Chapter 2

           

           WillettfreelyadmitsthatforamomentthememoryoftheoldCurwenlegendskepthimfromclimbingdownaloneintothatmalodorousgulf.HecouldnothelpthinkingofwhatLikeFennerhadreportedonthatlastmonstrousnight.Thendutyasserteditselfandhemadetheplunge,carryingagreatvalisefortheremovalofwhateverpapersmightproveofsupremeimportance.Slowly,asbefittedoneofhisyears,hedescendedtheladderandreachedtheslimystepsbelow.Thiswasancientmasonry,historchtoldhim;anduponthedrippingwallshesawtheunwholesomemossofcenturies.Down,down,ranthesteps;notspirally,butinthreeabruptturns;andwithsuchnarrownessthattwomencouldhavepassedonlywithdifficulty.Hehadcountedaboutthirtywhenasoundreachedhimveryfaintly;andafterthathedidnotfeeldisposedtocountanymore.

           Itwasagodlesssound;oneofthoselow-keyed,insidiousoutragesofNaturewhicharenotmeanttobe.Tocallitadullwail,adoom-draggedwhine,orahopelesshowlofchorusedanguishandstrickenfleshwithoutmindwouldbetomissitsquintessentialloathsomenessandsoul-sickeningovertones.WasitforthisthatWardhadseemedtolistenonthatdayhewasremoved?ItwasthemostshockingthingthatWilletthadeverheard,anditcontinuedfromnodeterminatepointasthedoctorreachedthebottomofthestepsandcasthistorchlightaroundonloftycorridorwallssurmountedbyCyclopeanvaultingandpiercedbynumberlessblackarchways.

Настройки
Фон страницы
Размер шрифта
Межстрочный интервал
Фразовые глаголы
Показать / Скрыть меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Страница 159 из 211