His hand was outstretched to take the lamp, his purpose was clearly defined--to go to the far corner and examine the coffin-lid.

Hand and thought arrested, he stopped on the threshold, for the lid was thrown off the coffin, and beside it stood a figure.
The lamp, which did not throw very much light across the comparatively large empty room, was so placed that what light there was came directly in Trenholme's eyes.

Afterwards he remembered this, and wondered whether all that he thought he saw had, in fact, been clearly seen; but at the moment he thought nothing of the inadequacy of light or of the glare in his eyes; he only knew that there, in the far corner beside the empty coffin, stood a white figure--very tall to his vision, very lank, with white drapery that clothed it round the head like a cowl and spread upon the floor around its feet.

But all that was not what arrested his attention and chilled his strong courage, it was the eyes of the figure, which were clearly to be seen--large, frightened, fierce eyes, that met his own with a courage and terror in them which seemed to quell his own courage and impart terror to him.

Above them he saw the form of a pallid brow clearly moulded.