The blank darkness around him appeared, after an interval, to be
gradually dawning into a dull light, thick and misty, like the
reflections on clouds which threaten a thunderstorm at the close of
evening. Soon, this atmosphere seemed to be crossed and streaked with a
fantastic trellis-work of white, seething vapour. Then the mass of
brick-work which had struck him down, grew visible at his side, enlarged
to an enormous bulk, and endued with a power of self-motion, by which it
mysteriously swelled and shrank, and raised and depressed itself,
without quitting for a moment its position near him. And then, from its
dark and toiling surface there rose a long stream of dusky shapes, which
twined themselves about the misty trellis-work above, and took the
prominent and palpable form of human countenances, marked by every
difference of age and distorted by every variety of suffering.
There were infantine faces, wreathed about with grave-worms that hung
round them like locks of filthy hair; aged faces, dabbled with gore and
slashed with wounds; youthful faces, seamed with livid channels, along
which ran unceasing tears; lovely faces, distorted into fixed
expressions of raging pain, wild malignity, and despairing gloom.
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