Випадок Чарльза Декстера Варда
Chapter 2
Hethoughtoftheslavesandseamenwhohaddisappeared,ofthegraveswhichhadbeenviolatedineverypartoftheworld,andofwhatthatfinalraidingpartymusthaveseen;andthenhedecideditwasbetternottothinkanymore.Onceagreatstonestaircasemountedathisright,andhededucedthatthismusthavereachedtooneoftheCurwenoutbuildings—perhapsthefamousstoneedificewiththehighslit-likewindows—providedthestepshehaddescendedhadledfromthesteep-roofedfarmhouse.Suddenlythewallsseemedtofallawayahead,andthestenchandthewailinggrewstronger.Willettsawthathehadcomeuponavastopenspace,sogreatthathistorchlightwouldnotcarryacrossit;andasheadvancedheencounteredoccasionalstoutpillarssupportingthearchesoftheroof.
AfteratimehereachedacircleofpillarsgroupedlikethemonolithsofStonehenge,withalargecarvedaltaronabaseofthreestepsinthecenter;andsocuriouswerethecarvingsonthataltarthatheapproachedtostudythemwithhiselectriclight.Butwhenhesawwhattheywereheshrankawayshuddering,anddidnotstoptoinvestigatethedarkstainswhichdiscoloredtheuppersurfaceandhadspreaddownthesidesinoccasionalthinlines.Instead,hefoundthedistantwallandtraceditasitsweptroundinagiganticcircleperforatedbyoccasionalblackdoorwaysandindentedbyamyriadofshallowcellswithirongratingsandwristandanklebondsonchainsfastenedtothestoneoftheconcaverearmasonry
