Angelina: Or, The Mystery of St. Mark's Abbey — page 34: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE MYSTERY OF ST, MARK’S ABBEY. 21 disordered imagination now filled with the most awful forms? Again lighting her lamp, she searched around the chapel, and more particularly inspected the altar; behind which she was positive she had seen the form that had alarmed her, vanish; bnt she looked in vain—no signs of an outlet met her eyes, and she clasped her forehead in despair. Looking up above the place where she was standing, she perceived an aperture in the wall, large enough to admit of a human form, and which had been broken away by the ravages of time; but it was at such a height that she knew not how she could clamber up to it; and even if she succeeded in reaching it, she might he in the same dilemma, not knowing into what place it might open. Desperate situations suggest desperate measures, and accordingly Angelina determined to make an effort to reach it. She hastily collected some of the pieces of ruins, the largest she could lift, and piled them one on top of the other, until she thought she should be able to reach the opening, and then with cautious and trembling steps, prepared to ascend it. With much difficulty she reached the top of this pile, and then with a desperate effort clambered up to the aperture, and looking below, found that it opened intoa gallery. To descend was a task of mare danger than the ascent had been; but at last she accomplished it in safety, and pursaed her way along the gallery to a gothic apartment at the end, the door pf which was standing open. She entered it—it was lofty and spacious—and what was her surprise to figd that it ia every respect, corres- ponded with the one she had seen in her dream !—There were the portraits of the lady and gentleman; and what the more surprised her was, that the like- nesses were complete. Thunderstruck at this remarkable coincidence, she stood and gazed around her, quite unconscious for the moment where she was. Casting her eyes above the arras on the western side of the apartment, she beheld the mouldering remains of a coat of arma,on which she was enabled to trace the devices of a blood-stained shield, and a raven'snest. Indaced by these singular coincidences to search, sbe cast her eyes towards the oaken floor, and was horrer-struck to behold deep stains of what appeared to be human blood! ——Transfixed to the spot with terror, she continued for several moments to look upon these dreadful remarks, ‘Good heavens !’’ she cried, “ what deeds of darkness have been perpetrated in this chamber? Alas! whither has my footsteps led me 2” She was startled by what seemed to be a dismal moan and to issue from the opposite side of the room. She trembled, the lamp almost fell from her band, and her heart palpitated with emotion in her bosom. But nothing met her eyes, and after a second or. two, endeavouring to persuade herself that the sound she had heard was nothing more than the wind, she tried to regain her courage, and quake her way from the chamber, She looked around her, but perceived no other door by which she had entered, and she had almost given herself once more up to despair, when a thought struck her that she would try the wainscot. She passed her hand underneath the decayed arras; at length her fingers came in con- tact with a hard substance, which, upon a closer inspection, she was rejoiced to find was aspring. She pressed with all her strength against it, and at last a panel in the wainscot glided gently back, but she started from the opening in alarm, when the rays of the lamp streamed full upon her, and she beheld the form of a man seated at an oaken table with his back towards her, and his head resting on his band in a disconsolate manner. Trembling with apprebension, CORNICE DO© Go