He held up the lantern, and his hand shook until the circles of light flickered and wavered all round us. Miss Morstan seized my wrist, and we all stood with thumping hearts, straining our ears. From the great black house there sounded through the silent night the saddest and most pitiful of sounds,--the shrill, broken whimpering of a frightened woman.
"It is Mrs. Bernstone," said Sholto. "She is the only woman in the house. Wait here. I shall be back in a moment." He hurried for the door, and knocked in his peculiar way. We could see a tall old woman admit him, and sway with pleasure at the very sight of him.
"Oh, Mr. Thaddeus, sir, I am so glad you have come! I am so glad you come, Mr. Thaddeus, sir!" We heard her reiterated rejoicings until the door was closed and her voicedied away into a muffled monotone.
他把燈高高地舉起，因為手抖而使得燈光搖擺不定。摩斯坦小姐緊握著我的手腕，我們高度緊張地站在那裡，心臟急劇跳動著去側耳傾聽著。深夜裡，從這所巨大漆黑的房子裡不斷地傳出一陣陣悽厲恐怖的女人的喊叫聲。
塞笛厄斯說道：「這是博恩斯通太太的聲音，這所房子裡只有她一個女人。請等在這裡，我馬上就回來。」他趕緊跑到門前，用他習慣的方法敲了兩下。我們看見一個身材高大的婦人，像見了親人一般請他進去了。
「哦，塞笛厄斯先生，您來得太好啦！您來得太巧啦！哦，塞笛厄斯先生！」我們可以聽到由關著的門後傳出她反覆的喜悅歡呼，跟著她的聲音漸漸低沉，變成喃喃的聲調。
die away：指聲音、風、光線等「逐漸消失」、「變弱」。
例如：
They looked up into the sky until the noise of the rocket died away.
（他們仰望天空直到火箭的聲響逐漸消失為止。）
The sound of the car died away in the distance.
（汽車的聲音消失在遠處。）
與這個短語相近的是：die down，在用法上還是有區別的。
die down表示「情緒，某種形勢或者局勢(慢慢)逐漸平熄，減弱」、「平靜下來」。
His anger has died down a bit.
（他的怒氣已消了一點。）
The rain remained steady though the wind had died down.
（儘管風勢已經減弱，雨還是下個不停。）
今天的知識點，你記住了嗎？