"‘death,’ said he, and rising from the table he retired to his room, leaving me palpitating with horror. i took up the envelope and saw scrawled in red ink upon the inner flap, just above the gum, the letter k three times repeated. there was nothing else save the five dried pips. what could be the reason of his overpowering terror? i left the breakfast-table, and as i ascended the stair i met him coming down with an old rusty key, which must have belonged to the attic, in one hand, and a small brass box, like a cashbox, in the other.