I must find her: in her presence I might protect myself; out of it I could not! I was a tame animal for her to feed upon; a human fountain for a thirst demoniac! She showed me favour the more easily to use me! My waking eyes did not fear her, but they would close, and she would come! Not seeing her, I felt her everywhere, for she might be anywhere--might even now be waiting me in some secret cavern of sleep! Only with my eyes upon her could I feel safe from her! Outside the alabaster hall it was pitch-dark, and I had to grope my way along with hands and feet.

At last I felt a curtain, put it aside, and entered the black hall.

There I found a great silent assembly.

How it was visible I neither saw nor could imagine, for the walls, the floor, the roof, were shrouded in what seemed an infinite blackness, blacker than the blackest of moonless, starless nights; yet my eyes could separate, although vaguely, not a few of the individuals in the mass interpenetrated and divided, as well as surrounded, by the darkness.
It seemed as if my eyes would never come quite to themselves.

I pressed their balls and looked and looked again, but what I saw would not grow distinct.