ould
I have dared every peril, although I well knew what tremendous perils
there were; but she would not consent, and believed the attempt to be
useless. I could only wait, therefore, and indulge the hope that at
last a chance of escape might one day come, of which she would be
willing to avail herself.

Almah utterly refused to go to the feast, and entreated me not to go;
but this only served to increase my curiosity, and I determined to see
it for myself, whatever it was. She had seen it, and why should not I?
Whatever it might be, my nerves could surely stand the shock as well
as hers. Besides, I was anxious to know the very worst; and if there
was anything that could surpass in atrocity what I had already
witnessed, it were better that I should not remain in ignorance of it.

So at length, leaving Almah, I returned to the hall of the feast. I
found there a vast multitude, which seemed to comprise the whole
city--men, women, children, all were there. Long tables were laid out.
The people were all standing an waiting. A choir was singing plaintive
strains that sounded like the chant of the sacrifice. Those nearest me
regarded me with their usual amiable smiles, and wished to conduct me
to some place of honor; but I did not care about taking part in this
feast. I wished to be a mere spectator, nothing more. I walked past
and came to the next cavern. This seemed to be quite as large as the
other. There was a crowd of people here also, and at one end there
blazed an enormous fire. It was a furnace that seemed to be used for
cooking the food of this banquet, and there was a thick steam rising
from an immense cauldron, while the air was filled with an odor like
that of a kitchen.

All this I took in at a glance, and at the same instant I saw
something else. There were several very long tables, which stood at
the sides of the cavern and in the middle, and upon each of these I
saw lying certain things covered over with cloths. The shape of these
was more than suggestive--it told me all. It was a sight of
horror--awful, tremendous, unspeakable! For a moment I stood
motionless staring; then all the cavern seemed to swim around me. I
reeled, I fell, and sank into nothingness.

When I revived I was in the lighted grotto, lying on a couch, with
Almah bending over me. Her face was full of tenderest anxiety, yet
there was also apparent a certain solemn gloom that well accorded with
my own feelings. As I looked at her she drew