the imagination; but, beyond all
this, feelings of awe and mystery, under more shapes than one, brooded over the
whole scene, and diffused a tone of suspense and intense excitement throughout
the vast assembly. It was known that illustrious strangers were present
incognito. There now began to be some reason for anticipating a great battle in
the neighbourhood. The men were now present perhaps, the very hands were now
visibly displayed for the coming dance, which in a few days or even hours (so
rapid were the movements at this period) were to wield the truncheon that might
lay the Catholic empire prostrate, or might mould the destiny of Europe for
centuries. Even this feeling gave way to one still more enveloped in shades -
The Masque! Would he keep his promise and appear? might he not be there already?
might he not even now be moving amongst them? may he not, even at this very
moment, thought each person, secretly be near me - or even touching myself - or
haunting my own steps?
    Yet again, thought most people (for at that time hardly anybody affected to
be incredulous in matters allied to the supernatural), was this mysterious being
liable to touch? Was he not of some impassive nature, inaudible, invisible,
impalpable? Many of his escapes, if truly reported, seemed to argue as much. If,
then, connected with the spiritual world, was it with the good or the evil in
that inscrutable region? But then the bloodshed, the torn dresses, the marks of
deadly struggle, which remained behind in some of those cases where mysterious
disappearances had occurred, - these seemed undeniable arguments of murder, foul
and treacherous murder. Every attempt, in short, to penetrate the mystery of
this being's nature proved as abortive as the attempts to intercept his person;
and all efforts at applying a solution to the difficulties of the case made the
mystery even more mysterious.
    These thoughts, however, generally as they pervaded the company, would have
given way for a time at least to the excitement of the scene; for a sudden
clapping of hands from some officers of the household, to enforce attention, and
as a signal to the orchestra in one of the galleries, at this moment proclaimed
that the dances were on the point of commencing in another half minute, when
suddenly a shriek from a female, and then a loud tumultuous cry from a multitude
of voices, announced some fearful catastrophe; and in the next moment a shout of
Murder! froze the blood of the timid amongst the company.
 

                                   Chapter XV

So vast was the saloon