after the drugged Durdles has fallen sound asleep. We have already
been assured that the whole area over which Jasper is to operate is
"utterly deserted," even when it lies in full moonlight, about 8.30
p.m. "One might fancy that the tide of life was stemmed by Mr.
Jasper's own gate-house." The people of Cloisterham, we hear,
would deny that they believe in ghosts; but they give this part of
the precinct a wide berth (Chapter XII.). If the region is
"utterly deserted" at nine o'clock in the evening, when it lies in
the ivory moonlight, much more will it be free from human presence
when it lies in shadow, between one and two o'clock after midnight.
Jasper, however, from the tower top closely scrutinizes the area of
his future operations. It is, probably, for this very purpose of
discovering whether the coast be clear or not, that Jasper climbs
the tower.

He watches Durdles for the purpose of finding how the drug which he
has administered works, with a view to future operations on Edwin.
Durdles is now in such a state that "he deems the ground so far
below on a level with the tower, and would as lief walk off the
tower into the air as not."

All this is apparently meant to suggest that Jasper, on Christmas
Eve, will repeat his expedition, WITH EDWIN, whom he will have
drugged, and that he will allow Edwin to "walk off the tower into
the air." There are later suggestions to the same effect, as we
shall see, but they are deliberately misleading. There are also
strong suggestions to the very opposite effect: it is broadly
indicated that Jasper is to strangle Edwin with a thick black-silk
scarf, which he has just taken to wearing for the good of his
throat.