effect, I searched the room for something which might serve as a weapon; but either through accident, or else in anticipation of such a possibility, every thing which might have been made available for such a purpose had been removed.

I must then die tamely and without an effort to defend myself.  A thought suddenly struck me; might it not be possible to escape through the door, which the assassin must open in order to enter the room?  I resolved to make the attempt.  I felt assured that the door through which ingress to the room would be effected was that which opened upon the lobby.  It was the more direct way, besides being, for obvious reasons, less liable to interruption than the other.  I resolved, then, to place myself behind a projection of the wall, the shadow would serve fully to conceal me, and when the door should be opened, and before they should have discovered the identity of the occupant