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pattering rain； once more looking out into the black darkness。
Still the dead man！
The darkness forced his mind back upon itself； and set his memory
at work； reviving with a painfully vivid distinctness the
momentary impression it had received from his first sight of the
corpse。 Before long the face seemed to be hovering out in the
middle of the darkness； confronting him through the window； with
the paleness whiterwith the dreadful dull line of light between
the imperfectly…closed eyelids broader than he had seen itwith
the parted lips slowly dropping further and further away from
each otherwith the features growing larger and moving closer；
till they seemed to fill the window； and to silence the rain； and
to shut out the night。
The sound of a voice shouting below stairs woke him suddenly from
the dream of his own distempered fancy。 He recognized it as the
voice of the landlord。
〃Shut up at twelve； Ben；〃 he heard it say。 〃I'm off to bed。〃
He wiped away the damp that had gathered on his forehead；
reasoned with himself for a little while； and resolved to shake
his mind free of the ghastly counterfeit which still clung to it
by forcing himself to confront； if it was only for a moment； the
solemn reality。 Without allowing himself an instant to hesitate；
he parted the curtains at the foot of the bed； and looked
through。
There was the sad； peaceful； white face； with the awful mystery
of stillness on it； laid back upon the pillow。 No stir； no change
there！ He only looked at it for a moment before he closed the
curtains again； but that moment steadied him； calmed him；
restored himmind and bodyto himself。 He returned to his old
occupation of walking up and down the room； persevering in it
this time till the clock struck again。
Twelve。
As the sound of the clock…bell died away； it was succeeded by the
confused noise downstairs of the drinkers in the taproom leaving
the house。 The next sound； after an interval of silence； was
caused by the barring of the door and the closing of the shutters
at the back of the inn。 Then the silence followed again； and was
disturbed no more。
He was alone nowabsolutely； hopelessly alone with the dead man
till the next morning。
The wick of the candle wanted trimming again。 He took up the
snuffers； but paused suddenly on the very point of using them；
and looked attentively at the candlethen back； over his
shoulder； at the curtained bedthen again at the candle。 It had
been lighted for the first time to show him the way upstairs； and
three parts of it； at least； were already consumed。 In another
hour it would be burned out。 In another hour； unless he called at
once to the man who had shut up the inn for a fresh candle； he
would be left in the dark。
Strongly as his mind had been affected since he had entered the
room； his unreasonable dread of encountering ridicule and of
exposing his courage to suspicion had not
altogether lost its influence over him even yet。
He lingered irresolutely by the table； waiting till he could
prevail on himself to open the door； and call from the landing；
to the man who had shut up the inn。 In his present hesitating
frame of mind； it was a kind of relief to gain a few moments only
by engaging in the trifling occupation of snuffing the candle。
His hand trembled a little； and the snuffers were heavy and
awkward to use。 When he closed them on the wick； he closed them a
hair…breadth too low。 In an instant the candle was out； and the
room was plunged in pitch darkness。
The one impression which the absence of light immediately
produced on his mind was distrust of the curtained beddistrust
which shaped itself into no distinct idea； but which was powerful
enough； in its very vagueness； to bind him down to his chair； to
make his heart beat fast； and to set him listening intently。 No
sound stirred in the room； but the familiar sound of the rain
against the window； louder and sharper now than he had heard it
yet。
Still the vague distrust； the inexpressible dread possessed him；
and kept him in his chair。 He had put his carpet…bag on the table
when he first entered the room； and he now took the key from his
pocket； reached out his hand softly； opened the bag； and groped
in it for his traveling writing…case； in which he knew that there
was a small store of matches。 When he had got one of the matches
he waited before he struck it on the coarse wooden table； and
listened intently again without knowing why。 Still there was no
sound in the room but the steady； ceaseless rattling sound of the
rain。
He lighted the candle again without another moment of delay； and；
on the instant of its burning up； the first object in the room
that his eyes sought for was the curtained bed。
Just before the light had been put out he had looked in that
direction； and had seen no change； no disarrangement of any sort
in the folds of the closely…drawn curtains。
When he looked at the bed now； he saw hanging over the side of it
a long white hand。
It lay perfectly motionless midway on the side of the bed； where
the curtain at the head and the curtain at the foot met。 Nothing
more was visible。 The clinging curtains hid everything but the
long white hand。
He stood looking at it； unable to stir； unable to call
outfeeling nothing； knowing nothingevery faculty he possessed
gathered up and lost in the one seeing faculty。 How long that
first panic held him he never could tell afterward。 It might have
been only for a momentit might have been for many minutes
together。 How he got to the bedwhether he ran to it headlong；
or whether he approached it slowly； how he wrought himself up to
unclose the curtains and look in； he never has remembered； and
never will remember to his dying day。 It is enough that he did go
to the bed； and that he did look inside the curtains。
The man had moved。 One of his arms was outside the clothes； his
face was turned a little on the pillow； his eyelids were wide
open。 Changed as to position and as to one of the features； the
face was otherwise fearfully and wonderfully unaltered。 The dead
paleness and the dead quiet were on it still。
One glance showed Arthur thisone glance before he flew
breathlessly to the door and alarmed the house。
The man whom the landlord called 〃Ben〃 was the first to appear on
the stairs。 In three words Arthur told him what had happened； and
sent him for the nearest doctor。
I； who tell you this story； was then staying with a medical
friend of mine； in practice at Doncaster； taking care of his
patients for him during his absence in London； and I； for the
time being； was the nearest doctor。 They had sent for me from the
inn when the stranger was taken ill in the afternoon； but I was
not at home； and medical assistance was sought for elsewhere。
When the man from The Two Robins rang the night…bell； I was just
thinking of going to bed。 Naturally enough； I did not believe a
word of his story about 〃a dead man who had come to life again。〃
However； I put on my hat； armed myself with one or two bottles of
restorative medicine； and ran to the inn； expecting to find
nothing more remarkable； when I got there； than a patient in a
fit。
My surprise at finding that the man had spoken the literal truth
was almost； if not quite； equaled by my astonishment at finding
myself face to face with Arthur Holliday as soon as I entered the
bedroom。 It was no time then for giving or seeking explanations。
We just shook hands amazedly； and then I ordered everybody but
Arthur out of the room； and hurried to the man on the bed。
The kitchen fire had not been long out。 There was plenty of hot
water in the boiler； and plenty of flannel to be had。 With these；
with my medicines； and with such help as Arthur could render
under my direction； I dragged the man literally out of the jaws
of death。 In less than an hour from the time when I had been
called in； he was alive and talking in the bed on which he had
been laid out to wait for the coroner's inquest。
You will naturally ask me what had been the matter with him； and
I might treat you； in reply； to a long theory； plentifully
sprinkled with what the children call hard words。 I prefer
telling you that； in this case； cause and effect could not be
satisfactorily joined together by any theory whatever。 There are
mysteries in life and the conditions of it which human science
has not fathomed yet； and I candidly confess to you that； in
bringing that man back to existence； I was； morally speaking；
groping haphazard in the dark。 I know （from the testimony of the
doctor who attended him in the afternoon） that the vital
machinery； so far as its action is appreciable by our senses；
had； in this case； unquestionably stopped； and I am equally
certain （seeing that I recovered him） that the vital principle
was not extinct。 When I add that he had suffered from a long and
complicated illness； and that his whole nervous system was
utterly deranged； I have told you all I really know of the
physical condition of my dead…alive patient at the Two Robins
Inn。
When he 〃came to；〃 as the phrase goes； he was a startling object
to look at； with his colorless face； his sunken cheeks； his wild
black eyes； and h