I must hang on to things to real , normal things .sx " And , controlling himself with a great effort , he asked :sx " Take care , Mr. Dobree , take care ; Manning will hear us .sx " Dobree stopped laughing .sx " Yes , we must be careful , " he whispered , " or Manning will hear us .sx " " Who are these waxworks ?sx " asked Falkland , moving among them and turning over wax heads and plaster masks , the tow wigs , broken wooden limbs and heaps of stuffing .sx " Why has Manning destroyed them ?sx I should have thought he might have found them useful , " added Falkland , thinking of the trick with Mathews .sx " Yes , I dare say , " said Dobree , ferociously , " he would find them very useful but he has slashed them up and knocked them about looking for the box , Falkland ; don't you understand ?sx He thought this would be the very place in which Mr. Powell would hide the box ; for this was his special room , and here he used to like to come and sit and talk with his friends , as he used to call them .sx This one , " added Dobree , standing over a figure which still remained seated in the skeleton of an arm-chair from which all the stuffing had been ripped , " this one was his wife , Sarah Lomax .sx Let me present you , Mr. Falkland , to the original Sarah Lomax .sx " And with a start of genuine horror , Falkland found himself gazing at a ghastly figure of a woman , still wrapped in the remnants of a tattered black evening gown , her hair hanging down on her shoulders and her gaunt face staring out blankly , while her arms had been pulled off and lay across her lap .sx There was a likeness to the picture downstairs , and even , Falkland thought , a likeness to the girl who had spoken to him in Bitterne woods .sx " This was his fancy , you see , " continued Dobree ; .sx " to have these things up here and come up and sit with them all his old friends , he used to call them ; people who had been kind to him once ; people whom he had lost , or who were dead .sx You see , he trusted nobody ; he didn't want to see anybody .sx He was just happy with these .sx " And that " Dobree touched with his foot the remains of another figure like a gigantic doll , with a crude , pink-and-white face and a mass of yellow hair " that was supposed to be his daughter , whom he treated cruelly and never would see .sx And yet he used to come up and stare at this image of her .sx What do you make of that , Falkland ?sx " " His daughter ?sx " said Falkland .sx " I didn't know he had any children .sx " " Yes , " said Dobree , " he had a daughter .sx Now , " he added , lowering his voice and coming close to Falkland , " Manning has an idea , a fixed idea , that the box is hidden here .sx I don't know why perhaps from something the old man said , or just from some idea he has in his head , he is convinced that some where in this room the box will be found .sx Now , I think I could get him up here for another search .sx " " Well , and if you did ?sx " asked Falkland , fiercely .sx " Well , if I did , " smiled Dobree , towering his voice still more , " you and I could contrive that he never came out again ; and that would be the end of all the trouble for you and me , Mr. Falkland .sx " " Oh , would it ?sx " said Falkland .sx " I'm to murder your enemy for you , I suppose the man who seems to be blackmailing you and then , when we get out , you can denounce me .sx Is that the idea eh ?sx " " No , no , " said Dobree , quickly , " of course not .sx I shall stand by you through everything .sx " " Why don't you do it yourself ?sx " suggested Falk-land .sx " That would be a good deal easier , I should think .sx " But Dobree shook his head and sighed .sx " There's a reason for it , " he muttered ; " a very good reason .sx Now , don't let's waste time ; I expect that scoundrel will be following us .sx He'll be up here soon .sx He's watching us , I can tell you !sx He or that wretched Mathews whom he has quite terrorised .sx " " What does Mathews know ?sx " whispered Falkland , furiously .sx " You both of you seem a bit afraid of Mathews .sx " I .sx " Mathews doesn't know anything very important , " muttered Dobree , " but he does know just a little bit that might be dangerous .sx Don't stand staring at those waxworks , Falkland , " he added impatiently .sx " To-morrow we can make a bonfire of the lot even a bonfire of the whole house , if you like !sx Yes , " he added , as if this idea gave him fiendish delight , " that wouldn't be bad , would it , Falkland ?sx make a bonfire of ' Mock-ways ' and all that's in ' Mockways ' eh ?sx " Falkland moved cautiously between the waxworks , unable to resist a fascinated gaze at their staring faces , yellowed and faded in some cases , cracked and distorted in others , but all with that look of inanimate life a kind of petrified and evil humanity .sx Dobree had now removed the damaged figures of two old men in the remains of Victorian clothes , and showed that there was a large chest behind them .sx " Manning has been over this again and again , " he said , " but there is one thing about it which he did not notice .sx " He opened the lid of the chest , and Falkland peered fearfully within .sx It was quite empty .sx Dobree ran his hand round it .sx " Quite empty , " he remarked ; " you see there is nothing in it ?sx " " Certainly , " said Falkland , " there is nothing in it .sx What do you mean ?sx " Dobree put his hand in again , and touched some sort .sx of a spring , for the bottom of the chest slid back , and Falkland found himself looking into blackness into what seemed to be a fathomless well .sx " There is a drop there , " said Dobree , bringing his yellowish face close to that of the young man , " right to the bottom of `Mockways' one long shaft ; rather useful , don't you think ?sx Any one could easily fall down there , Falkland , saying they were searching and prying :sx looking for