Tales of Terror and Mystery

The New Catacomb

           Buttheseallendedinonelargecircularhallwithasquarepedestaloftufatoppedwithaslabofmarbleatoneendofit.

           "ByJove!"criedKennedyinanecstasy,asBurgerswunghislanternoverthemarble."ItisaChristianaltar—probablythefirstoneinexistence.Hereisthelittleconsecrationcrosscutuponthecornerofit.Nodoubtthiscircularspacewasusedasachurch."

           "Precisely,"saidBurger."IfIhadmoretimeIshouldliketoshowyouallthebodieswhichareburiedinthesenichesuponthewalls,fortheyaretheearlypopesandbishopsoftheChurch,withtheirmitres,theircroziers,andfullcanonicals.Goovertothatoneandlookatit!"

           Kennedywentacross,andstaredattheghastlyheadwhichlaylooselyontheshreddedandmoulderingmitre.

           "Thisismostinteresting,"saidhe,andhisvoiceseemedtoboomagainsttheconcavevault."Asfarasmyexperiencegoes,itisunique.Bringthelanternover,Burger,forIwanttoseethemall."

           ButtheGermanhadstrolledaway,andwasstandinginthemiddleofayellowcircleoflightattheothersideofthehall.

           "Doyouknowhowmanywrongturningstherearebetweenthisandthestairs?"heasked."Thereareovertwothousand.NodoubtitwasoneofthemeansofprotectionwhichtheChristiansadopted.Theoddsaretwothousandtooneagainstamangettingout,evenifhehadalight;butifhewereinthedarkitwould,ofcourse,befarmoredifficult."

           "SoIshouldthink."

           "Andthedarknessissomethingdreadful.Itrieditonceforanexperiment.

Настройки
Фон страницы
Размер шрифта
Межстрочный интервал
Фразовые глаголы
Показать / Скрыть меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Страница 55 из 263