"Don't--don't say such things," and a pained look came into the blue eyes. "You know you are not free to talk like that!"
"Not free? Why am I not? What do you mean?"
"You know, you must know. Eve told me----"
"Eve couldn't have told you that there was anything between her and me! Why, Norma, I have loved you from the very first moment I laid eyes on you! I have kept myself from telling you, because of all these dreadful things that have been going on. This atmosphere is no place for love-making, but, dearest, just give me a gleam of hope that later,--when we go back home, that I may----"
"Oh, Rudolph! Look! What is that? See, in the Room with the Tassels!"
They had neared the house on their return stroll, and from the window of the fatal room peered out at them a ghastly, grinning skull!
It was nearly dusk, but they could see quite clearly the hollow eye-sockets and the awful teeth of the fleshless face.
Norma clung to Braye, almost fainting. He slipped an arm round her saying, "Brace up, Norma, dearest, be brave. This is our chance. Let us dash right in, and see if it is still there. Stay here, if you prefer, but I must go!"
He hastened toward the house, and Norma kept pace with him. She felt imbued with his spirit of courage and bravery, and together they hurried and burst in at the front door, which was never locked save at night.
Without stopping, Braye rushed into the Room with the Tassels. But there was no one there, and no sign of any occupant, either human or supernatural.
There was no one in the hall, and further search showed no one in the drawing room. Nor could anything unusual be found in the house.
Most of the people were in their rooms. Eve was partly ill with a headache, and Milly was looking after her.
The men appeared as Braye and Norma called out, and soon all had gathered to hear the strange new story.
"I shouldn't believe it, if you hadn't both seen it," said the Professor, "but I can't think you were _both_ under the spell of imagination."
"I want to go home," Milly said, plaintively, "I don't want to see the thing, and I'm afraid I'll be the next one it will visit."
"We will go, dear," said Landon. "As soon as we can make arrangements we'll get off. Don't you say so, Eve?"