projected from the upper jaw, far below the
lower lip; the hue of the lips themselves
bore the usual relation to that of the face,
and was consequently nearly black. The
character of the face was malignant, even
satanic, to the last degree; and, indeed,
such a combination of horror could hardly
be accounted for, except by supposing the
corpse of some atrocious malefactor, which
had long hung blackening upon the gibbet,
to have at length become the habitation of
a demon--the frightful sport of Satanic
possession.

It was remarkable that the worshipful
stranger suffered as little as possible of his
flesh to appear, and that during his visit he
did not once remove his gloves.

Having stood for some moments at the
door, Gerard Douw at length found breath
and collectedness to bid him welcome, and,
with a mute inclination of the head, the
stranger stepped forward into the room.

There was something indescribably odd,
even horrible, about all his motions,
something undefinable, that was unnatural, un-
human--it was as if the limbs were guided
and directed by a spirit unused to the