A Master of Mysteries | Page 9

events. The
house was quiet as the grave--there was not a stir, and gradually my
nerves, excited as they were, began to calm down. As I had fully
expected, overpowering sleepiness seized me, and, notwithstanding
every effort, I found myself drifting away into the land of dreams. I
began to wish that whatever apparition was to appear would do so at
once and get it over. Gradually but surely I seemed to pass from all
memory of my present world, and to live in a strange and terrible
phantasmagoria. In that state I slept, in that state also I dreamt, and
dreamt horribly.
I thought that I was dancing a waltz with an enormously tall woman.
She towered above me, clasping me in her arms, and began to whirl me
round and round at a giddy speed. I could hear the crashing music of a

distant band. Faster and faster, round and round some great empty hall
was I whirled. I knew that I was losing my senses, and screamed to her
to stop and let me go. Suddenly there was a terrible crash close to me.
Good God! I found myself awake, but--I was still moving. Where was I?
Where was I going? I leapt up on the bed, only to reel and fall heavily
backwards upon the floor. What was the matter? Why was I sliding,
sliding? Had I suddenly gone mad, or was I still suffering from some
hideous nightmare? I tried to move, to stagger to my feet. Then by slow
degrees my senses began to return, and I knew where I was. I was in
the circular room, the room where Wentworth had died; but what was
happening to me I could not divine. I only knew that I was being
whirled round and round at a velocity that was every moment
increasing. By the moonlight that struggled in through the window I
saw that the floor and the bed upon it was revolving, but the table was
lying on its side, and its fall must have awakened me.
I could not see any other furniture in the room. By what mysterious
manner had it been removed? Making a great effort, I crawled to the
centre of this awful chamber, and, seizing the foot of the bed, struggled
to my feet. Here I knew there would be less motion, and I could just
manage to see the outline of the door. I had taken the precaution to slip
the revolver into my pocket, and I still felt that if human agency
appeared, I had a chance of selling my life dearly; but surely the horror
I was passing through was invented by no living man! As the floor of
the room revolved in the direction of the door I made a dash for it, but
was carried swiftly past, and again fell heavily. When I came round
again I made a frantic effort to cling to one of the steps, but in vain; the
head of the bedstead caught me as it flew round, and tore my arms
away. In another moment I believe I should have gone raving mad with
terror. My head felt as if it would burst; I found it impossible to think
consecutively. The only idea which really possessed me was a mad
wish to escape from this hideous place. I struggled to the bedstead, and
dragging the legs from their sockets, pulled it into the middle of the
room away from the wall. With this out of the way, I managed at last to
reach the door in safety.
[Illustration: "I flung myself upon him." A Master of Mysteries.--Page

47]
The moment my hand grasped the handle I leapt upon the little step and
tried to wrench the door open. It was locked, locked from without; it
defied my every effort. I had only just standing room for my feet.
Below me the floor of the room was still racing round with terrible
speed. I dared scarcely look at it, for the giddiness in my head increased
each moment. The next instant a soft footstep was distinctly audible,
and I saw a gleam of light through a chink of the door. I heard a hand
fumbling at the lock, the door was slowly opened outwards, and I saw
the face of Bindloss.
For a moment he did not perceive me, for I was crouching down on the
step, and the next instant with all my force I flung myself upon him. He
uttered a yell of terror. The lantern he carried dropped and went out, but
I had gripped him round the neck with my fingers, driving them deep
down into his lean, sinewy throat. With frantic speed I pulled him along
the passage up to a window, through which the moonlight