approaching. As thus she stood, light glimmered under an opposite
door of the gallery, and, from its situation, she knew, that it was
the door of that mysterious chamber, where she had made a discovery so
shocking, that she never remembered it but with the utmost horror. That
there should be light in this chamber, and at this hour, excited her
strong surprise, and she felt a momentary terror concerning it, which
did not permit her to look again, for her spirits were now in such a
state of weakness, that she almost expected to see the door slowly open,
and some horrible object appear at it. Still she listened for a
step along the passage, and looked up it, where, not a ray of light
appearing, she concluded, that Verezzi had gone back for the lamp; and,
believing that he would shortly be there, she again considered which way
she should go, or rather which way she could find in the dark.

A faint ray still glimmered under the opposite door, but so great, and,
perhaps, so just was her horror of that chamber, that she would not
again have tempted its secrets, though she had been certain of obtaining
the light so important to her safety. She was still breathing with
difficulty, and resting at the end of the passage, when she heard a
rustling sound, and then a low voice, so very near her, that it seemed
close to her ear; but she had presence of mind to check her emotions,
and to remain quite still; in the next moment, she perceived it to be
the voice of Verezzi, who did not appear to know, that she was there,
but to have spoken to himself. 'The air is fresher here,' said he: 'this
should be the corridor.' Perhaps, he was one of those heroes, whose
courage can defy an enemy better than darkness, and he tried to rally
his spirits with the sound of his own voice. However this might be,
he turned to the right, and proceeded, with the same stealing steps,
towards Emily's apartment, apparently forgetting, that, in darkness,
she could easily elude his search, even in her chamber; and, like an
intoxicated person, he followed pertinaciously the one idea, that had
possessed his imagination.

The moment she heard his steps steal away, she left her station and
moved softly to the other end of the corridor, determined to trust
again to chance, and to quit it by the first avenue she could find; but,
before she could effect this, light broke upon the walls of the gallery,
and, looking back, she saw Verezzi crossing it towards her chamber.