david elginbrod-第69章

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they　seemed　to　caress；　so　lingeringly　did　they　move　from　it　in　their
noiseless　progress。

She　reached　the　door；　put　out　her　hand；　and　touched　it。　　Hugh　saw　it
open　outwards　and　let　her　through。　　Nor　did　this　strike　him　as　in
the　smallest　degree　marvellous。　　It　closed　again　behind　her；
noiseless　as　her　footfalls。

The　moment　she　vanished；　the　power　of　motion　returned　to　him；　and
Hugh　sprang　to　his　feet。　　He　leaped　to　the　door。　　With　trembling
hand　he　inserted　the　key；　and　the　lock　creaked　as　he　turned　it。

In　proof　of　his　being　in　tolerable　possession　of　his　faculties　at
the　moment；　and　that　what　he　was　relating　to　me　actually　occurred；
he　told　me　that　he　remembered　at　once　that　he　had　heard　that
peculiar　creak；　a　few　moments　before　Euphra　and　he　discovered　that
they　were　left　alone　in　this　very　chamber。　　He　had　never　thought　of
it　before。

Still　the　door　would　not　open：　it　was　bolted　as　well；　and　the　bolt
was　very　stiff　to　withdraw。　　But　at　length　he　succeeded。

When　he　reached　the　passage　outside；　he　thought　he　saw　the　glimmer
of　a　light；　perhaps　in　the　picture…gallery　beyond。　　Towards　this　he
groped　his　way。He　could　never　account　for　the　fact；　that　he　left
the　candles　burning　in　the　room　behind　him　and　went　forward　into　the
darkness；　except　by　supposing　that　his　wits　had　gone　astray；　in
consequence　of　the　shock　the　apparition　had　occasioned　them。When
he　reached　the　gallery；　there　was　no　light　there；　but　somewhere　in
the　distance　he　saw；　or　fancied；　a　faint　shimmer。

The　impulse　to　go　towards　it　was　too　strong　to　be　disputed　with。　　He
advanced　with　outstretched　arms；　groping。　　After　a　few　steps；　he　had
lost　all　idea　of　where　he　was；　or　how　he　ought　to　proceed　in　order
to　reach　any　known　quarter。　　The　light　had　vanished。　　He　stood。Was
that　a　stealthy　step　he　heard　beside　him　in　the　dark？　　He　had　no
time　to　speculate；　for　the　next　moment　he　fell　senseless。




CHAPTER　XXV。

NEXT　MORNING。

Darkness　is　fled：　look；　infant　morn　hath　drawn
Bright　silver　curtains　'bout　the　couch　of　night；
And　now　Aurora's　horse　trots　azure　rings；
Breathing　fair　light　about　the　firmament。
Stand；　what's　that？

JOHN　MARSTON。Second　Part　of　Antonio　and　Mellida。


When　he　came　to　himself；　it　was　with　a　slow　flowing　of　the　tide　of
consciousness。　　His　head　ached。　　Had　he　fallen　down　stairs？or　had
he　struck　his　head　against　some　projection；　and　so　stunned　himself？
The　last　he　remembered　wasstanding　quite　still　in　the　dark；　and
hearing　something。　　Had　he　been　knocked　down？　　He　could　not
tell。Where　was　he？　　Could　the　ghost　have　been　all　a　dream？　and
this　headache　be　nature's　revenge　upon　last　night's　wine？For　he
lay　on　the　couch　in　the　haunted　chamber；　and　on　his　bosom　lay　the
book　over　which　he　had　dropped　asleep。

Mingled　with　all　this　doubt；　there　was　another。　　For　he　remembered
that；　when　consciousness　first　returned；　he　felt　as　if　he　had　seen
Euphra's　face　bending　down　close　over　his。Could　it　be　possible？
Had　Euphra　herself　come　to　see　how　he　had　fared？The　room　lay　in
the　grey　light　of　the　dawn；　but　Euphra　was　nowhere　visible。　　Could
she　have　vanished　ashamed　through　the　secret　door？　　Or　had　she　been
only　a　phantasy；　a　projection　outwards　of　the　form　that　dwelt　in　his
brain；　a　phenomenon　often　occurring　when　the　last　of　sleeping　and
the　first　of　waking　are　indistinguishably　blended　in　a　vague
consciousness？

But　if　it　was　so；　then　the　ghost？what　of　it？　　Had　not　his　brain；
by　the　events　of　the　preceding　evening；　been　similarly　prepared　with
regard　to　it？　　Was　it　not　more　likely；　after　all；　that　she　too　was
the　offspring　of　his　own　imaginationthe　power　that　makes
imagesespecially　when　considered；　that　she　exactly　corresponded　to
the　description　given　by　the　Bohemian？But　had　he　not　observed　many
points　at　which　the　Count　had　not　even　hinted？Still；　it　was　as
natural　to　expect　that　an　excited　imagination　should　supply　the
details　of　a　wholly　imaginary　spectacle；　as　that；　given　the　idea　of
Euphra's　presence；　it　should　present　the　detail　of　her　countenance；
for　the　creation　of　that　which　is　not；　belongs　as　much　to　the　realm
of　the　imagination；　as　the　reproduction　of　that　which　is。

