“Yes, gentlemen,” said the Captain, not a whit more steady than his guests.  “They shall ring for us to-night, though it brought the parson out of his grave.”

A few minutes before twelve the butler, who had his orders, came into the dining-room and set the windows open.  His master gave him another order and the man withdrew.  Entering the drawing-room, he proceeded to open those windows also.  Mr. Peveril, and one or two more guests, sat with the family; Hubert lay back in an easy-chair.

“What are you about, Rimmer?” hastily cried out Mrs. Carradyne in surprise.  “Opening the windows!”

“It is by the master’s orders, ma’am,” replied the butler; “he bade me open them, that you and the ladies might get a better hearing of the chimes.”

Mrs. Carradyne, superstitious ever, grew white as death. “The chimes!” she breathed in a dread whisper.  “Surely, surely, Rimmer, you must be mistaken.  The chimes cannot be going to ring again!”

“They are to ring the New Year in,” said the man.  “I have known it this day or two, but was not allowed to tell, as Madam may guess”—­glancing at his mistress.  “John Cale has got his orders, and he’ll set ’em going when the clock has struck twelve.”

“Oh, is there no one who will run to stop it?” bewailed Mrs. Carradyne, wringing her hands in all the terror of a nameless fear.  “There may yet be time.  Rimmer! can you go?”

Hubert came out of his chair laughing.  Rimmer was round and fat now, and could not run if he tried.  “I’ll go, aunt,” he said.  “Why, walking slowly, I should get there before Rimmer.”

The words, “walking slowly,” may have misled Mrs. Carradyne; or, in the moment’s tribulation, perhaps she forgot that Hubert ought not to be the one to use much exertion; but she made no objection.  No one else made way, and Hubert hastened out, putting on his overcoat as he went towards the church.

It was the loveliest night; the air was still and clear, the landscape white and glistening, the moon bright as gold.  Hubert, striding along at a quick walk, had traversed half the short distance, when the church clock struck out the first note of midnight.  And he knew he should not be in time—­unless—­

He set off to run:  it was such a very little way!  Flying along without heed to self, he reached the churchyard gate.  And there he was forced—­forced—­to stop to gather up his laboured breath.

Ring, ring, ring! broke forth the chimes melodiously upon Hubert’s ear.  “Stop!” he shouted, panting; “stop! stop!”—­just as if John Cale could hear the warning:  and he began leaping over all the gravestones in his path, after the irreverent fashion of Miss Kate Dancox.

“Stop!” he faintly cried in his exhaustion, dashing through the vestry, as the strains of “The Bay of Biscay” pursued their harmonious course overhead, sounding louder here than in the open air.  “Sto—­”

He could not finish the word.  Pulling the little door open, he put his foot on the first step of the narrow ladder of a staircase:  and then fell prone upon it.  John Cale and young Mr. Threpp, the churchwarden’s son, who had been the clerk’s companion, were descending the stairs, after the chimes had chimed themselves out, and they had locked them up again to (perhaps) another year, when they found some impediment below.