The air was not so bad as might have been
feared, though it was cold and damp. This time they descended but a
little way, and came to a landing place, on the right of which was a
door. Donal raised a rusty latch and pushed; the door swung open
against the wall, dropping from one hinge with the slight shock. Two
steps more they descended, and stood on a stone floor.
Donal thought at first they must be in one of the dungeons, but soon
bethought himself that they had not descended far enough for that.
A halo of 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.
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