But, my story.—Well: I described our intended route; and, in due process, we had crossed the antichamber, gone down the winding stairs, traversed the range of apartments below, and arrived at the West Tower, without the single creaking of a shoe to tell our progress. But, mind me: these brave fellows, who had so amply ridiculed the believing souls of the castle for their stories and their ghosts, now began to creep closer to each other.—And at every puff of wind that whizzed past us, they shrunk in circumference.
Thus I tell you we reached the West Tower: a tower long haunted in renown, and of which no apartment is either in use or preservation. We entered a rude kind of saloon, where we dimly saw mouldering walls, and unoccupied pedestals; scraps of its former carved ornaments were strewed upon the pavements; and here and there the faint rays of our lanthern glanced upon an headless hero. The saloon was cold and dreary; a wintry blast crept round us, with the hollow murmur of emptiness. We were treading ground, of which the apparitions of the castle had for time immemorial claimed the undisturbed possession; and the panic struck hearts of my companions were doubtless anticipating supernatural disasters, when slam went some door at no great distance. 'Lord, Lord have mercy on us!' cried Griffiths, seizing on my arm; while his yet paler brother, envying him the supposed protection, forced himself between us, and I have still the misfortune to bear tokens of his cowardly gripe. Enraged with the pain of this fellow's pinch, and the terror of being surprised, I shook him off like a fly; and, closing up the lanthern, I listened attentively at each door of the saloon, and became convinced we had heard only one of the accidental noises of an old and shattered building.
'Follow me, ye frightened fools,' said I, 'and at your peril——'
'Indeed, my lord,' whispered both cowards together, 'we were not at all frightened, and——'
With a look expressive enough I believe, for I was then mad with apprehension least their ignorance and credulity should ruin my project, I awed them into silence. I again bade them follow with the tone of authoritative command, and cowards are at all times most ready to obey.
Our next stage, and last except the stairs, was a winding, narrow, damp, stone passage.——The devil certainly owed me a grudge, since he incited me to enter it at that moment.——Ten minutes sooner, and I had probably secured the damsel, and had left the invisible night-walking inamorato to sigh, as it is now alass, Walter, my fate and fortune.
This passage was barely wide enough for three to walk abreast. I placed myself in the middle; and they clung to me with infinite zeal. I carried the lanthern; and our step was soft as secresy on my part and terror on their's could make it.—Turning an angle of this infernal passage, behold there came sweeping towards us a tall long bearded figure, in a black cloak, and carrying a dark lanthern likewise.
Zounds! What a howl from Griffiths and his brother!—The phantom fled. I pursued.—That beard never, never, grew on his chin, Walter.—He out-ran me; and I could only keep him in sight till, like a flash of lightning, he darted through a pair of heavy folding doors.—I expected nothing so surely as that he had secured them on the inside; and, now grown desperate, I resolved on a trial of strength. But the doors gave me admission as readily as they had done to him: and the long swords, helmets, truncheons, and other rusty weapons, and accoutrements, taught me I was in the famed armoury.
Now, Walter, heaven and himself only know to this hour what became of him. These eyes saw him enter, but neither eyes or hands could find him there. Four narrow casements gave light to the armoury; and these were most amply defended by cross bars of iron. That way he could not vanish.
You and others may talk of nursery prejudices till ye are hoarse with discussion, and I will still maintain it was not in the nature of man to witness the unaccountable escape of this spright without feeling his blood change its course. I honestly confess, drops of cold dew stood on my forehead, as I paced round and round this vast hall, holding up my lanthern at every fifth step to discover, and endeavouring from each crack and crevice to force, an opening into some other apartment.—None could I find.—A fearful awe crept to my heart.—I looked behind me and around me—even the void seemed to threaten me with something undefined and horrible.