Page:Singular adventures of Sir Gawen, and the enchanted castle.pdf/12

12 quivering, sunk, now streaming; flamed aloft, and as the last pale portion died away, the scarce distinguished form of some terrific being floated slowly by. and again another dreadful groan ran deepening through the gloom. Sir Gawen stood for some time incapable of motion, at length summoning all his fortitude, he advanced with his sword extended to the darkest part of the room: Instantly burst forth in fierce irradiations a blue sulpherous splendour, and the mangled body of a man distorted with the agony of death, his very fibre racked with convulsion his beard and hair stiff and matted with blood. his mouth open, and his eyes protruding from their marble sockets, rushed on the fixed and maddening senses of Sir Gawen, whose heart had beat no more, had not a hiss as of ten thousand fiends loud and horrible, roused him from the dreadful scene, he started uttering a wild shriek, his brain turned round, and running he knew not whither, burst through the folding doors Darkness again spread her sable pall over the unfortunate Sir Gawen, and he hurried along the narrow passage with a feeble and faultering step. His intellect shook, and overwhelmed with the late appalling objects, had not yet recovered any degree of recollection, and as he wandered in a dream, a confused train of horrible