certainly lead to great things, perhaps even to Blackbeard's hoard; for
ever since Mr. Glennie's tale I had constantly before my eyes a vision of
the diamond and the wealth it was to bring me. The passage was two paces
broad, as high as a tall man, and cut through the soil, without bricks or
any other lining; and what surprised me most was that it did not seem
deserted nor mouldy and cob-webbed, as one would expect such a place to
be, but rather a well-used thoroughfare; for I could see the soft clay
floor was trodden with the prints of many boots, and marked with a trail
as if some heavy thing had been dragged over it.

So I set out down the passage, reaching out my hand before me lest I
should run against anything in the dark, and sliding my feet slowly to
avoid pitfalls in the floor. But before I had gone half a dozen paces,
the darkness grew so black that I was frightened, and so far from going
on was glad to turn sharp about, and see the glimmer of light that came
in through the hole under the tomb. Then a horror of the darkness seized
me, and before I well knew what I was about I found myself wriggling my
body up under the tombstone on to the churchyard grass, and was once more
in the low evening sunlight and the soft sweet air.

Home I ran to my aunt's, for it was past tea-time, and beside that I knew
I must fetch a candle if I were ever to search out the passage; and to
search it I had well made up my mind, no matter how much I was scared for
this moment. My aunt gave me but a sorry greeting when I came into the
kitchen, for I was late and hot. She never said much when displeased, but
had a way of saying nothing, which was much worse; and would only reply
yes or no, and that after an interval, to anything that was asked of her.
So the meal was silent enough, for she had finished before I arrived, and
I ate but little myself being too much occupied with the thought of my
strange discovery, and finding, beside, the tea lukewarm and the victuals