Chapter 2

           WillettfreelyadmitsthatforamomentthememoryoftheoldCurwenlegendskepthimfromclimbingdownaloneintothatmalodorousgulf.HecouldnothelpthinkingofwhatLikeFennerhadreportedonthatlastmonstrousnight.Thendutyasserteditselfandhemadetheplunge,carryingagreatvalisefortheremovalofwhateverpapersmightproveofsupremeimportance.Slowly,asbefittedoneofhisyears,hedescendedtheladderandreachedtheslimystepsbelow.Thiswasancientmasonry,historchtoldhim;anduponthedrippingwallshesawtheunwholesomemossofcenturies.Down,down,ranthesteps;notspirally,butinthreeabruptturns;andwithsuchnarrownessthattwomencouldhavepassedonlywithdifficulty.Hehadcountedaboutthirtywhenasoundreachedhimveryfaintly;andafterthathedidnotfeeldisposedtocountanymore.

           Itwasagodlesssound;oneofthoselow-keyed,insidiousoutragesofNaturewhicharenotmeanttobe.Tocallitadullwail,adoom-draggedwhine,orahopelesshowlofchorusedanguishandstrickenfleshwithoutmindwouldbetomissitsquintessentialloathsomenessandsoul-sickeningovertones.WasitforthisthatWardhadseemedtolistenonthatdayhewasremoved?ItwasthemostshockingthingthatWilletthadeverheard,anditcontinuedfromnodeterminatepointasthedoctorreachedthebottomofthestepsandcasthistorchlightaroundonloftycorridorwallssurmountedbyCyclopeanvaultingandpiercedbynumberlessblackarchways.