Evening star., 1928-05-17
WORLD FAMOUS STORIES
A LONDON ANTIQUE
BY WASHINGTON IRVING

am somewhat Of an antiquity hun
ter, and am fond of exploring London
in quest of the relics OF old times. I
had been wandering for some time
through dull, monotonous streets, when
I beheld before me a gateway Of molder-
ing antiquity. It opened into spacious
quadrangle. forming the courtyard OF a
stately Gothic pile, the portal OF which
stood tnvitingly open
It was apparently a public building,
and, as was antiquity hunting, ven
tured In. though with dubious steps.
Meeting no one either to oppose or re-
buke me, / continued until I found
myself In a great hall. At one end was
an enormous fireplace; at the other was
a raised platform, the seat OF state,
above which was the portait of a man
In long robe, with a venerable gray
beard.
The whole establishment had 81 air
Of monaStic quiet and seclustons and
what gave IL q mysterious charm was
that ! had not met human being
since had crossed the Threshold. En-
couraged by the loneliness, seated my
self in recess Of q large window. which
admitted a bread gleam Of yellow sun
shine, while an open easement let IN
the soft Summer air. As ] was seated
here muSing, a small paneled door IN
an arch at the upper end Of the hail
was opened. and number OF gray
headed old men. clad In long black
cloalEs, came forth one by one: proceed
ing In that manner through the hall.
without uttering q word, each turning o
pale face On me as he passed. and dis
appearing through door at the lower
end.
I was stngularly struck with their
appearance; their black cioaks and an
tiuuated airs comported with the style
of this most venerable and mysterious
pile. It was as II the ghosts Of the de-
parted years about which ] had been
muSing. we're passing IN review before
me. Pleasing myself with such fancies,
i set out, Ii the spirit Of romance, 20
explore what pictured as realm Of
shadows existing In the very center Of
substantial realities.
Ny ramble led me through ramble
Of interior courts and corridors and d.
aapidated cioisters, for the main ediflce
had many additions and dependencies.
built at various time and In various
styles. Everywhere I observed those
mysterious old gray men In black man
ties, sometimes sauntering alone, some
times converSing IN groups; they ap-
peared TO be the pervading genh OF the
place.
now called to mind that I had read
Of certain colleges In old times where
Judicial aStrolOgy. g6omansy, black
magic and ether forbidden and Mag1-
cal sciences were taught. Was this an
establishment Of the kind, and were
the black-coated old men really pro-
lessons OF the black art?
These thoughts were passing through
my mind as my eyes glanced into q
room hung round with al kinds Of
strange and uncouth obJects-imple-
ments Of savage warfare, strange idols
and stuffed aiiigators, bottled serpents
and monsters on the u1antlepiece. While
on the high tester Of an old-fashioned
bedsteAd there gTinned human skull.
Nanled on each side by a dried cat.
approached to regard more closely
this mystic chamber, which seemed q
lifting laboratory for q worker in black
magic, when was startled at behold
ing a human face staring at me from q
61lslry corner. 1t was that Of q small
@A1rfveled old man. with thin cheeks
bright eyes, and gray, wdry, projecting
eyebrows.
I at first doubted whether Il was
not q mummy curiou2ly preserved
but IL moved and ! saw that IL waa
alive. II was another Of these black
coated old men; and, e. 4 regarded
his quaint payEiognomy, his obsolete