Tales of Terror and Mystery
The New Catacomb
Buttheseallendedinonelargecircularhallwithasquarepedestaloftufatoppedwithaslabofmarbleatoneendofit.
"ByJove!"criedKennedyinanecstasy,asBurgerswunghislanternoverthemarble."ItisaChristianaltar—probablythefirstoneinexistence.Hereisthelittleconsecrationcrosscutuponthecornerofit.Nodoubtthiscircularspacewasusedasachurch."
"Precisely,"saidBurger."IfIhadmoretimeIshouldliketoshowyouallthebodieswhichareburiedinthesenichesuponthewalls,fortheyaretheearlypopesandbishopsoftheChurch,withtheirmitres,theircroziers,andfullcanonicals.Goovertothatoneandlookatit!"
Kennedywentacross,andstaredattheghastlyheadwhichlaylooselyontheshreddedandmoulderingmitre.
"Thisismostinteresting,"saidhe,andhisvoiceseemedtoboomagainsttheconcavevault."Asfarasmyexperiencegoes,itisunique.Bringthelanternover,Burger,forIwanttoseethemall."
ButtheGermanhadstrolledaway,andwasstandinginthemiddleofayellowcircleoflightattheothersideofthehall.
"Doyouknowhowmanywrongturningstherearebetweenthisandthestairs?"heasked."Thereareovertwothousand.NodoubtitwasoneofthemeansofprotectionwhichtheChristiansadopted.Theoddsaretwothousandtooneagainstamangettingout,evenifhehadalight;butifhewereinthedarkitwould,ofcourse,befarmoredifficult."
"SoIshouldthink."
"Andthedarknessissomethingdreadful.Itrieditonceforanexperiment.
