Випадок Чарльза Декстера Варда
Chapter 2
Thehallinwhichhestoodwasperhapsfourteenfeethighinthemiddleofthevaultingandtenortwelvefeetbroad.Itspavementwasoflargechippedflagstone,anditswallsandroofwereofdressedmasonry.Itslengthhecouldnotimagine,foritstretchedaheadindefinitelyintotheblackness.Ofthearchways,somehaddoorsoftheoldsix-paneledcolonialtype,whilstothershadnone.
Overcomingthedreadinducedbythesmellandthehowling,Willettbegantoexplorethesearchwaysonebyone;findingbeyondthemroomswithgroinedstoneceilings,eachofmediumsizeandapparentlyofbizarreused.Mostofthemhadfireplaces,theuppercoursesofwhosechimneyswouldhaveformedaninterestingstudyinengineering.Neverbeforeorsincehadheseensuchinstrumentsorsuggestionsofinstrumentsashereloomeduponeveryhandthroughtheburyingdustandcobwebsofacenturyandahalf,inmanycasesevidentlyshatteredasifbytheancientraiders.Formanyofthechambersseemedwhollyuntroddenbymodernfeet,andmusthaverepresentedtheearliestandmostobsoletephasesofJosephCurwen’sexperimentation.Finallytherecamearoomofobviousmodernity,oratleastofrecentoccupancy.Therewereoilheaters,bookshelvesandtables,chairsandcabinets,andadeskpiledhighwithpapersofvaryingantiquityandcontemporaneousness.Candlesticksandoillampsstoodaboutinseveralplaces;andfindingamatch-safehandy,Willettlightedsuchaswerereadyforuse.
