ult, dimly lighted by a single wax taper; around were many black and
mouldering casks containing the juice of the grape, some of which was
of a great age. Before one of those casks, much larger than the
others, stood I, brandishing aloft the implement with which I was
about to break open that strange tomb, and disclose its awful secret.
Beside me, dressed in the slight garments I have already described,
their pale countenances expressive of mingled curiosity and fear,
stood Lady Hawley and Captain St. Clair, whom I thus addressed--

"'This cask, may it please your ladyship and the Captain, contains the
wine which you both are so extremely fond of. You have observed, with
some surprise, that its flavor has of late much improved. I shall now,
with your permission, show you the cause of that improvement, for
which--ha, ha, ha!--you are solely indebted to me. The opening of this
cask will disclose a mystery that you have never dreamed of. Look!'

"They both strained forward in eager expectation. A few blows sufficed
to remove the head of the cask. Horror! a sickening stench arose, and
there became visible the headless trunk of a human being. That portion
of the body which was not immersed in the wine, was putrid. 'Look
here!' cried I, in mad triumph, plunging my arm into the cask, and
drawing forth the ghastly head of Lagrange. I held aloft the horrid
trophy of my vengeance; there were the dull, staring eyes, the
distorted features, and drops of wine oozed from between the set
teeth. With a long, loud shriek, her ladyship fell to the ground
insensible; muttering fierce curses on me, the Captain turned to raise
her, and profiting by the opportunity, I escaped from the cellar and
fled from the house. Making the best of my way to the 'Jolly Thieves,'
in St. Giles, I sought safety and concealment there, where I had ample
leisure to mature my future plans.

"In a day or two I saw it announced in one of the newspapers that a
cask had been found floating in the river Thames, which on opening was
found to contain the body and head of a man, and a quantity of wine.
The circumstance gave rise to the supposition that the body had been
procured by some surgeon for dissection, and for some reason had been
abandoned and thrown overboard. The cask and its contents had, of
course, been thrown into the river through the agency of the Captain;
and the affair gave rise to