But my feelings quickly changed to disgust and terror when I saw the whole man slowly come out of the window. He began to crawl down the castle wall, face down above that great drop. His cloak spread out around him like great wings. At first I could not believe my eyes. I thought it was perhaps a trick of the moonlight or some strange effect of the shadows. But I kept looking, and my eyes were notwrong. I sawhis fingers and toes take hold of the stones where they stuck out from the wall. By using every bump in the wall and every hand-hold, he moved downwards very quickly, in the same way that a lizard moves along a wall.

What sort of man is this, or what kind of creature is it, who looks like a man? I feel that the terror of this horrible place is too much for me. I am afraid, very afraid, and there is no escape. I am surrounded by terrible things that I dare not think about.

15 May. --Once more I have seen the count go out, crawling like a lizard. He moved downwards and sideways. In the end he went about a hundred feet down, and a long way to the left. He vanished into some hole or window. When his head had gone from sight, I leaned out to try and see more, but there was nothing. It was too far for me to see properly. I knew he had left the castle. Then I thought I would take this chance to explore more than I had dared to do until now. I went back to the room. I took a lamp and tested all the doors. They were all locked, as I had expected, and the locks were quite new.