The silence was intense.

The hall seemed desolate as a vault.

Over in a corner a grandfather's clock ticked the seconds away--slowly, monotonously, as though very weary of its task.
Suddenly in the distance there came a faint sound, the opening of a door; and a breath of night-air, pure and cold, blew in across the stillness.
In a moment there followed a light, elastic step, and Piers came into view at the other end of the hall.

He moved swiftly as though he trod air.

His head was thrown back, his face rapt and intent as though he saw a vision.