She knew that he was gaining upon her and must soon catch her up.
She was in a lonely street where not a single passerby seemed to be
stirring. She looked wildly round for some way of escape, and just
at that moment saw a man come round a corner and fit a key into the
door of one of the houses.

Without pausing to think, Dorcas made a rush towards him, and so
soon as the door was opened she dashed within the house, and fled
up the staircase--fled she knew not whither--uttering breathless,
frightened cries, whilst all the time she knew that her pursuer was
close behind, and heard his voice mingled with angry cries of
remonstrance from the man they had left below.

Suddenly a door close to Dorcas opened, and a new terror was
revealed to her horror-stricken gaze. A gaunt, tall figure, wrapped
in a long white garment that looked like grave clothes, sprang out
into the stairway with a shriek that was like nothing human. Dorcas
sank, almost fainting with terror, to the ground; but the
spectre--for such it seemed to her--paid no heed to her, but sprang
upon her pursuer, who had at that moment come up, and the next
moment had his arms wound about him in a bearlike embrace, whilst
all the time he was laughing an awful laugh. Then lifting the
unfortunate young man off his feet with a strength that was almost
superhuman, he bore him rapidly down the stairs and rushed out with
him into the street.

All this happened in so brief a moment of time that Dorcas had not
even time to regain her feet, or to utter the scream of terror
which came to her lips. But as she found breath to utter her cry,
another door opened and a scared face looked out, whilst a woman's