He lighted the candle from the flaring match with great deliberation, and dropped the match, and trod it out. Then he put the candle away from him on the table, so that he could see me, and sat with his arms folded on the table and looked at me. I made out that I was fastened to a stout perpendicular ladder a few inches from the wall,--a fixture there,--the means of ascent to the loft above.

     "Now," said he, when we had surveyed one another for some time, "I've got you."

     "Unbind me. Let me go!"

     "Ah!" he returned, "I'll let you go. I'll let you go to the moon, I'll let you go to the stars. All in good time."

     "Why have you lured me here?" "Don't you know?" said he, with a deadly look.

     "Why have you set upon me in the dark?"

     "Because I mean to do it all myself. One keeps a secret better than two. O you enemy, you enemy!"