damp surrounded their candle; its weak light seemed scarcely
to spread beyond it; for some moments they took in nothing of what was
around them. The floor first began to reveal itself to Donal's eye: in
the circle of the light he saw, covered with dust as it was, its
squares of black and white marble. Then came to him a gleam of white
from the wall; it was a tablet; and at the other end was something like
an altar, or a tomb.

"We are in the old chapel of the castle!" he said. "--But what is
that?" he added instantly with an involuntary change of voice, and a
shudder through his whole nervous being.

Arctura turned; her hand sought his and clasped it convulsively. They
stood close to something which the light itself had concealed from
them. Ere they were conscious of an idea concerning it, each felt the
muscles of neck and face drawn, as if another power than their own
invaded their persons. But they were live wills, and would not be
overcome. They forced their gaze; perception cleared itself; and slowly
they saw and understood.

With strangest dream-like incongruity and unfitness, the thing beside
them was a dark bedstead, with carved posts and low wooden tester,
richly carved!--This in the middle of a chapel!--But there was no
speculation in them; they could only see, not think. Donal took the
candle. From the tester hung large pieces of stuff that had once made
heavy curtains, but seemed hardly now to have as much cohesion as the
dust on a cobweb; it held together only in virtue of the lightness to
which decay had reduced it. On the bed lay a dark mass, like bed
clothes and bedding not quite turned to dust--they could yet see
something like embroidery in one or two places--dark like burnt paper
or half-burnt flaky rags, horrid as a dream of dead love!

Heavens! what was that shape in the middle?--what was that on the black
pillow?--what was that thick line stretching towards one of the
head-posts? They stared speechless. Arctura pressed close to Donal. His
arm went round her to protect her from what threatened almost to
overwhelm himself--the inroad of an unearthly horror. Plain to the eyes
of both, the form in the middle of the bed was that of a human body,
slowly crumbling where it lay. Bed and blankets and quilt, sheets and
pillows had crumbled with it through the long wasting years, but
something of its old shape yet lingered with the dust: that was a head
that lay on the pillow; that was the line of a long