le they
beheld the poor innocents die? These men are Atheists, you are in a
trap, yet quit yourself like a man."

"Ah, sharp one," thought I, the author, "where are you at last? try to
pray as a test.--Well, well, these things are strangely like devils.--O
man, you have talked about bravery often, now is your time to practise
it: once for all trust in God, or I fear you are lost."

Moreover it increased my horror that there was no appearance of a woman
in all these rooms; and yet was there not? there, those things--I looked
more intently; yes, no doubt they were women, but all dressed like
men;--what a ghastly place!

"O man! do your duty," my angel said; then in spite of the bloodshot eyes
of man and woman there, in spite of their bold looks, they quailed before
me.

I stepped up to the bed-side, where under the velvet coverlid lay the
dying man, his small sparkling eyes only (but dulled now by coming death)
showing above the swathings. I was about to kneel down by the bed-side
to confess him, when one of those--things--called out (now they had just
been whispering and sniggering together, but the priest in his righteous,
brave scorn would not look at them; the humbled author, half fearful,
half trustful, dared not) so one called out:

"Sir Priest, for three days our master has spoken no articulate word; you
must pass over all particulars; ask for a sign only."

Such a strange ghastly suspicion flashed across me just then; but I
choked it, and asked the dying man if he repented of his sins, and if he
believed all that was necessary to salvation, and, if so, to make a sign,
if he were able: the man moved a little and groaned; so I took it for a
sign, as he was clearly incapable either of speaking or moving, and
accordingly began the service for the administration of the sacraments;
and as I began, those behind me and through all the rooms (I know it was
through all of them) began to move about, in a bewildering dance-like
motion, mazy and intricate; yes, and presently music struck up through
all those rooms, music and singing, lively and gay; many of the tunes I
had heard before (in the nineteenth century) I could have sworn to half a
dozen of the polkas.

The rooms grew fuller and fuller of people; they passed thick and fast
between the rooms, and the hangings were continually rustling; one fat
old man with a big belly crept under the bed where I was, and wheezed and
chuckled there, laughing and talking to on