Whilemovinghereandthereshefanciedthatsheheardaslightnoiseout-of-doors，andstoodstill。Surelyitwasatappingatthewindow。Athoughtenteredhermind，andburnedhercheek。Hehadcometothatwindowbefore；yetwasitpossiblethatheshoulddaretodosonow！Alltheservantswereinbed，andintheordinarycourseofaffairsshewouldhaveretiredalso。Thensherememberedthatonsteppinginbythecasementandclosingit，shehadnotfastenedthewindow-shutter，sothatastreakoflightfromtheinterioroftheroommighthaverevealedhervigiltoanobserveronthelawn。HowallthingsconspiredagainstherkeepingfaithwithGrace！
Thetappingrecommenced，lightasfromthebillofalittlebird；
herillegitimatehopeovercamehervow；shewentandpulledbacktheshutter，determining，however，toshakeherheadathimandkeepthecasementsecurelyclosed。
Whatshesawoutsidemighthavestruckterrorintoaheartstouterthanahelplesswoman’satmidnight。Inthecentreofthelowestpaneofthewindow，closetotheglass，wasahumanface，whichshebarelyrecognizedasthefaceofFitzpiers。Itwassurroundedwiththedarknessofthenightwithout，corpse-likeinitspallor，andcoveredwithblood。AsdisclosedinthesquareareaofthepaneitmetherfrightenedeyeslikeareplicaoftheSudariumofSt。Veronica。
Hemovedhislips，andlookedatherimploringly。Herrapidmindpiecedtogetherinaninstantapossibleconcatenationofeventswhichmighthaveledtothistragicalissue。Sheunlatchedthecasementwithaterrifiedhand，andbendingdowntowherehewascrouching，pressedherfacetohiswithpassionatesolicitude。