arras; he put the robe down, and stepped
through the hangings, and stood awhile in the little oriel that looked
down into the church. Vespers were proceeding; he saw the holy lights
dimly through the dusty panes, and heard the low preluding of the
organ; then, solemn and slow, rose the sound of a chanted psalm on the
air; he carefully unfastened the casement which opened inward and
unclosed it, standing for a while to listen, while the air, fragrant
with incense smoke, drew into the room along the vaulted roof. There
were but a few worshippers in the church, who stood below him; two
lights burnt stilly upon the altar, and he saw distinctly the thin
hands of a priest who held a book close to his face. He had not set
foot within a church for many years, and the sight and sound drew his
mind back to his childhood's days. At last with a sigh he put the
window to very softly, and went to his study, where he made pretence
to read, till the hour came when he was wont to retire to his bed. He
sent his servant away, but instead of lying down, he sate, looking
upon a parchment, which he held in his hand, while the bells of the
city slowly told out the creeping hours.

At last, a few minutes before midnight, he rose from his place; the
house was now all silent, and without the night was very still, as
though all things slept tranquilly. He opened the press and took from
it the black robe, and put it round him, so that it covered him from
head to foot, and then gathered up the parchment, and the key of the
locked room, and went softly out, and so came to the door. This he
undid with a kind of secret and awestruck haste, locking it behind
him. Once inside the room, he wrestled awhile with a strong aversion
to what was in his mind to do, and stood for a moment, listening
intently, as though he expected to hear some sound. But the room was
still, except for the faint biting of some small creature in the
wainscot.

Then with a swift motion he took up the tinder-box and made a light;
he drew aside the curtain that hid the alcove; he put fire to the
powder in the candlesticks, which at first spluttered, and then
swiftly kindling sent up a thick smoky flame, fragrant with drugs,
burning hotly and red. Then he came back to the altar; cast a swift
glance round him to see that all was ready; put fire to the powder on
the altar, and in a low and inward voice began to recite words from
the book, and from the parchment which he held in his h