AN APPALLING SIGHT. 253 



deafening buzz was our first salutation, and the daylight, 

 obscured as it was without, could here scarcely penetrate at all 

 by reason of a swarm of gigantic flies, which, unable to find 

 room in the window, were crowding in double and triple ranks 

 around it. Hastily retreating, we descended to the kitchen ; 

 but here how shall we proceed ? We had escaped with life 

 from the hideous assemblage through which we had achieved 

 a passage. We had managed to avoid the fangs of the mur- 

 derous bloated creature which had fastened upon our door, and 

 then fastened upon us. We had shut her out, and we had 

 shut in the swollen sickening blue-bottles; but what we had 

 left behind was nothing to what awaited us an appalling 

 horror which we shudder to describe. On entering the kitchen 

 we saw not a living thing, not even Martha old Martha our 

 faithful factotum, upon whom we called, albeit in a trembling 

 voice, fearful to attract the notice of some hidden lurker 

 amongst our new and hideous enemies ; but no Martha replied, 

 as expected, from the scullery ; and, with a dread of we scarce 

 knew what, well nigh exhausted also by terror and exertion, 

 we sat us down in her arm-chair. The sky was still partially 

 obscured by monstrous creatures on the wing, and evening was 

 now approaching, so that there was little light in the apart- 

 ment but what proceeded from the fire, which had burnt very 

 low. We had not been seated long before we were startled by 

 a slight noise proceeding from one of the deep and dark 

 recesses on either side of the chimney; and, on looking into it, 

 we could just discern, indistinctly, some moving object. What 

 this might be we dreaded to ascertain ; but with a shaking 

 hand we lighted a candle by the dying embers, and held it up 

 within the recess. Then, oh ! the spectacle that we beheld ! 

 Supported by her enormous web a tissue of mingled cable 

 sat an elephantine spider, to which our assailant at the house- 

 door was a mere pigmy, a spider of most hideous aspect, her 

 eight glassy eyes sparkling 'with greedy ecstasy as she gorged 

 upon a fresh-caught, fresh-killed victim, and that victim no 



