" I own,
without hesitation, that I turned away my head from the opening, as it
became wider and wider at every pull; and it required a considerable
effort before I could summon the requisite courage to look into the gap.
My head seemed as difficult to move as the door. I cannot say that I was
absolutely afraid of ghosts, but I _was_ afraid of a peep from behind
the door--afraid of being frightened! At length, with desperate
boldness, I thrust my head plump into the chasm!
But I was more startled at the noise I had thus produced than by
anything that was visible. As far as the darkness would permit, I
explored the interior, which, after all, was neither more nor less than
a small closet. From what cause it had been shut out from the apartment
to which it had belonged, it were vain to conjecture. All that was
really cognisable to the senses presented itself in the shape of a
shallow recess, some four feet by two, utterly unfurnished, save with
some inches of accumulated dust and rubbish, that made it a work of
great peril to grope out the fact of its otherwise absolute emptiness.
This discovery like many other notable enterprises seemed to lead to
nothing.
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