state　in　which　I　then　felt　myself。　　It　is　not　improbable　that　my
  energies　had　been　overstrained　during　the　work　the　progress　of
  which　I　have　attempted　to　describe；　and　every　one　is　aware　that　the
  results　of　overstrained　energies　are　feebleness　and　lassitude　…
  want　of　nourishment　might　likewise　have　something　to　do　with　it。
  During　my　sojourn　in　the　dingle；　my　food　had　been　of　the　simplest
  and　most　unsatisfying　description；　by　no　means　calculated　to
  support　the　exertion　which　the　labour　I　had　been　engaged　upon
  required；　it　had　consisted　of　coarse　oaten　cakes　and　hard　cheese；
  and　for　beverage　I　had　been　indebted　to　a　neighbouring　pit；　in
  which；　in　the　heat　of　the　day；　I　frequently　saw；　not　golden　or
  silver　fish；　but　frogs　and　eftes　swimming　about。　　I　am；　however；
  inclined　to　believe　that　Mrs。　Herne's　cake　had　quite　as　much　to　do
  with　the　matter　as　insufficient　nourishment。　　I　had　never　entirely
  recovered　from　the　effects　of　its　poison；　but　had　occasionally；
  especially　at　night；　been　visited　by　a　grinding　pain　in　the
  stomach；　and　my　whole　body　had　been　suffused　with　cold　sweat；　and
  indeed　these　memorials　of　the　drow　have　never　entirely　disappeared
  …　even　at　the　present　time　they　display　themselves　in　my　system；
  especially　after　much　fatigue　of　body　and　excitement　of　mind。　　So
  there　I　sat　in　the　dingle　upon　my　stone；　nerveless　and　hopeless；　by
  whatever　cause　or　causes　that　state　had　been　produced　…　there　I　sat
  with　my　head　leaning　upon　my　hand；　and　so　I　continued　a　long；　long
  time。　　At　last　I　lifted　my　head　from　my　hand；　and　began　to　cast
  anxious；　unquiet　looks　about　the　dingle　…　the　entire　hollow　was　now
  enveloped　in　deep　shade　…　I　cast　my　eyes　up；　there　was　a　golden
  gleam　on　the　tops　of　the　trees　which　grew　towards　the　upper　parts
  of　the　dingle；　but　lower　down　all　was　gloom　and　twilight　…　yet；
  when　I　first　sat　down　on　my　stone；　the　sun　was　right　above　the
  dingle；　illuminating　all　its　depths　by　the　rays　which　it　cast
  perpendicularly　down　…　so　I　must　have　sat　a　long；　long　time　upon　my
  stone。　　And　now；　once　more；　I　rested　my　head　upon　my　hand；　but
  almost　instantly　lifted　it　again　in　a　kind　of　fear；　and　began
  looking　at　the　objects　before　me　…　the　forge；　the　tools；　the
  branches　of　the　trees；　endeavouring　to　follow　their　rows；　till　they
  were　lost　in　the　darkness　of　the　dingle；　and　now　I　found　my　right
  hand　grasping　convulsively　the　three　fore…fingers　of　the　left；
  first　collectively；　and　then　successively；　wringing　them　till　the
  joints　cracked；　then　I　became　quiet；　but　not　for　long。
  Suddenly　I　started　up；　and　could　scarcely　repress　the　shriek　which
  was　rising　to　my　lips。　　Was　it　possible？　　Yes；　all　too　certain；　the
  evil　one　was　upon　me；　the　inscrutable　horror　which　I　had　felt　in　my
  boyhood　had　once　more　taken　possession　of　me。　　I　had　thought　that
  it　had　forsaken　me　…　that　it　would　never　visit　me　again；　that　I　had
  outgrown　it；　that　I　might　almost　bid　defiance　to　it；　and　I　had　even
