Slowly they began to breathe normally once more. After that they
began to search the house. Since no room was apparently immune from
danger, the men made no protest when the women insisted on
accompanying them. And as time went on and chamber after chamber
was discovered empty and undisturbed, gradually the courage of the
party began to rise. Lizzie, still whimpering, stuck closely to
Miss Cornelia's heels, but that spirited lady began to make small
side excursions of her own.
Of the men, only Bailey, Beresford, and the Doctor could really be
said to search at all. Billy had remained below, impassive of
face but rolling of eye; the Unknown, after an attempt to depart
with them, had sunk back weakly into his chair again, and the
detective, Anderson, was still unaccountably missing.
While no one could be said to be grieving over this, still the
belief that somehow, somewhere, he had met the Bat and suffered at
his hands was strong in all of them except the Doctor. As each
door was opened they expected to find him, probably foully murdered;
as each door was closed again they breathed with relief.
And as time went on and the silence and peace remained unbroken, the
conviction grew on them that the Bat had in this manner achieved his
object and departed; had done his work, signed it after his usual
fashion, and gone.
And thus were matters when Miss Cornelia, happening on the attic
staircase with Lizzie at her heels, decided to look about her up
there.
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