Готель з привидами

           Nothingvisible,nothingaudible,hadgivenheranyintelligiblewarningofitsappearance.Silentlyandsuddenly,theheadhadtakenitsplaceaboveher.Nosupernaturalchangehadpassedovertheroom,orwasperceptibleinitnow.Thedumbly-torturedfigureinthechair;thebroadwindowoppositethefootofthebed,withtheblacknightbeyondit;thecandleburningonthetable—these,andallotherobjectsintheroom,remainedunaltered.Oneobjectmore,unutterablyhorrid,hadbeenaddedtotherest.Thatwastheonlychange—nomore,noless.

           Bytheyellowcandlelightshesawtheheaddistinctly,hoveringinmid-airaboveher.Shelookedatitsteadfastly,spell-boundbytheterrorthatheldher.

           Thefleshofthefacewasgone.Theshrivelledskinwasdarkenedinhue,liketheskinofanEgyptianmummy—exceptattheneck.Thereitwasofalightercolour;thereitshowedspotsandsplashesofthehueofthatbrownspotontheceiling,whichthechild’sfancifulterrorhaddistortedintothelikenessofaspotofblood.Thinremainsofadiscolouredmoustacheandwhiskers,hangingovertheupperlip,andoverthehollowswherethecheekshadoncebeen,madetheheadjustrecognisableastheheadofaman.Overallthefeaturesdeathandtimehaddonetheirobliteratingwork.Theeyelidswereclosed.Thehairontheskull,discolouredlikethehairontheface,hadbeenburntawayinplaces.Thebluishlips,partedinafixedgrin,showedthedoublerowofteeth.Byslowdegrees,thehoveringhead(perfectlystillwhenshefirstsawit)begantodescendtowardsAgnesasshelaybeneath