“Let us see it, please.”
This was the voice of the charming youthful pioneer from the back.
“It’s a death’s-head,” said he, and he smiled very kindly as he spoke. “They are not beautiful.”
“But I’ve enjoyed myself so much all evening, Mr. Barringcourt, that I could not bear to be disappointed now. Besides, the Princess has commanded you. Please show us the head.”
“It has never to be seen but in complete darkness. It’s a clause of the will. It was the condition on which he bought it, I believe, from a few crazy priests, who had no congregation.”
But they all wished to see it, light or no light. It was a little novelty to wind up supper and take the place of toasts.
So suddenly the light switched out, and left the place in total darkness. Those who were on terms familiar enough clasped one another’s hands. They found the situation not unpleasant.
And then upon the instant the black curtain swung backwards and revealed a space beyond, from which gleamed out, in ashen whiteness and dusky hollows from the blackness, the skeleton head of death. It was the head of some great giant of unusual size, with yellow teeth discoloured, but all present. All looked at it with gloomy interest, and some began to wish, as darkness continued, they’d been less eager to examine it.
But suddenly and swiftly in the silence two gleaming balls of light glared red from the empty sockets, to turn their gaze at every individual round the room, and with a gleam most sinister. This was truly horrible. A room so black and dark that none could see each other. The bleached skull and skeleton of a superhuman head. And above all the terrible gleaming eyes, the only flash of light in the whole room, that had the power of penetrating, and gave each the impression the evil eye was fixed on him alone. A spell of silence had fallen. No woman cried; the laughter of ten minutes since had died; even the very sound of breathing was now quite hushed. This was the deadened, powerless load of nightmare.
Suddenly a light appeared on the spiral staircase. The gleam of snowy whiteness, the soft glow of an undying lamp, and the pure colours of a splendid moonshine. And above all a face and figure of most simple beauty, eyes pure and starlit in contrast to the red gleam. And a crown of mermaid flaxen hair, and expression sweet and thoughtful! It was a wonderful and sweet relief to the ghastly spectacle below.