  begun　to　think　of　it　without　horror；　as　we　are　in　the　habit　of
  doing　of　horrors　of　which　we　conceive　we　run　no　danger；　and　lo！
  when　least　thought　of；　it　had　seized　me　again。　　Every　moment　I　felt
  it　gathering　force；　and　making　me　more　wholly　its　own。　　What　should
  I　do？　…　resist；　of　course；　and　I　did　resist。　　I　grasped；　I　tore；
  and　strove　to　fling　it　from　me；　but　of　what　avail　were　my　efforts？
  I　could　only　have　got　rid　of　it　by　getting　rid　of　myself：　　it　was　a
  part　of　myself；　or　rather　it　was　all　myself。　　I　rushed　amongst　the
  trees；　and　struck　at　them　with　my　bare　fists；　and　dashed　my　head
  against　them；　but　I　felt　no　pain。　　How　could　I　feel　pain　with　that
  horror　upon　me？　　And　then　I　flung　myself　on　the　ground；　gnawed　the
  earth；　and　swallowed　it；　and　then　I　looked　round；　it　was　almost
  total　darkness　in　the　dingle；　and　the　darkness　added　to　my　horror。
  I　could　no　longer　stay　there；　up　I　rose　from　the　ground；　and
  attempted　to　escape。　　At　the　bottom　of　the　winding　path　which　led
  up　the　acclivity　I　fell　over　something　which　was　lying　on　the
  ground；　the　something　moved；　and　gave　a　kind　of　whine。　　It　was　my
  little　horse；　which　had　made　that　place　its　lair；　my　little　horse；
  my　only　companion　and　friend　in　that　now　awful　solitude。　　I　reached
  the　mouth　of　the　dingle；　the　sun　was　just　sinking　in　the　far　west
  behind　me；　the　fields　were　flooded　with　his　last　gleams。　　How
  beautiful　everything　looked　in　the　last　gleams　of　the　sun！　　I　felt
  relieved　for　a　moment；　I　was　no　longer　in　the　horrid　dingle。　　In
  another　minute　the　sun　was　gone；　and　a　big　cloud　occupied　the　place
  where　he　had　been：　　in　a　little　time　it　was　almost　as　dark　as　it
  had　previously　been　in　the　open　part　of　the　dingle。　　My　horror
  increased；　what　was　I　to　do？　…　it　was　of　no　use　fighting　against
  the　horror　…　that　I　saw；　the　more　I　fought　against　it；　the　stronger
  it　became。　　What　should　I　do：　　say　my　prayers？　　Ah！　why　not？　　So　I
  knelt　down　under　the　hedge；　and　said；　'Our　Father'；　but　that　was　of
  no　use；　and　now　I　could　no　longer　repress　cries　…　the　horror　was
  too　great　to　be　borne。　　What　should　I　do？　run　to　the　nearest　town
  or　village；　and　request　the　assistance　of　my　fellow…men？　　No！　that
  I　was　ashamed　to　do；　notwithstanding　the　horror　was　upon　me；　I　was
  ashamed　to　do　that。　　I　knew　they　would　consider　me　a　maniac；　if　I
  went　screaming　amongst　them；　and　I　did　not　wish　to　be　considered　a
  maniac。　　Moreover；　I　knew　that　I　was　not　a　maniac；　for　I　possessed
  all　my　reasoning　powers；　only　the　horror　was　upon　me　…　the
  screaming　horror！　　But　how　were　indifferent　people　to　distinguish
  between　madness　and　the　screaming　horror？　　So　I　thought　and
  reasoned；　and　at　last　I　determined　not　to　go　amongst　my　fellow…men；
  whatever　the　result　might　be。　　I　went　to　the　mouth　of　the　dingle；
  and　there；　placing　myself　on　my　knees；　I　again　said　the　Lord's
  Prayer；　but　it　was　of　no　use　…　praying　seemed　to　have　no　effect
  over　the　horror；　the　unutterable　fear　appeared　rather　to　increase
