The trio looked at each other with bloodless faces and dilated eyes of terror.
Edwards was the first to find his paralyzed tongue: "May the Lord have mercy upon us! There'll be murder done this night!" The two women never spoke.

Huddled together, they clung to Edwards, as women do cling to men in their hour of fear.
Half an hour passed; they never moved nor stirred.
Ten minutes more, and Sir Everard dashed in among them as he had dashed out.
"It is false!" he shouted--"a false, devilish slander! She is not there!" A shriek from Claudine--a wild, wild shriek.

With starting eyes she was pointing to the baronet's hands.
All looked and echoed that horror-struck cry.

They were literally dripping blood!.