'i continued upwards , my eyes fixed upon him , as his expression grew ever more fearful , and i saw that he was covered with dust , that his body , even as he stared back at me , showed the first signs of decay nay , i could smell it1 then the inevitable happened , the image begin to fade 'stuart1 ' i appealed to him desperately but the figure darkened , and through it , quite unconscious of it , stepped a flesh and blood woman of extraordinary beauty , who hurried down the stairs towards me and then past me , in a flurry of peach-colored silk and clattering jewelry , carrying with her a cloud of sweet perfume 'stuart was gone the smell of human decay was gone the woman murmured an apology as she brushed by me seems she was shouting to any number of people in the lower hall .