exclaimed she , a sense of intolerable humiliation triumphing over her agony and fear . `` Yea , and we have yet more to hear , '' replied the old woman , `` wherefore cover thy face quickly . '' Again the withered hag poured forth the monotonous words of a prayer that was not meant to be acceptable in heaven , and soon in the pauses of her breath strange murmurings began to thicken , gradually increasing , so as to drown and overpower the charm by which they grew . Shrieks pierced through the obscurity of sound and were succeeded by the singing of sweet female voices , which in their turn gave way to a wild roar of laughter broken suddenly by groanings and sobs , forming altogether a ghastly confusion of terror and mourning and mirth . Chains were rattling , fierce and stern voices uttered threats and the scourge resounded at their command . All these noises deepened and became substantial to the listener 's ear , till she could distinguish every soft and dreamy accent of the love-songs that died causelessly into funeral-hymns . She shuddered at the unprovoked wrath which blazed up like the spontaneous kindling of flume , and she grew faint at the fearful merriment raging miserably around her . In the midst of this wild scene , where unbound passions jostled each other in a drunken career , there was one solemn voice of a man , and a manly and melodious voice it might once have been . He went to and fro continually , and his feet sounded upon the floor . In each member of that frenzied company whose own burning thoughts had become their exclusive world he sought an auditor for the story of his individual wrong , and interpreted their laughter and tears as his reward of scorn or pity . He spoke of woman 's perfidy , of a wife who had broken her holiest vows , of a home and heart made desolate . Even as he went on , the shout , the laugh , the shriek , the sob , rose up in unison , till they changed into the hollow , fitful and uneven sound of the wind as it fought among the pine trees on those three lonely hills . The lady looked up , and there was the withered woman smiling in her face . `` Couldst thou have thought there were such merry times in a mad-house ? '' inquired the latter . `` True , true ! '' said the lady to herself ; `` there is mirth within its walls , but misery , misery without . '' `` Wouldst thou hear more ? '' demanded the old woman . `` There is one other voice I would fain listen to again , '' replied the lady , faintly .
`` Then lay down thy head speedily XXXXX my knees , that thou mayst get thee hence before the hour be past . ''
In around at for over through till to upon within