A fresher air came to her face, as she

unclosed the door, which opened upon the east rampart, and the sudden

current had nearly extinguished her light, which she now removed to a

distance; and again, looking out upon the obscure terrace, she perceived

only the faint outline of the walls and of some towers, while, above,

heavy clouds, borne along the wind, seemed to mingle with the stars, and

wrap the night in thicker darkness. As she gazed, now willing to defer

the moment of certainty, from which she expected only confirmation of

evil, a distant footstep reminded her, that she might be observed by

the men on watch, and, hastily closing the door, she took her lamp,

and passed up the stair-case. Trembling came upon her, as she ascended

through the gloom. To her melancholy fancy this seemed to be a place of

death, and the chilling silence, that reigned, confirmed its character.

Her spirits faltered. 'Perhaps,' said she, 'I am come hither only to

learn a dreadful truth, or to witness some horrible spectacle; I feel

that my senses would not survive such an addition of horror.'

The image of her aunt murdered--murdered, perhaps, by the hand of

Montoni, rose to her mind; she trembled, gasped for breath--repented

that she had dared to venture hither, and checked her steps. But, after

she had paused a few minutes, the consciousness of her duty returned,

and she went on. Still all was silent. At length a track of blood, upon

a stair, caught her eye; and instantly she perceived, that the wall and

several other steps were stained. She paused, again struggled to support

herself, and the lamp almost fell from her trembling hand. Still

no sound was heard, no living being seemed to inhabit the turret; a

thousand times she wished herself again in her chamber; dreaded to

enquire farther--dreaded to encounter some horrible spectacle, and

yet could not resolve, now that she was so near the termination of her

efforts, to desist from them.

Having again collected courage to proceed,

after ascending about half way up the turret, she came to another door,

but here again she stopped in hesitation; listened for sounds within,

and then, summoning all her resolution, unclosed it, and entered a

chamber, which, as her lamp shot its feeble rays through the darkness,

seemed to exhibit only dew-stained and deserted walls. As she stood

examining it, in fearful expectation of discovering the remains of her

unfortunate aunt, she perceived something lying in an obscure corner of

the room, and, struck with an horrible conviction, she became, for

an instant, motionless and nearly insensible. Then, with a kind of

desperate resolution, she hurried towards the object that excited her

terror, when, perceiving the clothes of some person, on the floor,

she caught hold of them, and found in her grasp the old uniform of a

soldier, beneath which appeared a heap of pikes and other arms. Scarcely

daring to trust her sight, she continued, for some moments, to gaze

on the object of her late alarm, and then left the chamber, so much

comforted and occupied by the conviction, that her aunt was not there,

that she was going to descend the turret, without enquiring farther;

when, on turning to do so, she observed upon some steps on the second

flight an appearance of blood, and remembering, that there was yet

another chamber to be explored, she again followed the windings of

the ascent.




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