A thousand stories came
swarming to his mind, that he had heard about this building; and as he
looked at this strange personage, with his uncouth garb, his pale
visage, his grizzly beard, and his fixed, staring, fish-like eye, his
teeth began to chatter, his hair to rise on his head, and a cold sweat
to break out all over his body. How long he remained in this situation
he could not tell, for he was like one fascinated. He could not take
his gaze off from the spectre; but lay staring at him with his whole
intellect absorbed in the contemplation. The old man remained seated
behind the table, without stirring or turning an eye, always keeping a
dead steady glare upon Dolph. At length the household cock from a
neighbouring farm clapped his wings, and gave a loud cheerful crow
that rung over the fields. At the sound, the old man slowly rose and
took down his hat from the peg; the door opened and closed after him;
he was heard to go slowly down the staircase--tramp--tramp--tramp!
--and when he had got to the bottom, all was again silent. Dolph lay
and listened earnestly; counted every footfall; listened and listened
if the steps should return--until, exhausted by watching and
agitation, he fell into a troubled sleep.
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