It　seemed　very　strange　to　Hugh　himself；　that　he　should　be　able　thus
to　theorize；　before　even　he　had　raised　himself　from　the　couch　on
which；　perhaps；　after　all；　he　had　lain　without　moving；　throughout
that　terrible　night；　swarming　with　the　horrors　of　the　dead　that
would　not　sleep。　　But　the　long　unconsciousness；　in　which　he　had
himself　visited　the　regions　of　death；　seemed　to　have　restored　him；
in　spite　of　his　aching　head；　to　perfect　mental　equilibrium。　　Or；　at
least；　his　brain　was　quiet　enough　to　let　his　mind　work。　　Still；　he
felt　very　ghastly　within。　　He　raised　himself　on　his　elbow；　and
looked　into　the　room。　　Everything　was　the　same　as　it　had　been　the
night　before；　only　with　an　altered　aspect　in　the　dawn…light。　　The
dawn　has　a　peculiar　terror　of　its　own；　sometimes　perhaps　even　more
real　in　character；　but　very　different　from　the　terrors　of　the　night
and　of　candle…light。　　The　room　looked　as　if　no　ghost　could　have
passed　through　its　still　old　musty　atmosphere；　so　perfectly
reposeful　did　it　appear；　and　yet　it　seemed　as　if　some　umbra；　some
temporary　and　now　cast…off　body　of　the　ghost；　must　be　lying　or
lingering　somewhere　about　it。　　He　rose；　and　peeped　into　the　recess
where　the　cabinet　stood。　　Nothing　was　there　but　the　well　remembered
carving　and　blackness。　　Having　once　yielded　to　the　impulse；　he　could
not　keep　from　peering　every　moment；　now　into　one；　and　now　into
another　of　the　many　hidden　corners。　　The　next　suggesting　itself　for
examination；　was　always　one　he　could　not　see　from　where　he
stood：after　all；　even　in　the　daylight；　there　might　be　some　dead
thing　therewho　could　tell？　　But　he　remained　manfully　at　his　post
till　the　sun　rose；　till　bell　after　bell　rang　from　the　turret；　till；
in　short；　Funkelstein　came　to　fetch　him。

〃Good　morning；　Mr。　Sutherland；〃　said　he。　〃How　have　you　slept？〃

〃Like　asomnambulist；〃　answered　Hugh；　choosing　the　word　for　its
intensity。　〃I　slept　so　sound　that　I　woke　quite　early。〃

〃I　am　glad　to　hear　it。　　But　it　is　nearly　time　for　breakfast；　for
which　ceremony　I　am　myself　hardly　in　trim　yet。〃

So　saying；　Funkelstein　turned；　and　walked　away　with　some
precipitation。　　What　occasioned　Hugh　a　little　surprise；　was；　that　he
did　not　ask　him　one　question　more　as　to　how　he　had　passed　the　night。
He　had；　of　course；　slept　in　the　house；　seeing　he　presented　himself
in　deshabille。

Hugh　hastened　to　his　own　room；　where；　under　the　anti…ghostial
influences　of　the　bath；　he　made　up　his　mind　not　to　say　a　word　about
the　apparition　to　any　one。

〃Well；　Mr。　Sutherland；　how　have　you　spent　the　night？〃　said　Mr。
Arnold；　greeting　him。

〃I　slept　with　profound　stupidity；〃　answered　Hugh；　〃a　stupidity；　in
fact；　quite　worthy　of　the　folly　of　the　preceding　wager。〃

This　was　true；　as　relating　to　the　time　during　which　he　had　slept；
but　was；　of　course；　false　in　the　impression　it　gave。

〃Bravo！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Arnold；　with　an　unwonted　impulsiveness。　〃The
best　mood；　I　consider；　in　which　to　meet　such　creations　of　other
people's　brains！　　And　you　positively　passed　a　pleasant　night　in　the
awful　chamber？　　That　is　something　to　tell　Euphra。　　But　she　is　not
down　yet。　　You　have　restored　the　character　of　my　house；　Mr。
Sutherland；　and　next　to　his　own　character；　a　man　ought　to　care　for
that　of　his　house。　　I　am　greatly　in　your　debt；　sir。〃

At　this　moment；　Euphra's　maid　brought　the　message；　that　her　mistress
was　sorry　she　was　unable　to　appear　at　breakfast。

Mrs。　Elton　took　her　place。

〃The　day　is　so　warm　and　still；　Mr。　Arnold；　that　I　think　Lady　Emily
might　have　a　drive　to…day。　　Perhaps　Miss　Cameron　may　be　able　to　join
us　by　that　time。〃

〃I　cannot　think　what　is　the　matter　with　Euphra；〃　said　Mr。　Arnold。
〃She　never　used　to　be　affected　in　this　way。〃

〃Should　you　not　seek　some　medical　opinion？〃　said　Mrs。　Elton。　〃These
constant　headaches　must　indicate　something　wrong。〃

The　constant　headache　had　occurred　just　once　before；　since　Mrs。
Elton　had　formed　one　of　the　family。　　After　a　pause；　Mr。　Arnold
reverted　to　the　former　subject。

〃You　are　most　welcome　to　the　carriage；　Mrs。　Elton。