Pale, breathless, trembling, they at length found themselves in the great hall, with its doors and windows open to the wholesome sun and air, and cheerful wood fires burning in the broad fireplaces. CHAPTER XXIV HORROR This chamber is the ghostly! HOOD. “Oh, Madame Gloria! I’ve done bragging! I’ll never brag any more! I did pray to my guardian angel if he’d save my life and reason until I could get out of that place I would never brag any more!” exclaimed Philippa, with a hysterical laugh, as she dropped on one of the rude oak benches in the hall. “Oh, Philippa, don’t speak so lightly of that awful——” cried Gloria, suddenly stopping and covering her pallid face with both hands, as she, too, sank upon a seat. “Lightly? Gracious Heaven! I don’t speak lightly! All my boasted courage has come out in a cold sweat that trickles like ice water all down my spine! Madame Gloria, I would rather have seen the blackest evil spirit from the abyss, all alone at midnight, than that horrid——Ugh-h-h!” “Philippa! for Heaven’s sake, don’t speak of it now, or evermore! You are a brave girl——” “I will never say so after this. I’m conquered quite!” shuddered the willful creature. “You have seen what would have shaken the nerves of the boldest man; it is no wonder that you are overcome as well as myself. But, Philippa, I beg you, for my sake, never mention to a human being what we have seen below. If it were once known what our eyes have beheld—what rises from the brink of that subterranean black river—the horror below the foundation of these walls—no living being could be induced to remain in the house with us.” “Shall you remain?” whispered Philippa. “Yes.” “Oh, why?” “Because I said I would, and I should be ashamed to retract. I will not be ejected, even by that appalling—— Oh! let us not speak of it, even to each other. And never, never to any one else. Your aunt would never come near the house, even by day, if she knew of that dire presence below, and I wish her to remain with us, Philippa. I say ‘us,’ because I feel sure that you will stay with me.” “Yes, I will stay and I will keep the secret,” whispered the girl. “The cellar and the horrible cave below it, with the black river, have long been disused, if ever, indeed, they were used at all. I will have the two doors at the head of the two flights of stairs leading down to the abyss nailed up to-day. The foul air from below will be excuse enough for that.” “There be some that cannot be kept out by locks, or bolts, or bars, or nailed-up doors—no, nor even by tons of stone and earth! And of such was what we saw!” “Oh, hush, hush, hush! Why do you dwell upon that? Oh, that we both could drink of the waters of Lethe and forget it!” whispered Gloria, as she covered her face with her hands and shuddered.