Without any change whatever in the inflexible purpose,which it was quite terrific even to me to contemplate,and from the power of which I had always felt convinced it was impossible for this wretch to escape,Beckwith returned,'And I am your niece's shadow,too.
With an imprecation Slinkton put his hand to his head,tore out some hair,and flung it to the ground.It was the end of the smooth walk;he destroyed it in the action,and it will soon be seen that his use for it was past.
Beckwith went on:'Whenever you left here,I left here.Although Iunderstood that you found it necessary to pause in the completion of that purpose,to avert suspicion,still I watched you close,with the poor confiding girl.When I had the diary,and could read it word by word,-it was only about the night before your last visit to Scarborough,-you remember the night?you slept with a small flat vial tied to your wrist,-I sent to Mr.Sampson,who was kept out of view.This is Mr.Sampson's trusty servant standing by the door.We three saved your niece among us.'
Slinkton looked at us all,took an uncertain step or two from the place where he had stood,returned to it,and glanced about him in a very curious way,-as one of the meaner reptiles might,looking for a hole to hide in.I noticed at the same time,that a singular change took place in the figure of the man,-as if it collapsed within his clothes,and they consequently became ill-shapen and ill-fitting.
You shall know,'said Beckwith,'for I hope the knowledge will be bitter and terrible to you,why you have been pursued by one man,and why,when the whole interest that Mr.Sampson represents would have expended any money in hunting you down,you have been tracked to death at a single individual's charge.I hear you have had the name of Meltham on your lips sometimes?