Guy Boothby

“ The room was filled with them, but there was something plainly unsubstantial about them. They moved to and fro without sound, yet with regular movements. I watched them, and as I watched a terror, such as I had never known in my life before, came over me. I felt that if I did not get out of the room at once I should fall upon the floor in a fit. In this state I made my way towards the door by which I had entered, fled up the ladder, through the crypt, and then across the cave to the place where I had stood when Nikola had left me, and then fell fainting upon the floor. ”

“ When the monk appeared in answer he said something hurriedly and the man immediately withdrew. In less than five minutes he returned bringing with him another stretcher, upon which was placed the dead body of a man. When the monk had withdrawn the old man said to Nikola—
“Gaze upon this person, my son; his earthly pilgrimage is over; he died of old age to-day. He was one of our lay brethren, and a devout and holy man. It is meet that he should conduct you, of whose piety we have heard so much, into our greater inner land of knowledge. ”

“ Like his companion he also wore a beard, but in his case it was long and snow-white, which added materially to his venerable appearance.
“My son,” he was saying, addressing himself to Nikola, “hitherto you have seen the extent to which the human powers can be cultivated by a life of continual prayer and self-denial. Now it remains for you to learn to what extent our sect has benefited by earthly wisdom. There are those among us who have given up their whole lives to the study of the frailties and imperfections of this human frame. ”

“ At our feet the wind, which must have come in through some passage from the open air, tore and shrieked, while across the way, not more than twelve yards distant, fell the waters of a magnificent cataract. ”

“ Arriving at the bottom of the steps I found myself in a sort of crypt supported on pillars and surrounded on all sides by tiers of niches, or shelves, cut, after the fashion of the Roman catacombs, in the solid rock. This dismal place was lighted by three torches, and by their aid I was able to discern in each niche what looked like a human figure swaddled up in many wrappings. ”

“ At the other end of this landing was a large stone archway, more like a tunnel than anything else, and at its mouth stood a monk. The dwarf went forward to him and said something in a low voice, whereupon he took a torch from the wall at his side and signed to us to follow him. The dwarf returned to the higher regions, while we plunged deeper still below the surface of the earth. ”

“ As he spoke he struck a gong hanging upon the wall, and almost before the sound had died away a man entered clad in the usual garb of a monk. The old fellow said something to him which I did not catch and immediately he retired by the way he had come. Five minutes later he reappeared followed by another monk. Between them they bore a stretcher on which lay the figure of a man. The old man signed to them to place it in the centre of the apartment, which they did and retired.
As soon as they had departed Nikola was invited to examine the person upon the stretcher. ”