"Surely， " hethought， "， Imusthavenoticedit！" Presently， whenthenoiseincreased， ， andthelightoffireandlamp； butthatasthetimewentontheyhadgrownbolderandwerenowdisportingthemselvesaswastheirwont.
Howbusytheywere！ Ａndharktothestrangenoises！ Upanddownbehindtheoldwainscot， overtheceilingandunderthefloortheyraced， andgnawed， andscratched！ ， "Bogiesisrats， andratsisbogies！" Theteabegantohaveitseffectofintellectualandnervousstimulus， hesawwithjoyanotherlongspellofworktobedonebeforethenightwaspast， andinthesenseofsecuritywhichitgavehim， ， andwentallaround， ， ， buttheywerecoatedsothickwithdustanddirtthathecouldnotdistinguishanydetailofthem， ， butinaninstantitwasgone， ， however， wastheropeofthegreatalarmbellontheroof， -backedcarvedoakchair， ， andwentbacktohiswork， sittingatthecornerofthetable， ， buthegotaccustomedtothenoiseasonedoestothetickingofaclockortotheroarofmovingwater， andhebecamesoimmersedinhisworkthateverythingintheworld， excepttheproblemwhichhewastryingtosolve， passedawayfromhim.
Hesuddenlylookedup， hisproblemwasstillunsolved， andtherewasintheairthatsenseofthehourbeforethedawn， ， .
Thereonthegreathigh-backedcarvedoakchairbytherightsideofthefireplacesatanenormousrat， ， ， butshoweditsgreatwhiteteethangrily， anditscrueleyesshoneinthelamplightwithanaddedvindictiveness.
Malcolmsonfeltamazed， ， however， hecouldstrikeit， therat， withasqueakthatsoundedliketheconcentrationofhate， jumpeduponthefloor， and， runninguptheropeofthealarmbell， ， strangetosay， thenoisyscamperingoftheratsinthewainscotbeganagain.
BythistimeMalcolmson'smindwasquiteofftheproblem； andasashrillcock-crowoutsidetoldhimoftheapproachofmorning， hewenttobedandtosleep.
'shardwork， butastrongcupofteasoonfreshenedhimupand， takinghisbook， hewentoutforhismorningwalk， ， ：
"Youmustnotoverdoit， ' tgoodforanyman！ Buttellme， sir， howdidyoupassthenight？ Well， Ihope？ Butmyheart！ sir， ."
"Oh， Iwasallright， " heanswered， smiling， "the 'something' didn' tworryme， ； andtheyhadacircus， Itellyou， -lookingolddevilthatsatuponmyownchairbythefire， andwouldn' tgotillItookthepokertohim， andthenheranuptheropeofthealarmbellandgottosomewhereupthewallortheceiling—Icouldn' tseewhere， itwassodark."
"Mercyonus， " ， "anolddevil， andsittingonachairbythefireside！ Takecare， sir！ takecare！ There' smanyatruewordspokeninjest."
"Howdoyoumean？ PonmywordIdon' tunderstand."
