Some inscrutable fascination possessed her, some mysterious attraction drew her after him, in spite of herself.  She took up the candle and followed him mechanically, as if she too were walking in her sleep.  One behind the other, in slow and noiseless progress, they crossed the Banqueting-Hall.  One behind the other, they passed through the drawing-room, and along the corridor, and up the stairs.  She followed him to his own door.  He went in, and shut it behind him softly.  She stopped, and looked toward the truckle-bed.  It was pushed aside at the foot, some little distance away from the bedroom door.  Who had moved it?  She held the candle close and looked toward the pillow, with a sudden curiosity and a sudden doubt.

The truckle-bed was empty.

The discovery startled her for the moment, and for the moment only.  Plain as the inferences were to be drawn from it, she never drew them.  Her mind, slowly recovering the exercise of its faculties, was still under the influence of the earlier and the deeper impressions produced on it.  Her mind followed the admiral into his room, as her body had followed him across the Banqueting-Hall.

Had he lain down again in his bed?  Was he still asleep?  She listened at the door.  Not a sound was audible in the room.  She tried the door, and, finding it not locked, softly opened it a few inches and listened again.  The rise and fall of his low, regular breathing instantly caught her ear.  He was still asleep.

She went into the room, and, shading th e candle-light with her hand, approached the bedside to look at him.  The dream was past; the old man’s sleep was deep and peaceful; his lips were still; his quiet hand was laid over the coverlet in motionless repose.  He lay with his face turned toward the right-hand side of the bed.  A little table stood there within reach of his hand.  Four objects were placed on it; his candle, his matches, his customary night drink of lemonade, and his basket of keys.

The idea of possessing herself of his keys that night (if an opportunity offered when the basket was not in his hand) had first crossed her mind when she saw him go into his room.  She had lost it again for the moment, in the surprise of discovering the empty truckle-bed.  She now recovered it the instant the table attracted her attention.  It was useless to waste time in trying to choose the one key wanted from the rest—­the one key was not well enough known to her to be readily identified.  She took all the keys from the table, in the basket as they lay, and noiselessly closed the door behind her on leaving the room.

The truckle-bed, as she passed it, obtruded itself again on her attention, and forced her to think of it.  After a moment’s consideration, she moved the foot of the bed back to its customary position across the door.  Whether he was in the house or out of it, the veteran might return to his deserted post at any moment.  If he saw the bed moved from its usual place, he might suspect something wrong, he might rouse his master, and the loss of the keys might be discovered.