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〃Of course； it is；〃 agreed Mrs。 Brigham； looking at Caroline
suspiciously。 〃Of course it must be。 It is only a coincidence。 It
just happens so。 Perhaps it is that fold of the window curtain
that makes it。 It must be something in the room。〃
〃It is not anything in the room；〃 repeated Rebecca with obstinate
horror。
The door opened suddenly and Henry Glynn entered。 He began to
speak； then his eyes followed the direction of the others'。 He
stood stock still staring at the shadow on the wall。 It was life
size and stretched across the white parallelogram of a door； half
across the wall space on which the picture hung。
〃What is that？〃 he demanded in a strange voice。
〃It must be due to something in the room； Mrs。 Brigham said
faintly。
〃It is not due to anything in the room；〃 said Rebecca again with
the shrill insistency of terror。
〃How you act； Rebecca Glynn；〃 said Caroline。
Henry Glynn stood and stared a moment longer。 His face showed a
gamut of emotionshorror； conviction； then furious incredulity。
Suddenly he began hastening hither and thither about the room。 He
moved the furniture with fierce jerks； turning ever to see the
effect upon the shadow on the wall。 Not a line of its terrible
outlines wavered。
〃It must be something in the room！〃 he declared in a voice which
seemed to snap like a lash。
His face changed。 The inmost secrecy of his nature seemed evident
until one almost lost sight of his lineaments。 Rebecca stood close
to her sofa； regarding him with woeful； fascinated eyes。 Mrs。
Brigham clutched Caroline's hand。 They both stood in a corner out
of his way。 For a few moments he raged about the room like a caged
wild animal。 He moved every piece of furniture； when the moving of
a piece did not affect the shadow； he flung it to the floor； his
sisters watching。
Then suddenly he desisted。 He laughed and began straightening the
furniture which he had flung down。
〃What an absurdity；〃 he said easily。 〃Such a to…do about a
shadow。〃
〃That's so；〃 assented Mrs。 Brigham； in a scared voice which she
tried to make natural。 As she spoke she lifted a chair near her。
〃I think you have broken the chair that Edward was so fond of；〃
said Caroline。
Terror and wrath were struggling for expression on her face。 Her
mouth was set； her eyes shrinking。 Henry lifted the chair with a
show of anxiety。
〃Just as good as ever；〃 he said pleasantly。 He laughed again；
looking at his sisters。 〃Did I scare you？〃 he said。 〃I should
think you might be used to me by this time。 You know my way of
wanting to leap to the bottom of a mystery； and that shadow does
lookqueer； likeand I thought if there was any way of accounting
for it I would like to without any delay。〃
〃You don't seem to have succeeded；〃 remarked Caroline dryly； with a
slight glance at the wall。
Henry's eyes followed hers and he quivered perceptibly。
〃Oh； there is no accounting for shadows；〃 he said； and he laughed
again。 〃A man is a fool to try to account for shadows。〃
Then the supper bell rang； and they all left the room； but Henry
kept his back to the wall； as did； indeed； the others。
Mrs。 Brigham pressed close to Caroline as she crossed the hall。 〃He
looked like a demon！〃 she breathed in her ear。
Henry led the way with an alert motion like a boy； Rebecca brought
up the rear； she could scarcely walk； her knees trembled so。
〃I can't sit in that room again this evening；〃 she whispered to
Caroline after supper。
〃Very well； we will sit in the south room；〃 replied Caroline。 〃I
think we will sit in the south parlor；〃 she said aloud； 〃it isn't
as damp as the study； and I have a cold。〃
So they all sat in the south room with their sewing。 Henry read
the newspaper； his chair drawn close to the lamp on the table。
About nine o'clock he rose abruptly and crossed the hall to the
study。 The three sisters looked at one another。 Mrs。 Brigham
rose； folded her rustling skirts compactly around her； and began
tiptoeing toward the door。
〃What are you going to do？〃 inquired Rebecca agitatedly。
〃I am going to see what he is about；〃 replied Mrs。 Brigham
cautiously。
She pointed as she spoke to the study door across the hall； it was
ajar。 Henry had striven to pull it together behind him； but it had
somehow swollen beyond the limit with curious speed。 It was still
ajar and a streak of light showed from top to bottom。 The hall
lamp was not lit。
〃You had better stay where you are；〃 said Caroline with guarded
sharpness。
〃I am going to see；〃 repeated Mrs。 Brigham firmly。
Then she folded her skirts so tightly that her bulk with its
swelling curves was revealed in a black silk sheath； and she went
with a slow toddle across the hall to the study door。 She stood
there； her eye at the crack。
In the south room Rebecca stopped sewing and sat watching with
dilated eyes。 Caroline sewed steadily。 What Mrs。 Brigham；
standing at the crack in the study door； saw was this：
Henry Glynn； evidently reasoning that the source of the strange
shadow must be between the table on which the lamp stood and the
wall； was making systematic passes and thrusts all over and through
the intervening space with an old sword which had belonged to his
father。 Not an inch was left unpierced。 He seemed to have divided
the space into mathematical sections。 He brandished the sword with
a sort of cold fury and calculation； the blade gave out flashes of
light； the shadow remained unmoved。 Mrs。 Brigham； watching； felt
herself cold with horror。
Finally Henry ceased and stood with the sword in hand and raised as
if to strike； surveying the shadow on the wall threateningly。 Mrs。
Brigham toddled back across the hall and shut the south room door
behind her before she related what she had seen。
〃He looked like a demon！〃 she said again。 〃Have you got any of
that old wine in the house； Caroline？ I don't feel as if I could
stand much more。〃
Indeed； she looked overcome。 Her handsome placid face was worn and
strained and pale。
〃Yes； there's plenty；〃 said Caroline； 〃you can have some when you
go to bed。〃
〃I think we had all better take some；〃 said Mrs。 Brigham。 〃Oh； my
God； Caroline； what〃
〃Don't ask and don't speak；〃 said Caroline。
〃No； I am not going to；〃 replied Mrs。 Brigham； 〃but〃
Rebecca moaned aloud。
〃What are you doing that for？〃 asked Caroline harshly。
〃Poor Edward；〃 returned Rebecca。
〃That is all you have to groan for；〃 said Caroline。 〃There is
nothing else。〃
〃I am going to bed；〃 said Mrs。 Brigham。 〃I sha'n't be able to be
at the funeral if I don't。〃
Soon the three sisters went to their chambers and the south parlor
was deserted。 Caroline called to Henry in the study to put out the
light before he came upstairs。 They had been gone about an hour
when he came into the room bringing the lamp