A fresher air came to her face, as she
unclosed the door, which opened upon the east rampart, and the sudden
current had nearly extinguished her light, which she now removed to a
distance; and again, looking out upon the obscure terrace, she perceived
only the faint outline of the walls and of some towers, while, above,
heavy clouds, borne along the wind, seemed to mingle with the stars, and
wrap the night in thicker darkness. As she gazed, now willing to defer
the moment of certainty, from which she expected only confirmation of
evil, a distant footstep reminded her, that she might be observed by
the men on watch, and, hastily closing the door, she took her lamp,
and passed up the stair-case. Trembling came upon her, as she ascended
through the gloom. To her melancholy fancy this seemed to be a place of
death, and the chilling silence, that reigned, confirmed its character.
Her spirits faltered. 'Perhaps,' said she, 'I am come hither only to
learn a dreadful truth, or to witness some horrible spectacle; I feel
that my senses would not survive such an addition of horror.'
The image of her aunt murdered--murdered, perhaps, by the hand of
Montoni, rose to her mind; she trembled, gasped for breath--repented
that she had dared to venture hither, and checked her steps. But, after
she had paused a few minutes, the consciousness of her duty returned,
and she went on. Still all was silent. At length a track of blood, upon
a stair, caught her eye; and instantly she perceived, that the wall and
several other steps were stained. She paused, again struggled to support
herself, and the lamp almost fell from her trembling hand. Still
no sound was heard, no living being seemed to inhabit the turret; a
thousand times she wished herself again in her chamber; dreaded to
enquire farther--dreaded to encounter some horrible spectacle, and
yet could not resolve, now that she was so near the termination of her
efforts, to desist from them.
Having again collected courage to proceed,
after ascending about half way up the turret, she came to another door,
but here again she stopped in hesitation; listened for sounds within,
and then, summoning all her resolution, unclosed it, and entered a
chamber, which, as her lamp shot its feeble rays through the darkness,
seemed to exhibit only dew-stained and deserted walls. As she stood
examining it, in fearful expectation of discovering the remains of her
unfortunate aunt, she perceived something lying in an obscure corner of
the room, and, struck with an horrible conviction, she became, for
an instant, motionless and nearly insensible. Then, with a kind of
desperate resolution, she hurried towards the object that excited her
terror, when, perceiving the clothes of some person, on the floor,
she caught hold of them, and found in her grasp the old uniform of a
soldier, beneath which appeared a heap of pikes and other arms. Scarcely
daring to trust her sight, she continued, for some moments, to gaze
on the object of her late alarm, and then left the chamber, so much
comforted and occupied by the conviction, that her aunt was not there,
that she was going to descend the turret, without enquiring farther;
when, on turning to do so, she observed upon some steps on the second
flight an appearance of blood, and remembering, that there was yet
another chamber to be explored, she again followed the windings of
the ascent.