interest; and if I had not been in a frame of mind entirely

businesslike, I might have continued to explore all night this

subterranean empire. But I was bound I must be up betimes on the next

morning, and for that end it was imperative that I should find the

porter. I faced about accordingly, and counting with painful care,

remounted towards the level of the street. Five, six, and seven flights

I climbed, and still there was no porter. I began to be weary of the

job, and reflecting that I was now close to my own room, decided I

should go to bed. Eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen flights

I mounted; and my open door seemed to be as wholly lost to me as the

porter and his floating dip. I remembered that the house stood but

six stories at its highest point, from which it appeared (on the most

moderate computation) I was now three stories higher than the roof. My

original sense of amusement was succeeded by a not unnatural irritation.

"My room has just GOT to be here," said I, and I stepped towards the

door with outspread arms. There was no door and no wall; in place of

either there yawned before me a dark corridor, in which I continued to

advance for some time without encountering the smallest opposition. And

this in a house whose extreme area scantily contained three small rooms,

a narrow landing, and the stair! The thing was manifestly nonsense;

and you will scarcely be surprised to learn that I now began to lose

my temper. At this juncture I perceived a filtering of light along

the floor, stretched forth my hand which encountered the knob of a

<<BackPagesTo menuNext>>