I  put  out  the  light,  and  tried  to  force  myself
to  sleep  ; — all  in  vain  !  The  fire  gleaming  up  a
little,  threw  an  uncertain  light  about  the  room,
leaving,  however,  the  region  of  the  picture  in
deep  shadow.  What,  thought  I3  if  this  be  the


80  THE  ADVENTURE  OF

chamber  about  which  mine  host  spoke  as  having
a  mystery  reigning  over  it  ? — I  had  taken  his
words  merely  as  spoken  in  jest ;  might  they  have
a  real  import  ?  I  looked  around.  The  faintly
lighted  apartment  had  all  the  qualifications  re-
quisite for  a  haunted  chamber.  It  began  in  my
infected  imagination  to  assume  strange  appear-
ances. The  old  portraits  turned  paler  and  paler,
and  blacker  and  blacker ;  the  streaks  of  light  and
shadow  thrown  among  the  quaint  old  articles  of
furniture,  gave  them  singular  shapes  and  charac-
ters. There  was  a  huge  dark  clothes  press  of
antique  form,  gorgeous  in  brass  and  lustrous  with
wax,  that  began  to  grow  oppressive  to  me.
Arn  I  then,  thought  I,  indeed,  the  hero  of  the
haunted  room  ?  Is  there  really  a  spell  laid  upon
me,  or  is  this  all  some  contrivance  of  mine  host,
to  raise  a  laugh  at  my  expense  ?  The  idea  of
being  hag-ridden  by  my  own  fancy  all  night,  and
then  bantered  on  my  haggard  looks  the  next  day
was  intolerable  ;  but  the  very  idea  was  sufficient
to  produce  the  effect,  and  to  render  me  still  more
nervous.  Pish,  said  I,  it  can  be  no  such  thing.
