Tales of Terror and Mystery

           "Youwoulddaretodisobeymydirections!"Aninstantlaterthecharwomanpassedme,flyingdownthepassage,white-facedandtremulous,whiletheterriblevoicethunderedbehindher."GotoMrs.Stevensforyourmoney!NeversetfootinThorpePlaceagain!"Consumedwithcuriosity,Icouldnothelpfollowingthewoman,andfoundherroundthecornerleaningagainstthewallandpalpitatinglikeafrightenedrabbit.

           "Whatisthematter,Mrs.Brown?"Iasked.

           "It’smaster!"shegasped."Oh,’ow’efrightenedme!Ifyouhadseen’iseyes,Mr.Colmore,sir.Ithought’ewould’avebeenthedeathofme."

           "Butwhathadyoudone?"

           "Done,sir!Nothing.Atleastnothingtomakesomuchof.Justlaidmy’andonthatblackboxof’is—’adn’tevenopenedit,whenin’ecameandyou’eardtheway’ewenton.I’velostmyplace,andgladIamofit,forIwouldnevertrustmyselfwithinreachof’imagain."

           Soitwasthejapannedboxwhichwasthecauseofthisoutburst—theboxfromwhichhewouldneverpermithimselftobeseparated.Whatwastheconnection,orwasthereanyconnectionbetweenthisandthesecretvisitsoftheladywhosevoiceIhadoverheard?SirJohnBollamore’swrathwasenduringaswellasfiery,forfromthatdayMrs.Brown,thecharwoman,vanishedfromourken,andThorpePlaceknewhernomore.

           AndnowIwishtotellyouthesingularchancewhichsolvedallthesestrangequestionsandputmyemployer’ssecretinmypossession.