  than　diminish；　and　I　again　uttered　wild　cries；　so　loud　that　I　was
  apprehensive　they　would　be　heard　by　some　chance　passenger　on　the
  neighbouring　road；　I　therefore　went　deeper　into　the　dingle。　　I　sat
  down　with　my　back　against　a　thorn　bush；　the　thorns　entered　my
  flesh；　and　when　I　felt　them；　I　pressed　harder　against　the　bush；　I
  thought　the　pain　of　the　flesh　might　in　some　degree　counteract　the
  mental　agony；　presently　I　felt　them　no　longer　…　the　power　of　the
  mental　horror　was　so　great　that　it　was　impossible；　with　that　upon
  me；　to　feel　any　pain　from　the　thorns。　　I　continued　in　this　posture
  a　long　time；　undergoing　what　I　cannot　describe；　and　would　not
  attempt　if　I　were　able。　　Several　times　I　was　on　the　point　of
  starting　up　and　rushing　anywhere；　but　I　restrained　myself；　for　I
  knew　I　could　not　escape　from　myself；　so　why　should　I　not　remain　in
  the　dingle？　　So　I　thought　and　said　to　myself；　for　my　reasoning
  powers　were　still　uninjured。　　At　last　it　appeared　to　me　that　the
  horror　was　not　so　strong；　not　quite　so　strong；　upon　me。　　Was　it
  possible　that　it　was　relaxing　its　grasp；　releasing　its　prey？　　Oh
  what　a　mercy！　but　it　could　not　be；　and　yet　…　I　looked　up　to　heaven；
  and　clasped　my　hands；　and　said；　'Our　Father。'　　I　said　no　more　…　I
  was　too　agitated；　and　now　I　was　almost　sure　that　the　horror　had
  done　its　worst。
  After　a　little　time　I　arose；　and　staggered　down　yet　farther　into
  the　dingle。　　I　again　found　my　little　horse　on　the　same　spot　as
  before。　　I　put　my　hand　to　his　mouth　…　he　licked　my　hand。　　I　flung
  myself　down　by　him；　and　put　my　arms　round　his　neck；　the　creature
  whinnied；　and　appeared　to　sympathise　with　me。　　What　a　comfort　to
  have　any　one；　even　a　dumb　brute；　to　sympathise　with　me　at　such　a
  moment！　　I　clung　to　my　little　horse；　as　if　for　safety　and
  protection。　　I　laid　my　head　on　his　neck；　and　felt　almost　calm。
  Presently　the　fear　returned；　but　not　so　wild　as　before；　it
  subsided；　came　again；　again　subsided；　then　drowsiness　came　over　me；
  and　at　last　I　fell　asleep；　my　head　supported　on　the　neck　of　the
  little　horse。　　I　awoke；　it　was　dark；　dark　night　…　not　a　star　was　to
  be　seen　…　but　I　felt　no　fear；　the　horror　had　left　me。　　I　arose　from
  the　side　of　the　little　horse；　and　went　into　my　tent；　lay　down；　and
  again　went　to　sleep。
  I　awoke　in　the　morning　weak　and　sore；　and　shuddering　at　the
  remembrance　of　what　I　had　gone　through　on　the　preceding　day；　the
  sun　was　shining　brightly；　but　it　had　not　yet　risen　high　enough　to
  show　its　head　above　the　trees　which　fenced　the　eastern　side　of　the
  dingle；　on　which　account　the　dingle　was　wet　and　dank　from　the　dews
  of　the　night。　　I　kindled　my　fire；　and；　after　sitting　by　it　for　some
  time　to　warm　my　frame；　I　took　some　of　the　coarse　food　which　I　have
  already　mentioned；　notwithstanding　my　late　struggle；　and　the
  coarseness　of　the　fare；　I　ate　with　appetite。　　My　provisions　had　by
  this　time　been　very　much　diminished；　and　I　saw　that　it　wo