The second and fourth envelopes were not closed. I was just about to look at them when I saw the door handle move. Quickly I sat back in my seat, and had just started reading my book again when the Count came back into the room. He was holding another letter in his hand. He picked up the letters on the table and stamped them carefully. Then he turned to me, he said,

"I hope you will forgive me, but I have a lot of work to do in private this evening." He got up to go, but at the door he turned, and after a moment's hesitation said, "Let me give you some advice, my dear young friend. No, let me warn you very seriously! If you leave these rooms you must not, for any reason, go to sleep in any other part of the castle. The castle is old, and it has many memories. It gives bad dreams to those people who are not careful where they sleep. If you feel sleepy, or if you want to sleep, hurry to your own bedroom or to these rooms. In them, you can rest safely. But if you do not take care where you sleep, then -"

He finished his speech in an alarming and terrible way, by moving his hands as if he were washing them. I understood completely. But I was not sure whether any dream could be more terrible than the strange, horrible net of darkness and mystery which seemed to be closing around me.