The perspiration broke out upon his brow, and he leaned against the wall for support, as he managed to say, faintly,—­

“Well, hush—­what then?”—­“Hist!”

“Well, I hear you.  Where are you?”

“Here at hand.  Who are you?”

“Tom Eccles.  Who are you?”—­“A friend.  Have you seen anything?”

“No; I wish I could.  I should like to see you if I could.”—­“I’m coming.”

There was a slow and cautious footstep, and Marchdale advanced to where Tom Eccles was standing.

“Come, now,” said the latter, when he saw the dusky-looking form stalking towards him; “till I know you better, I’ll be obliged to you to keep off.  I am well armed.  Keep your distance, be you friend or foe.”

“Armed!” exclaimed Marchdale, and he at once paused.—­“Yes, I am.”

“But I am a friend.  I have no sort of objection frankly to telly you my errand.  I am a friend of the Bannerworth family, and have kept watch here now for two nights, in the hopes of meeting with Varney, the vampyre.”

“The deuce you have:  and pray what may your name be?”—­“Marchdale.”

“If you be Mr. Marchdale, I know you by sight:  for I have seen you with Mr. Henry Bannerworth several times.  Come out from among the shadows, and let us have a look at you; but, till you do, don’t come within arm’s length of me.  I am not naturally suspicious; but we cannot be too careful.”

“Oh! certainly—­certainly.  The silver edge of the moon is now just peeping up from the east, and you will be able to see me well, if you step from the shadow of the wall by which you now are.”

This was a reasonable enough proposition, and Tom Eccles at once acceded to it, by stepping out boldly into the partial moonlight, which now began to fall upon the open meadows, tinting the grass with a silvery refulgence, and rendering even minute objects visible.  The moment he saw Marchdale he knew him, and, advancing frankly to him, he said,—­

“I know you, sir, well.”

“And what brings you here?”—­“A wager for one thing, and a wish to see the vampyre for another.”

“Indeed!”—­“Yes; I must own I have such a wish, along with a still stronger one, to capture him, if possible; and, as there are now two of us, why may we not do it?”

“As for capturing him,” said Marchdale, “I should prefer shooting him.”—­“You would?”

“I would, indeed.  I have seen him once shot down, and he is now, I have no doubt, as well as ever.  What were you doing with that huge stone I saw you bending over?”—­“I have some handkerchiefs to hide here, as a proof that I have to-night really been to this place.”

“Oh, I will show you a better spot, where there is a crevice in which you can place them with perfect safety.  Will you walk with me into the ruins?”—­“Willingly.”

“It’s odd enough,” remarked Marchdale, after he had shown Tom Eccles where to hide the handkerchiefs, “that you and I should both be here upon so similar an errand.”—­“I’m very glad of it.  It robs the place of its gloom, and makes it ten times more endurable than it otherwise would be.  What do you propose to do if you see the vampyre?”