Goliah's Rat

"Goliah's Rat"

This image depicts the "monstrous grey rat" that Richard sees on the lobby steps. Goliath, spelled Goliah in the text, is a giant from the Book of Samuel. Known for his size, Le Fanu likens the size of the rat to Goliath's foot to verbally communicate the rat's larger-than-average size and monstrous quality.