Holding up the light he looked in, and
uttered a smothered exclamation. A sudden gust of wind rushed from the
sea through the passage and extinguished the lamp, leaving him in
profound gloom. Nothing daunted he sought his fusee case; there was just
one left in it. This he hastily struck, and shielding the glow carefully
with one hand, relit his lamp, and stepped boldly into the mysterious
grotto.
The murmur of the wind and waves, like spirit-voices in unison, followed
him as he entered. He found himself in a spacious winding corridor, that
had evidently been hollowed out in the rocks and fashioned by human
hands. Its construction was after the ancient Gothic method; but the
wonder of the place consisted in the walls, which were entirely covered
with shells,--shells of every shape and hue,--some delicate as
rose-leaves, some rough and prickly, others polished as ivory, some
gleaming with a thousand irridescent colors, others pure white as the
foam on high billows. Many of them were turned artistically in such a
position as to show their inner sides glistening with soft tints like
the shades of fine silk or satin,--others glittered with the opaline
sheen of mother-o'-pearl.
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