Колодець і маятник

           InfeelingmywayIhadfoundmanyangles,andthusdeducedanideaofgreatirregularity;sopotentistheeffectoftotaldarknessupononearousingfromlethargyorsleep! Theanglesweresimplythoseofafewslightdepressions,orniches,atoddintervals. Thegeneralshapeoftheprisonwassquare. WhatIhadtakenformasonryseemednowtobeiron,orsomeothermetal,inhugeplates,whosesuturesorjointsoccasionedthedepression. Theentiresurfaceofthismetallicenclosurewasrudelydaubedinallthehideousandrepulsivedevicestowhichthecharnelsuperstitionofthemonkshasgivenrise. Thefiguresoffiendsinaspectsofmenace,withskeletonforms,andothermorereallyfearfulimages,overspreadanddisfiguredthewalls. Iobservedthattheoutlinesofthesemonstrositiesweresufficientlydistinct,butthatthecolorsseemedfadedandblurred,asiffromtheeffectsofadampatmosphere. Inownoticedthefloor,too,whichwasofstone. InthecentreyawnedthecircularpitfromwhosejawsIhadescaped;butitwastheonlyoneinthedungeon. 

           AllthisIsawindistinctlyandbymucheffort: formypersonalconditionhadbeengreatlychangedduringslumber. Inowlayuponmyback,andatfulllength,onaspeciesoflowframeworkofwood. TothisIwassecurelyboundbyalongstrapresemblingasurcingle.