Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 273: what you’re looking at

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

because he sympathized so deeply with Constan- tine, whom he loved: but he nevertheless displayed considerable interest in the ruins which we were Visiting. We had been about an hour amongst those frag- ments and dilapidated remnants of a once vast and no doubt magnificent cloistral edifice,—when, as we were retracing our way through that sort of enclosure which I have alluded to as having doubtless been the grave-yard of the monastery, the earth suddenly gave way beneath my feet; and I disappeared from the view of my two com- panions. It was not however that I had fallen so far underground as that my head had gone below the level: but it was that we were making our way at the time through a quantity of high rank grass and noxious weeds, which reached up to the waist. Therefore, when being a few yards in advance of Durazzo and the page, the giving-way of the earth took me down about three feet, I was suddenly lost to their view. They rushed forward in affrizht— but were infinitely relieved on discovering that the accident was not more serious. I had however experienced a considerable shock—and was bruised too in the lower limbs; for several fragments of stone had fallen in with me. “Tt must be a grave,” I said, “that has given way—for this is evidently the resting-place of the departed fathers of an olden time.” While thus speaking, I had my eyes fixed upon the hole from which I had emerged; and it struck me that I beheld some indications of a descent of steps. Stooping down I examined the place more carefully. The giving-way of the earth had left an aperture about two feet and a half square; and it was a complete square in shape which the opening thus formed. I thought this strange; and it occurred to me that the earth in that spot might possibly have concealed a trap-door of wood or stone, the sudden yielding of which be- neath my feet had carried down with it just the quantity of soil that was on the top, and had thus left that square configuration of the aperture. My conjecture relative to the steps was right; there was assuredly a descent of narrow stone stairs in that particular place. Pointing the circumstance out to Durazzo and the page, I lay down flat on my stomach, and thrust in my hands to the bottom of the hole. I brought up some pieces of wood and stone: and to one of the fragments of wood there were iron hinges, very much worn by the effect of time, and & mass of rust. , “Jt was evidently a trap-door concealed by the earth,” I said; “and most likely fitted into a stone setting. It could scarcely be the opening of tomb: for no coffin of any size could pass down the aperture. What,” I added with a smile,— “what if we were destined to find the long-lost treasure ?”’ “1 am afraid,” answered Durazzo, “that when Fortune wrecked the Athene and gave my gallant crew to the waves, she turned so completely against me that her wrath has not yet had time to be appeased.” “Treasure, or no treasure,” I exclaimed, “ this is a very curious discovery we have made; and as we have nothing better to do, we may spend half an hour in exploring it.” By the time I had spoken, I was again in the JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. hole; and squatting down, so to speak, as much as the limited range of the aperture would permit, I endeavoured to remove with my hands the earth that had fallen in and amassed itself at the top of the flight of steps, the summit of which indeed it only just left barely visible. For upwards of ten minutes I made little impression upon the aggre- gated soil: but all of a sudden it gave way—and I was enveloped in acloud of dust. I distinctly heard the sounds of masses of earth or stones rolling down the steps into some cavernous place below; and when the dust cleared away, I per- ceived that it was indeed the entrance to a sub- terranean at which I found myself. The young page had all along witnessed my pro- ceedings with considerable interest; and Durazzo now began to bestow upon them a more marked attention than at the outset. “ Here is certainly a subterranean,” I said; “and whether it should prove a treasure-chamber or not,” I added, laughing, “let us explore it.” A farther examination of the aperture showed that it might be widened to the full range of the vaulted masonry; and by the aid of a pointed piece of wood I broke away several massses of earth. At length there was an opening amply large enough to admit the descent of either of us with ease: but obscurity prevailed in the cavern —and [I hesitated to go down for fear lest it should prove to be a well, or that some accident might befall me. We had no means of obtaining a light: but while we were hesitating what course to adopt, I recollected that on descending into dark places the eye gets accustomed to the ob- scurity ; and as I had vowed to explore the cavern, I did not choose to shrink altogether from my pledge. Durazzo volunteered to descend first: but I would not draw down upon myself the im- putation of cowardice; and therefore I decided on taking this venturous initiative. Providing myself with a very long stick, or rather pole, I began the descent,—thrusting the pole downward in order to assure myself that there was no abrupt cessation of the steps. I went down gradually; and having descended about a dozen steps, I stopped for two or three minutes to habituate my eyes to the gloom which enveloped me. I now began to perceive that I was descend- ing into a deep cavern-chamber, about sixteen feet square, and on one side of which there was some projecting black object which methought must be a sarcophagus. The pole informed me when I was close upon the bottom,—which I found to be of damp slimy earth. I advanced towards the dark object ; and discovered it to be a small structure of black marble, of tomb-like shape, built against the wall—about three feet high, and six feet long. Retreating towards the steps, I informed my companions of the nature of the place in which I found myself; and Durazzo immediately descended, leaving the young page to keep watch and give us notice in case any one should appear amongst the ruins. By the time Durazzo had joined me in the subterranean, my eyes had become so accustomed to the obscurity that I could now examine the marble structure with comparative ease; and though it certainly bore every appearance of being the monumental resting-place of some longs departed one, the suspicion was nevertheless float- GIOoks (CO)