- end_line
- 5480
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T20:48:26.981Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 5429
- text
- smoothing down some ladies’ cushions, far up the broad aisle, I dare
say. Softly now. If the small door ain’t locked, I shall have stolen a
march upon the beadle-faced man, and secured a humble seat in the
sanctuary, in spite of him. Good! Thanks for this! The door is not
locked. Bell-ringer forgot to lock it, no doubt. Now, like any
felt-footed grimalkin, up I steal among the leads.’
Ascending some fifty stone steps along a very narrow curving stairway, I
found myself on a blank platform forming the second story of the huge
square tower. I seemed inside some magic-lantern. On three sides, three
gigantic Gothic windows of richly dyed glass, filled the otherwise
meagre place with all sorts of sunrises and sunsets, lunar and solar
rainbows, falling stars, and other flaming fireworks and pyrotechnics.
But after all, it was but a gorgeous dungeon; for I couldn’t look out,
any more than if I had been the occupant of a basement cell in ‘the
Tombs.’ With some pains, and care not to do any serious harm, I
contrived to scratch a minute opening in a great purple star forming the
centre of the chief compartment of the middle window; when peeping
through, as through goggles, I ducked my head in dismay. The
beadle-faced man, with no hat on his head, was just in the act of
driving three ragged little boys into the middle of the street; and how
could I help trembling at the apprehension of his discovering a
rebellious caitiff like me peering down on him from the tower? For, in
stealing up here, I had set at naught his high authority. He whom he
thought effectually ejected, had burglariously returned. For a moment I
was almost ready to bide my chance, and get to the side-walk again with
all dispatch. But another Jacob’s ladder of lofty steps--wooden ones,
this time--allured me to another and still higher flight--in sole hopes
of gaining that one secret window where I might, at distance, take part
in the proceedings.
Presently I noticed something which, owing to the first marvellous
effulgence of the place, had remained unseen till now. Two strong ropes,
dropping through holes in the rude ceiling high overhead, fell a sheer
length of sixty feet, right through the centre of the space, and dropped
in coils upon the floor of the huge magic-lantern. Bell-ropes these,
thought I, and quaked. For if the beadle-faced man should learn that a
grimalkin was somewhere prowling about the edifice, how easy for him to
ring the alarm. Hark!--ah, that’s only the organ--yes--it’s the ‘Venite,
exultemus Domino.’ Though an insider in one respect, yet am I but an
outsider in another. But for all that, I will not be defrauded of my
natural rights. Uncovering my head, and taking out my book, I stood
erect, midway up the tall Jacob’s ladder, as if standing among the
congregation; and in spirit, if not in place, participated in those
devout exultings. That over, I continued my upward path; and after
crossing sundry minor platforms and irregular landings all the while on
a general ascent, at last I was delighted by catching sight of a small
round window in the otherwise dead-wall side of the tower, where the
tower attached itself to the main building. In front of the window was a
rude narrow gallery, used as a bridge to cross from the lower stairs on
one side to the upper stairs on the opposite.
- title
- Chunk 2