then he strove to speed away the time, by listening to a murmur which swept continually along the street, yet was scarcely audible, except to an unaccustomed ear like his; it was a low, dull, dreamy sound, compounded of many noises, each of which was at too great a distance to be separately heard. robin marvelled at this snore of a sleeping town, and marvelled more whenever its continuity was broken by now and then a distant shout, apparently loud where it originated. but altogether it was a sleep-inspiring sound, and, to shake off its drowsy influence, robin arose, and climbed a window-frame, that he might view the interior of the church. there the moonbeams came trembling in, and fell down upon the deserted pews, and extended along the quiet aisles. a fainter yet more awful radiance was hovering around the pulpit, and one solitary ray had dared to rest upon the open page of the great bible.