16 PROFESSOR OWEN ch. i. 



It was late in November, and a storm was rising, 

 obscuring the light of a full moon, which now and 

 then burst from between the clouds. I entered 

 the gloomy arch of the old gateway tower, let fall 

 the ponderous knocker, and, having been recon- 

 noitred through a small grating, was admitted. 

 The old turnkey, being apprised of my business, 

 offered to accompany the "young doctor" — in 

 which title I already rejoiced — to the hospital tower. 

 But as my seniors were accustomed to dispense 

 with this attendance I thought it infra dig. to re- 

 quire it ; he might actually think / was afraid of 

 going to the top of the old tower alone ; so, having 

 obtained the keys and a lantern, I proceeded to 

 the tower without him. 



' The storm seemed to be increasing in violence, 

 and the clouds were scurrying along in black masses 

 as I crossed the spacious courtyard. The door 

 of the turret I had to ascend was in a distant and 

 gloomy corner of the yard. I set down the lamp, 

 to turn with both hands the heavy key in the stiff 

 and creaking lock. When at length the door 

 yielded to a push, I was met by such a gust as 

 if all the winds of heaven were escaping from tem- 

 porary confinement in that old tower. I stood for 

 a moment with my back against the open door. 

 The strange combination of howls, screams, and 

 whistlings that smote my ear at the same time 

 startled me, at first, with the idea that some human 

 voices in the staircase were mingling with the 



