came down from the steps, still holding the burning candle.

He walked slowly to the back of the altar. There was a little table
there such as held the sacred dishes for the communion service, and
the little carpet-covered steps which the sexton put out for the
pastor when he took the monstrance from the high-built tabernacle.
That was all that was to be seen in the dark corner behind the altar.
Holding his candle close to the floor Muller discovered an iron ring
fastened to one of the big stone flags. This must be the entrance
to the crypt.

Muller tried to raise the flag and was astonished to find how easily
it came up. It was a square of reddish marble, the same with which
the entire floor of the church was tiled. This flag was very thin
and could easily be raised and placed back against the wall. Muller
took up his candle, too greatly excited to stop to get a stick for
it. He felt assured that now he would soon be able to solve at
least a part of the mystery. He climbed down the steps carefully
and found that they led into the crypt as he supposed. They were
kept spotlessly clean, as was the entire crypt as far as he could
see it by the light of his flickering candle. He was not surprised
to discover that the air was perfectly pure here. There must be
windows or ventilators somewhere, this he knew from the way his
candle behaved.

The ancient vault had a high arched ceiling and heavy massive
pillars. It was a subterranean repetition of the church above.
There had evidently been a convent attached to this church at one
time; for here stood a row of simple wooden coffins all exactly
alike, bearing each one upon its lid a roughly painted cross