The swaying lantern shot its beams abroad into the darkness of the great, dim galleries, casting instantaneous flashes on the objects in the cases, so that they leaped into being and vanished in the twinkling of an eye.

Hideous idols with round, staring eyes started forth from the darkness, glared at us for an instant and were gone.

Grotesque masks, suddenly revealed by the shimmering light, took on the semblance of demon faces that seemed to mow and gibber at us as we passed.

As for the life-sized models--realistic enough by daylight--their aspect was positively alarming; for the moving light and shadow endowed them with life and movement, so that they seemed to watch us furtively, to lie in wait and to hold themselves in readiness to steal out and follow us.

The illusion evidently affected Ruth as well as me, for she drew nearer to me and whispered: "These figures are quite startling.