A slow,
steady light, growing more and more bright, and changing in colour from
blue to crystal white. So they stayed for a couple of minutes without
change in the coffer; till at last there began to appear all over it a
delicate glow. This grew and grew, till it became like a blazing
jewel, and then like a living thing whose essence of life was light. We waited and waited, our hearts seeming to stand still. All at once there was a sound like a tiny muffled explosion and the
cover lifted right up on a level plane a few inches; there was no
mistaking anything now, for the whole room was full of a blaze of
light. Then the cover, staying fast at one side rose slowly up on the
other, as though yielding to some pressure of balance. The coffer
still continued to glow; from it began to steal a faint greenish smoke. I could not smell it fully on account of the respirator; but, even
through that, I was conscious of a strange pungent odour. Then this
smoke began to grow thicker, and to roll out in volumes of ever
increasing density till the whole room began to get obscure. I had a
terrible desire to rush over to Margaret, whom I saw through the smoke
still standing erect behind the couch. Then, as I looked, I saw Doctor
Winchester sink down. He was not unconscious; for he waved his hand
back and forward, as though to forbid any one to come to him. At this
time the figures of Mr. Trelawny and Mr. Corbeck were becoming
indistinct in the smoke which rolled round them in thick billowy
clouds. Finally I lost sight of them altogether. The coffer still
continued to glow; but the lamps began to grow dim. At first I thought
that their light was being overpowered by the thick black smoke; but
presently I saw that they were, one by one, burning out. They must
have burned quickly to produce such fierce and vivid flames. I waited and waited, expecting every instant to hear the command to
turn up the light; but none came. I waited still, and looked with
harrowing intensity at the rolling billows of smoke still pouring out
of the glowing casket, whilst the lamps sank down and went out one by
one. Finally there was but one lamp alight, and that was dimly blue and
flickering. The only effective light in the room was from the glowing
casket. I kept my eyes fixed toward Margaret; it was for her now that
all my anxiety was claimed. I could just see her white frock beyond
the still white shrouded figure on the couch. Silvio was troubled; his
piteous mewing was the only sound in the room. Deeper and denser grew
the black mist and its pungency began to assail my nostrils as well as
my eyes. Now the volume of smoke coming from the coffer seemed to
lessen, and the smoke itself to be less dense. Across the room I saw
something white move where the couch was. There were several
movements. I could just catch the quick glint of white through the
dense smoke in the fading light; for now the glow of the coffer began
quickly to subside. I could still hear Silvio, but his mewing came
from close under; a moment later I could feel him piteously crouching
on my foot. Then the last spark of light disappeared, and through the Egyptian
darkness I could see the faint line of white around the window blinds. I felt that the time had come to speak; so I pulled off my respirator
and called out:

“Shall I turn up the light?”  There was no answer; so before the thick
smoke choked me, I called again but more loudly:

“Mr. Trelawny, shall I turn up the light?”  He did not answer; but from
across the room I heard Margaret’s voice, sounding as sweet and clear
as a bell:

“Yes, Malcolm!”  I turned the tap and the lamps flashed out. But they
were only dim points of light in the midst of that murky ball of smoke. In that thick atmosphere there was little possibility of illumination. I ran across to Margaret, guided by her white dress, and caught hold of
her and held her hand. She recognised my anxiety and said at once:

“I am all right.”

“Thank God!” I said. “How are the others? Quick, let us open all the
windows and get rid of this smoke!”  To my surprise, she answered in a
sleepy way:

“They will be all right. They won’t get any harm.”  I did not stop to
inquire how or on what ground she formed such an opinion, but threw up
the lower sashes of all the windows, and pulled down the upper. Then I
threw open the door. A few seconds made a perceptible change as the thick, black smoke began
to roll out of the windows. Then the lights began to grow into
strength and I could see the room. All the men were overcome. Beside
the couch Doctor Winchester lay on his back as though he had sunk down
and rolled over; and on the farther side of the sarcophagus, where they
had stood, lay Mr. Trelawny and Mr. Corbeck. It was a relief to me to
see that, though they were unconscious, all three were breathing
heavily as though in a stupor. Margaret still stood behind the couch. She seemed at first to be in a partially dazed condition; but every
instant appeared to get more command of herself. She stepped forward
and helped me to raise her father and drag him close to a window. Together we placed the others similarly, and she flew down to the
dining-room and returned with a decanter of brandy. This we proceeded
to administer to them all in turn. It was not many minutes after we
had opened the windows when all three were struggling back to
consciousness. During this time my entire thoughts and efforts had
been concentrated on their restoration; but now that this strain was
off, I looked round the room to see what had been the effect of the
experiment. The thick smoke had nearly cleared away; but the room was
still misty and was full of a strange pungent acrid odour. The great sarcophagus was just as it had been. The coffer was open,
and in it, scattered through certain divisions or partitions wrought in
its own substance, was a scattering of black ashes. Over all,
sarcophagus, coffer and, indeed, all in the room, was a sort of black
film of greasy soot. I went over to the couch. The white sheet still
lay over part of it; but it had been thrown back, as might be when one
is stepping out of bed. But there was no sign of Queen Tera! I took Margaret by the hand and
led her over. She reluctantly left her father to whom she was
administering, but she came docilely enough. I whispered to her as I
held her hand:

“What has become of the Queen? Tell me! You were close at hand, and
must have seen if anything happened!”  She answered me very softly:

“There was nothing that I could see. Until the smoke grew too dense I
kept my eyes on the couch, but there was no change. Then, when all
grew so dark that I could not see, I thought I heard a movement close
to me. It might have been Doctor Winchester who had sunk down overcome;
but I could not be sure. I thought that it might be the Queen waking,
so I put down poor Silvio. I did not see what became of him; but I
felt as if he had deserted me when I heard him mewing over by the door.