2l8 MARX TWAIN'S SKETCHES. 



and then disappearing. The whispering ceased, and the voices and the sounds, 

 and a solemn stillness followed. I waited, and listened. I felt that I must have 

 light, or die. I was weak with fear. I slowly raised myself toward a sitting post- 

 ure, and my face came in contact with a clammy hand ! All strength went from 

 me, apparently, and I fell back like a stricken invalid. Then I heard the rustle of 

 a garment — it seemed to pass to the door and go out. 



When everything was still once more, I crept out of bed, sick and feeble, and lit 

 the gas with a hand that trembled as if it were aged with a hundred years. The 

 light brought some little cheer to my spirits. I sat down and fell into a dreamy 

 contemplation of that great footprint in the ashes. By and bye its outlines began 

 to waver and grow dim. I glanced up and the broad gas flame was slowly wilting 

 away. In the same moment I heard that elephantine tread again. I noted its 

 approach, nearer and nearer, along the musty halls, and dimmer and dimmer the 

 light waned. The tread reached my very door and paused — the light had dwindled 

 to a sickly blue, and all things about me lay in a spectral twilight. The door did 

 not open, and yet I felt a faint gust of air fan my cheek, and presently was conscious 

 of a huge, cloudy presence before me. I watched it with fascinated eyes. A pale 

 glow stole over the Thing ; gradually its cloudy folds took shape — an arm appeared, 

 then legs, then a body, and last a great sad face looked out of the vapor. Stripped 

 of its filmy housings, naked, muscular and comely, the majestic Cardiff Giant 

 loomed above me ! 



All my misery vanished — for a child might know that no harm could come with 

 that benignant countenance. My cheerful spirits returned at once, and in sympa- 

 thy with them the gas flamed up brightly again. Never a lonely outcast was so glad 

 to welcome company as I was to greet the friendly giant. I said : 



" Why, is it nobody but you .? Do you know, I have been scared to death for the 

 last two or three hours ? I am most honestly glad to see you. I wish I had a 

 chair .Here, here, don't try to sit down in that thing! " 



But it was too late. He was in it before I could stop him, and down he went — I 

 never saw a chair shivered so in my life. 



" Stop, stop, you'll ruin ev " 



Too late again. There was another crash, and another chair was resolved into 

 its original elements. 