something .sx Looking for a papier mache box , for instance !sx Head first into this !sx Two other men could push him down don't you think ?sx and then there would be an end of all the trouble .sx We could slide the lid back , put the waxworks on top ; and who should know any better than that Mr. Manning is away on a holiday ?sx A long holiday !sx A holiday for you and me too , I think , Falkland !sx " And he peered down , long and earnestly , into the blackness revealed at the bottom of the shaft while Falkland stared at him in fascinated horror .sx CHAPTER XXXIV .sx " DON'T talk like that , " said Falkland , turning away , sick and giddy , " whatever Manning's done , it's not for you and me to bring him to justice .sx There must be another way out , Mr. Dobree .sx This way lunacy lies don't let's talk about it any more !sx " And then he added , frantically :sx " But why did you want to bring me into it ?sx Couldn't you settle scores with Manning without bringing me into it ?sx " And he cast a frantic glance round the horrid room , filled with those rifled and dishevelled waxworks .sx The whole thing was like the setting of a nightmare , and he felt his spirit fail .sx Dobree , leaning on the open chest , continued to gaze as if fascinated , down the blackness of the shaft .sx It was a large hole , quite sufficient for a big and heavy man to fall down .sx It must have been made Falkland thought with some very sinister intent .sx Perhaps it dated back to the first building of the house , and was some means of getting rid of possible prisoners .sx Perhaps the existence of this ominous shaft had some-thing to do with the horrid reputation of " Mockways" ; he wished that Dobree had not shown it to him , and suggested that they should now leave the room , which he felt he could not endure much longer ; adding , in frantic persuasion , the argument which he thought most affected Dobree :sx " Better come away , or Manning will see us !sx He'll certainly find us out .sx He won't lose sight of us both for very long , I'm sure .sx Hadn't we better come away if you want to preserve that secret ?sx " At this Dobree moved instantly , and sliding the false bottom into position , slammed down the lid of the chest .sx " Yes , we'll come away , " he repeated , quickly , " we'll come away .sx And we'll find a means of getting him up here .sx He'll come if he thinks we've found the place where the papier mache box may be .sx " Falkland did not answer .sx He went to the door , waiting impatiently for Dobree to open it .sx He felt that he could not with sanity have endured another moment of the company of these waxworks and that awful shaft .sx If this went on much longer he would himself have had to jump down that black hole , and end the strain , the tension and the suspense that way .sx They went down the dingy stairs , each looking fearfully round for Manning .sx It was horrible and alarming , the way that Manning impressed them both .sx Even when they could not see or hear him they were thinking of him .sx He seemed to be there always like a shadow behind them ; like an echo in the wall ; like a step on the stair beside them .sx " He's more than a mere man , surely !sx " muttered Falkland ; " he's something more than human .sx " " He's an embodiment of evil , " replied Dobree .sx " You're right ; he's something more and something less than a man .sx I'm going to find him now , " said Dobree , in the lowest of cautious whispers .sx " I'm going to begin to work him up with an account of that room .sx I'm going to tell him that I've found something that may lead to discovering the box .sx He doesn't want me to find it , and he'll be up there himself , I can tell you ; and then will come our chance .sx " Chuckling to himself , Dobree left Falkland and shambled away down the dusty corridor , and the young man , with a shudder of relief , went in the opposite direction .sx He was fortunate enough at least to him it seemed fortunate to meet Isabel .sx She , by Mamie's advice , had left her room , and was walking up and down the corridors for a little exercise and change of air .sx She knew that it would be quite impossible for her to attempt to leave " Mockways , " and she no longer had the spirit or energy to wish to do so .sx But she was trying to preserve some health and sanity by this pathetic exercise up and down the passage outside her room , and in and out those other empty rooms beside her own .sx When she saw Falkland she advanced at once to meet him , but exclaimed at his haggard looks .sx " What has happened ?sx " she asked .sx " You seem dreadfully upset .sx What's the matter , Mr. Falkland ?sx Oh , don't say some other terrible thing has happened !sx " Falkland did not know that his inward terrors and apprehensions betrayed themselves so clearly .sx He tried to reassure her , but felt that his words rang hollow .sx " Everything is all right , " he tried to say ; " nothing whatever has happened !sx " But she shook her head .sx " It seems to me , " she murmured , " that everything is far from all right .sx I think we shall all go mad .sx Would it not be better for me to say that I would marry Mr. Manning ?sx " she added , wildly , sinking her voice to a trembling whisper , " and get us all out of this ?sx It seems to me that is the only way !sx " " No , " cried Falkland , with soft violence ; " that is not the only way .sx " And he thought of the gruesome alternative suggested by Dobree himself , and thought of it with relief .sx Sooner that , whatever the consequences to himself , than this most awful sacrifice of Isabel .sx " You must not think of any such thing .sx There is no need to despair :sx Dobree is coming round to our side he is almost an ally .sx You may expect some protection from him .sx As for Manning , he stands almost alone , and it will go ill with me if I can't defeat him .sx "