He remained nearly an hour in the abyss.

When he returned he was very pale, and with an anxious, thoughtful expression of face, very different from its ordinary character, which was open, cheerful, and fearless.
He said briefly that the descent appeared to him unsafe, and leading to no result; and, suspending further operations in the shaft, we returned to the more familiar parts of the mine.
All the rest of that day the engineer seemed preoccupied by some absorbing thought.

He was unusually taciturn, and there was a scared, bewildered look in his eyes, as that of a man who has seen a ghost.

At night, as we two were sitting alone in the lodging we shared together near the mouth of the mine, I said to my friend,-- "Tell me frankly what you saw in that chasm: I am sure it was something strange and terrible.

Whatever it be, it has left your mind in a state of doubt.