The Mummy! A Tale of the Twenty-Second CenturyLoudon, Mrs. (Jane)
Science
The Mummy! A Tale of the Twenty-Second Century
Loudon, Mrs. (Jane)
Feminist fiction; Science fiction; Twenty-second century -- Fiction
them forth--he felt its tremendous gripe--human nature could bear no
more--his senses were rapidly deserting him; he felt, however, the
fixed stedfast eyes of Cheops still glowing upon his failing orbs, as
the lamp gave a sudden flash, and then all was darkness! The brazen
gates now shut with a fearful clang, and Edric, uttering a shriek
of horror, fell senseless upon the ground; whilst his shrill cry of
anguish rang wildly through the marble vaults, till its re-echoes
seemed like the yell of demons joining in fearful mockery.
How long he lay in this state he knew not; but when he reopened his
eyes, for the moment, he fancied all that had passed a dream. As his
senses returned, however, he recollected where he was, and shuddered
to find himself yet in that place of horrors. All now was dark, except
a faint gleam that shone feebly through the half-open gates; these
ponderous portals slowly unclosed, and the form of a man, wrapped in
a large cloak, and bearing a torch, entered, peering around as it
advanced, as though half afraid to proceed. Edric's feelings were too
highly wrought to bear any fresh horrors, and he shrieked in agony as
the figure approached. The sound of his voice subdued the terrors of
the intruder, and the doctor, for it was he, shouted with joy, as he
rushed forward to embrace him.
"Edric! Edric! thank God he is alive!" exclaimed he. "Edric! my beloved
Edric! for God's sake, let us leave this den of horrors! come, come!"
Reassured by his tutor's voice, Edric arose, and taking one hasty,
shuddering glance around as the light gleamed on the sarcophagus, he
hurried out of the tomb. Neither he nor the doctor spoke as they passed
through the vestibule, where the colossal figures still sat in awful
majesty; indeed, as their torches were extinguished, their gigantic
forms looked still more terrific than before, from the wavering and
indistinct light thrown upon them. Edric shuddered as he looked, and
hurried on with hasty strides to the place where they had left the
guide, whom they found kneeling in a corner, hiding his face in his
hands, and roaring out, "O Lord, defend us! Heaven have mercy upon us!
Lord have mercy upon us! Heaven have mercy upon us!"
"He has been in that state for more than an hour," said the doctor
mournfully; "for, after I came to myself again, I tried to rouse him,
but all to no purpose."
"Then you also fainted?" said Edric, with difficulty compelling himself
to speak.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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