The worm had drawn back his ringed head and disappeared. The ear-wig dropped the light and turned away.
'It is impossible to get in, the wood is new,' said he as he withdrew.
'I will do it!' said Pluizer, and with his clawed fingers he tore long white splinters cracking out of the wood.
A fearful anguish came over Johannes. But he could not help himself; there was no escape.
At last the dark thing was opened. Pluizer seized the light and hurried in.
'Here, here!' he cried, running to the head.
But when Johannes came as far as the hands, which lay quietly folded over the breast, he stopped. He gazed at the thin white fingers, dimly lighted from above. On a sudden, he recognised them,—he knew the shape and turn of the fingers, the look of the long nails, now blue and dull. He recognised a brown spot on one of the forefingers. These were his own hands.
'Here, this way!' Pluizer called from the head. 'Only look, do you know him?'
Hapless Johannes tried to stand up and go towards the light which winked at him; but he could not. The gleam died into total darkness and he fell senseless.