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 obliged to stoop, and almost creep along for some time. The stranger knocked three times :—a door was opened, and shut as suddenly after they passed through it.

The feeble light which struck the eyes of the Count, did not permit him to distinguish objects at first; but after he had taken a few steps, he perceived they were preceded by a Negress, who carried a vaze of dazzling whiteness, which, without letting any thing be seen clearly, spread a mild light, something resembling that of the moon. After having proceeded a considerable way, they arrived at another door, which the stranger opened and shut herself; and the Count found himself in a kind of chapel, the strange decorations of which might have appalled him, had he not been on his guard, from an expectation of seeing something extraordinary.

A golden lamp was suspended in the middle of the dome of this edifice, or rather natural cavern. Its gloomy and bluish light threw a deadly paleness upon every object within his sight. A large glass placed opposite the door, led him to suppose that the lamp cast this livid hue, by observing that his own countenance had a ghastly appearance. At the foot of this glass was an altar of antique form, at the back of which was placed the figure of Aaron’s serpent, wound round a pedestal made of sculls and human bones. This strange divinity was surrounded by four torches of black wax, extinguished and turned down: a poinard, and an anchor placed across, and two silver cups, one of which was filled with honey, the other with a black liquor, occupied the middle of the altar;—before it was a little figure of white wax;—opposite the altar was a throne elevated by three steps, covered with a black carpet;-in the space between the