with our clue; for, as if to prevent persons who might reach thus far and suspect the purpose for which the serpent was painted so frequently, it was depicted as creeping in every direction, and it was only by a careful inspection that we were able to decide that the head inclined to a particular direction, often at variance with that it appeared to be travelling in itself. Following these indications, the count went boldly on, winding in and out till my brain was far from clear. This may have been partly owing to the thought having suddenly occurred to me, how hopeless it would be to try to escape from this labyrinth if our guide were suddenly to fail us. Some idea of its intricacy may be derived from the fact that we had been in it thirty-five minutes when I looked at my watch, and it was some minutes after this before we emerged from it into a short passage which led into a small square apartment having two places of exit, one at each end.
“At the first glance we threw round us we perceived simultaneously a faint light shining in at these openings. The count took in his hand the light pickaxe, which he had hitherto carried suspended from his neck by a strap, and I did the same. We drew close together, and though we did not speak, I had no doubt he was hesitating whether he should not return silently by the way we had come. I hoped he would, and, to decide him, I took a step in that direction; but he caught me by the arm, and drew me abruptly to one of the openings by which the light entered.
“We found ourselves looking down a chamber of enormous length and width, in the centre of which burnt a clear bright flame, which rose straight from the floor to a height of five or six feet. So steady and brilliant was this light that it blinded my eyes. On opening them I looked down the side of the chamber; but, notwithstanding the intense brilliancy of the flame, so vast were its dimensions, that I could only faintly discern from the place where I stood, two lines of shadowy figures, one above the other, apparently seated on thrones. Turning my head a little, and looking to the opposite side, there was the same array of motionless figures. I trembled as I looked on this mysterious assemblage, apparently, of human beings, who sat before me seemingly in silent contemplation of that strange bright flame which rose from the marble floor. I turned my head to look at the count, but he had disappeared, and it was only when I staggered back, with a cold chill creeping over me, that I saw he was prostrate on his face on the pavement. I took him by the shoulder, fearing that he had been overcome by terror; but he drew himself from me in a manner which showed that he was in full possession of his senses, and desired to be left alone. He lay there some time longer, after which he got on his feet and went with head uncovered and reverent step towards the occupants of the seats on the right side of the chamber.
“The lower row, except two or three at the upper end, were skeletons, a few of which had quite fallen to pieces, and the skulls had rolled along the pavement, while the rest of the bones remained inclosed within the robe worn by the man when living. The greater part of them, however, either retained the frame entire, with the fleshless head resting against the back of the seat, or else had shrunk together and lay in a heap on the seat. The sight of these was painful, but the impression produced was slight compared with the shock I received when I looked at those above. They sat upright and rigid, as though they were living men; the purple colour of their robes was so fresh, and their open eyes reflected the light so brightly, that I could hardly help thinking they were alive and watching our movements. The throne occupied by each of them was of marble, beautifully polished, and above their heads was a plate of gold covered with hieroglyphics, and encircling this the serpent painted in the same vivid colours as those we had seen on the walls previously, but with eyes of a green stone, resembling emerald, which flashed back the light and gave them a life-like appearance. A very slight examination, joined with the experience I had had of such things, enabled me to see that the figures had been carefully and skilfully embalmed.
“Never in my life had I looked upon a man of whom it could be said with so much justice that he had a noble appearance, as might be said of these dried corpses. Without exception, as far as I saw, the expression of their faces was of the most elevated character. Grave and awe-inspiring, it made me feel my littleness so acutely, that, although I knew them to be as devoid of life as so many statues, I was abashed and humbled before them; possibly this feeling may have been heightened by their enormous size, which was so far above that of ordinary men that I supposed they must be sitting on cushions concealed by their robes until I looked closely and satisfied myself that this was not so.
“After we had gone slowly down the chamber and back again, we crossed from the right side to the left. Here there was the same arrangement of bodies as on the opposite side; so we spent but a comparatively short time in looking at them, and passed on to the upper end of the chamber, where was a dais with nine polished marble seats at each end, similar to those already described, and a like number arranged in a semicircle in the centre. Of those in the centre, four were filled by the same soulless tenants, not more grand in their physical appearance, but who probably held posts of authority: for each, instead of the gold plate inlaid in the marble, with the serpent around it, wore a circlet of gold about his head in the form of that reptile, its various brilliant hues being imitated by stones set in the gold, which reflected the flame so vividly that the forehead seemed to be covered with specks of many-coloured fires. There was one other of the central seats occupied, but no circlet of precious stones glittered on the brow of its tenant, for it was headless, the head being placed beside the body and carefully wrapped in canvas, the coarseness of which contrasted strongly with the rich purple woollen robe which enveloped the body. On the pavement before it lay a circlet like the others, but it was cut in two parts. The awe I felt was too great to permit me to remove the ornament from the heads of those who wore them; but the temptation to take the pieces lying
