"but i am somewhat headstrong by nature, and the more ready to engage in an affair when there is some obstacle in the way. i thought of my fifty-guinea fee, of my wearisome journey, and of the unpleasant night which seemed to be before me. was it all to go for nothing? why should i slink away without having carried out my commission, and without the payment which was my due? this woman might, for all i knew, be a monomaniac. with a stout bearing, therefore, though her manner had shaken me more than i cared to confess, i still shook my head and declared my intention of remaining where i was. she was about to renew her entreaties when a door slammed overhead, and the sound of several footsteps was heard upon the stairs. she listened for an instant, threw up her hands with a despairing gesture, and vanished as suddenly and as noiselessly as she had come.