But even at that moment, as he waited trembling at the door, the moaning ceased, and there ensued a long silence, in which Laurence could clearly distinguish the beating of his own heart.

It sounded loud in his ears as a drum that beats the alarm in the streets of a city.
The figure of the woman bent low to the couch, and, after a pause, with a satisfied air she threw a white cloth over the shrouded form which lay upon it.

Then, without looking towards the door where Laurence stood, she went to the great iron altar at the upper end of the weird chapel and threw something on the red embers which glowed upon it.
"_Barran--most mighty Barran-Sathanas, accept this offering, and reveal thyself to my master!_" she said in a voice like a chant.
A greenish smoke of stifling odour rose and filled all the place, and through it the huge horned figure above the altar seemed to turn its head and look at the boy.
Laurence could scarcely repress a cry of terror.

He set his hand to the door, and lo! as it had opened, so it appeared to shut of itself.
He sank almost fainting against the cold iron bars of the window which looked out upon the courtyard below.

The wind blew in upon him sweet and cool, and with it there came again the sound of the singing of the choir.