I wished I had gone off to bed when I had the chance.

Now I must stick it out; there was no other way.

So she tinkled along and along, in the otherwise profound and ghostly hush of the sleeping castle, until by and by there came, as if from deep down under us, a far-away sound, as of a muffled shriek -- with an expression of agony about it that made my flesh crawl.
The queen stopped, and her eyes lighted with pleasure; she tilted her graceful head as a bird does when it listens.

The sound bored its way up through the stillness again.
"What is it ?" I said.
"It is truly a stubborn soul, and endureth long.

It is many hours now." "Endureth what ?" "The rack.