232 
SCENES IN INDIA. 
way entered a large octagonal chamber, lighted by 
several apertures in the roof, where, overcome by 
terror and bodily suffering, he fell upon the pave- 
ment. The consciousness of his guilt now rushed 
for the first time upon his heart, filling it with a 
thousand vague terrors. The visitation of the Omni- 
potent had, as he thought, fallen upon him. He fan- 
cied himself doomed to a death as mysterious as it 
was dreadful ; and, though he struggled with all his 
might, his efforts were unavailing, and he gave himself 
up for a lost man. As he could not describe, neither 
shall I attempt to depict, the horror of his feelings at 
that fearful moment. 
His daughter, hearing from without a sharp pier- 
cing cry, immediately entered the passage. She had 
been unloading the oxen, and as some of the pack- 
ages were bound with strong cords, she was obliged 
to cut them ; — a large knife therefore was in her 
hand when she rushed into the tomb. The dark- 
ness for a moment embarrassed her ; but guided 
by the loud breathings of one whom her quick ear 
instantly satisfied her was in jeopardy, she sprang 
fearlessly over the rubbish. Arrived at the termina- 
tion of the passage, she was soon guided by the sound 
to the apartment in which her father was lying. 
When she entered, the immediate change from almost 
total darkness to light, which fell directly upon the 
object of her search, who was lying under one of 
the apertures in the roof, prevented her for the mo- 
ment from ascertaining the danger to which he was 
exposed. He was unable to speak, and only an- 
swered her questions by a loud guttural gasp, which 
