She got up also, but her knees were trembling, and in a moment his hand
came out and closed with that official grip upon her elbow. He led her
to the mine entrance guiding her over the rough ground in utter silence.

They left the daylight behind them, passing almost immediately into
semi-darkness. Some rough steps hewn in the rock led down into a black
void before them.

"Are there no lights anywhere?" said Dot.

"Yes. There'll be a lamp round the corner. Straight on down!" said
Fletcher.

But for his presence she would hardly have dared it, so great was the
horror that this place had inspired within her. But to wait alone with
him in that terrible empty valley was even less endurable. She went down
the long, steep stair without further protest.

They reached the foot at length, and a dim light shone ahead of them. The
atmosphere was vault-like and penetratingly damp. The passage divided
almost immediately, and a narrow track led off between black walls of
stone to the right, where in the distance another lamp shone.

Fletcher turned towards this, but very suddenly Dot clasped his arm. "Oh,
don't let us go that way!" she begged. "Please don't let us go that way!"

Hill paused in response to her urgent insistence. "What's the matter with
you, Dot?" he said.

She clung to him desperately, still holding him back. "I don't know--I