seemed to have blazed up, and there was a fairly good light in the room.
At the many rat-holes and in the chinks and crannies of the wainscot he
saw the rats' eyes; and this aspect, that was purely physical, gave him
a gleam of comfort. He looked around and saw that the rope of the great
alarm bell was laden with rats. Every inch of it was covered with them,
and more and more were pouring through the small circular hole in the
ceiling whence it emerged, so that with their weight the bell was
beginning to sway.

Hark! it had swayed till the clapper had touched the bell. The sound was
but a tiny one, but the bell was only beginning to sway, and it would
increase.

At the sound the Judge, who had been keeping his eyes fixed on
Malcolmson, looked up, and a scowl of diabolical anger overspread his
face. His eyes fairly glowed like hot coals, and he stamped his foot
with a sound that seemed to make the house shake. A dreadful peal of
thunder broke overhead as he raised the rope again, whilst the rats kept
running up and down the rope as though working against time. This time,
instead of throwing it, he drew close to his victim, and held open the
noose as he approached. As he came closer there seemed something
paralysing in his very presence, and Malcolmson stood rigid as a corpse.
He felt the Judge's icy fingers touch his throat as he adjusted the
rope. The noose tightened--tightened. Then the Judge, taking the rigid
form of the student in his arms, carried him over and placed him
standing in the oak chair, and stepping up beside him, put his hand up
and caught the end of the swaying rope of the alarm bell. As he raised
his hand the rats fled squeaking, and disappeared through the hole in
the ceiling. Taking the end of the noose which was round Malcolmson's
neck he tied it to the hanging-bell rope, and then descending pulled