CHAPTER XII
THE CHAMBER OF MYSTERY
We shall now return to the night of Ebba's seizure by the mysteriousstranger. Though almost deprived of consciousness by terror, the poorgirl could distinguish, from the movements of her captor, that she wasborne down a flight of steps, or some steep descent, and then for aconsiderable distance along level ground. She was next placed in acarriage, which was driven with great swiftness, and though it wasimpossible to conjecture in what direction she was conveyed, it seemedto her terrified imagination as if she were hurried down a precipice,and she expected every moment to be dashed in pieces. At length thevehicle stopped, and she was lifted out of it, and carried along awinding passage; after which, the creaking of hinges announced that adoor was opened. Having passed through it, she was deposited on a bench,when, fright overmastering her, her senses completely forsook her.
On recovering, she found herself seated on a fauteuil covered with blackvelvet, in the midst of a gloomy chamber of vast extent, while besideher, and supporting her from falling, stood the mysterious and terriblestranger. He held a large goblet filled with some potent liquid to herlips, and compelled her to swallow a portion of it. The powerfulstimulant revived her, but, at the same time, produced a strangeexcitement, against which she struggled with all her power. Herpersecutor again held the goblet towards her, while a sardonic smileplayed upon his features.
"Drink!" he cried; "it will restore you, and you have much to gothrough."
Ebba mechanically took the cup, and raised it to her lips, but noticingthe stranger's glance of exultation, dashed it to the ground.
"You have acted foolishly," he said sternly; "the potion would have doneyou good."
Withdrawing her eyes from his gaze, which she felt exercised anirresistible influence over her, Ebba gazed fearfully round the chamber.
It was vast and gloomy, and seemed like the interior of a sepulchre--thewalls and ceiling being formed of black marble, while the floor waspaved with the same material. Not far from where she sat, on an estrade,approached by a couple of steps, stood a table covered with blackvelvet, on which was placed an immense lamp, fashioned like an impsupporting a caldron on his outstretched wings. In this lamp wereseveral burners, which cast a lurid light throughout the chamber. Overit hung a cap equally fantastically fashioned. A dagger, with a richlywrought hilt, was stuck into the table; and beside it lay a strangelyshaped mask, an open book, an antique inkstand, and a piece ofparchment, on which some characters were inscribed. Opposite these stooda curiously carved ebony chair.
At the lower end of the room, which was slightly elevated above therest, hung a large black curtain; and on the step, in the front of it,were placed two vases of jet.
"What is behind that curtain?" shudderingly demanded Ebba of hercompanion.
"You will see anon," he replied. "Meanwhile, seat yourself on thatchair, and glance at the writing on the scroll."
Ebba did not move, but the stranger took her hand, and drew her to theseat.
"Read what is written on that paper," he cried imperiously.
Ebba glanced at the document, and a shudder passed over her frame. "Bythis," she cried, "I surrender myself, soul and body, to you?"
"You do," replied the stranger.
"I have committed no crime that can place me within the power of theFiend," cried Ebba, falling upon her knees. "I call upon Heaven forprotection! Avaunt!"
As the words were uttered, the cap suddenly fell upon the lamp, and thechamber was buried in profound darkness. Mocking laughter rang in herears, succeeded by wailing cries inexpressibly dreadful to hear.
Ebba continued to pray fervently for her own deliverance, and for thatof Auriol. In the midst of her supplications she was aroused by strainsof music of the most exquisite sweetness, proceeding apparently frombehind the curtain, and while listening to these sounds she was startledby a deafening crash as if a large gong had been stricken. The cover ofthe lamp was then slowly raised, and the burners blazed forth as before,while from the two vases in front of the curtain arose clouds ofincense, filling the chamber with stupefying fragrance.
Again the gong was stricken, and Ebba looked round towards the curtain.Above each vase towered a gigantic figure, wrapped in a long blackcloak, the lower part of which was concealed by the thick vapour. Hoods,like the cowls of monks, were drawn over the heads of these grim andmotionless figures; mufflers enveloped their chins, and they wore masks,from the holes of which gleamed eyes of unearthly brightness. Theirhands were crossed upon their breasts. Between them squatted two otherspectral forms, similarly cloaked, hooded, and masked, with theirgleaming eyes fixed upon her, and their skinny fingers pointedderisively at her.
Behind the curtain was placed a strong light, which showed a widestaircase of black marble, leading to some upper chamber, and at thesame time threw the reflection of a gigantic figure upon the drapery,while a hand, the finger of which pointed towards her, was thrust froman opening between its folds.
Forcibly averting her gaze, Ebba covered her eyes with her hands, butlooking up again after a brief space, beheld an ebon door at the siderevolve upon its hinges, and give entrance to three female figures,robed in black, hooded and veiled, and having their hands folded, in amelancholy manner, across their breasts. Slowly and noiselesslyadvancing, they halted within a few paces of her.
"Who and what are ye?" she cried, wild with terror.
"The victims of Auriol!" replied the figure on the right. "As we are,such will you be ere long."
"What crime have you committed?" demanded Ebba.
"We have loved him," replied the second figure.
The Chamber of Mystery.]
"Is that a crime?" cried Ebba. "If so, I am equally culpable with you."
"You will share our doom," replied the third figure.
"Heaven have mercy upon me!" exclaimed the agonised girl, dropping uponher knees.
At this moment a terrible voice from behind the curtain exclaimed,"Sign, or Auriol is lost for ever."
"I cannot yield my soul, even to save him," cried Ebba distractedly.
"Witness his chastisement, then," cried the voice.
And as the words were uttered, a side door was opened on the oppositeside, and Auriol was dragged forth from it by two masked personages, wholooked like familiars of the Inquisition.
"Do not yield to the demands of this fiend, Ebba!" cried Auriol, gazingat her distractedly.
"Will you save him before he is cast, living, into the tomb?" cried thevoice.
And at the words, a heavy slab of marble rose slowly from the floor nearwhere Ebba sat, and disclosed a dark pit beneath.
Ebba gazed into the abyss with indescribable terror.
"There he will be immured, unless you sign," cried the voice; "and, ashe is immortal, he will endure an eternity of torture."
"I cannot save him so, but I may precede him," cried Ebba. And throwingher hands aloft, she flung herself into the pit.
A fearful cry resounded through the chamber. It broke from Auriol, whovainly strove to burst from those who held him, and precipitate himselfafter Ebba.
Soon after this, and while Auriol was gazing into the abyss, a tongue ofblue flame arose from it, danced for a moment in the air, and thenvanished. No sooner was it gone than a figure, shrouded in blackhabiliments, and hooded and muffled up like the three other femaleforms, slowly ascended from the vault, apparently without support, andremained motionless at its brink.
"Ebba!" exclaimed Auriol, in a voice of despair. "Is it you?"
The figure bowed its head, but spoke not.
"Sign!" thundered the voice. "Your attempt at self-destruction hasplaced you wholly in my power. Sign!"
At this injunction, the figure moved slowly towards the table, and tohis unspeakable horror, Auriol beheld it take up the pen and write uponthe parchment. He bent forward, and saw that the name inscribed thereonwas EBBA THORNEYCROFT.
The groan to which he gave utterance was echoed by a roar of diabolicallaughter.
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The figure then moved slowly away, and ranged itself with the otherveiled forms.
"All is accomplished," cried the voice. "Away with him!"
On this, a terrible clangour was heard; the lights were extinguished;and Auriol was dragged through the doorway from which he had beenbrought forth.
END OF THE FIRST BOOK
INTERMEAN
1800
Auriol; or, The Elixir of Life Page 13
