I was now too frightened to move one way or the other. All the
strength departed from my limbs, and when I endeavoured to move my
feet, I could not--they appeared to be fastened to the ground with
lead weights.
I felt, I intuitively felt that the author of the disturbance was
regarding my terror with grim satisfaction, and that it was merely
postponing further action in order to enjoy my suspense. To block out
the sight of this dreadful creature, I clenched my eyelids tightly
together, at the same time earnestly imploring God to help me.
Suddenly I heard the low wail begin again, and then the echo of a
far-off silvery voice came softly to me through the gloom: "It's an
owl--only an owl!"
With lightning-like rapidity the truth then dawned on me, and as I
withdrew my clammy finger-tips from my ears, the faint fluttering of
wings reached me, through an open skylight. Once again I moved on;
the gallery was left behind, and I was well on my way down the
tortuous passage leading to my goal, when a luminous object, of vast
height and cylindrical shape, suddenly barred my progress.
Overcome by a deadly sickness, I sank on the floor, and, burying my
face in my hands, quite made up my mind that my last moments had come.
How long I remained in this position I cannot say, to me it seemed
eternity. I was eventually freed from it by the echo of a gentle
laugh, so kind, and gay, and girlish, that my terror at once departed,
and, on raising my head, I perceived that the cause of my panic was
nothing more than a broad beam of moonlight on a particularly
prominent angle of the wall.
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