david elginbrod-第41节

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busy　trying　to　incarcerate　a　stray　tress　which　had　escaped　from　its
net；　and　made　her　olive　shoulders　look　white　beside　it。

〃Let　it　alone；〃　said　Hugh；　〃let　it　be　beautiful。〃

But　she　gently　repelled　the　hand　he　raised　to　hers；　and；　though　she
was　forced　to　put　down　her　candle　first；　persisted　in　confining　the
refractory　tress；　then　seated　herself　at　the　table；　and　taking　from
her　pocket　the　manuscript　which　Hugh　had　been　criticising　in　the
morning；　unfolded　it；　and　showed　him　all　the　passages　he　had
objected　to；　neatly　corrected　or　altered。　　It　was　wonderfully　done
for　the　time　she　had　had。　　He　went　over　it　all　with　her　again；
seated　close　to　her；　their　faces　almost　meeting　as　they　followed　the
lines。　　They　had　just　finished　it；　and　were　about　to　commence
reading　from　the　original；　when　Hugh；　who　missed　a　sheet　of　Euphra's
translation；　stooped　under　the　table　to　look　for　it。　　A　few　moments
were　spent　in　the　search；　before　he　discovered　that　Euphra's　foot
was　upon　it。　　He　begged　her　to　move　a　little；　but　received　no　reply
either　by　word　or　act。　　Looking　up　in　some　alarm；　he　saw　that　she
was　either　asleep　or　in　a　faint。　　By　an　impulse　inexplicable　to
himself　at　the　time；　he　went　at　once　to　the　windows；　and　drew　down
the　green　blinds。　　When　he　turned　towards　her　again；　she　was
reviving　or　awaking；　he　could　not　tell　which。

〃How　stupid　of　me　to　go　to　sleep！〃　she　said。　〃Let　us　go　on　with　our
reading。〃

They　had　read　for　about　half　an　hour；　when　three　taps　upon　one　of
the　windows；　slight；　but　peculiar；　and　as　if　given　with　the　point　of
a　finger；　suddenly　startled　them。　　Hugh　turned　at　once　towards　the
windows；　but；　of　course；　he　could　see　nothing；　having　just　lowered
the　blinds。　　He　turned　again　towards　Euphra。　　She　had　a　strange　wild
look；　her　lips　were　slightly　parted；　and　her　nostrils　wide；　her　face
was　rigid；　and　glimmering　pale　as　death　from　the　cloud　of　her　black
hair。

〃What　was　it？〃　said　Hugh；　affected　by　her　fear　with　the　horror　of
the　unknown。　　But　she　made　no　answer；　and　continued　staring　towards
one　of　the　windows。　　He　rose　and　was　about　to　advance　to　it；　when
she　caught　him　by　the　hand　with　a　grasp　of　which　hers　would　have
been　incapable　except　under　the　influence　of　terror。　　At　that　moment
a　clock　in　the　room　began　to　strike。　　It　was　a　slow　clock；　and　went
on　deliberately；　striking　one。。。two。。。three。。。till　it　had　struck
twelve。　　Every　stroke　was　a　blow　from　the　hammer　of　fear；　and　his
heart　was　the　bell。　　He　could　not　breathe　for　dread　so　long　as　the
awful　clock　was　striking。　　When　it　had　ended；　they　looked　at　each
other　again；　and　Hugh　breathed　once。

〃Euphra！〃　he　sighed。

But　she　made　no　answer；　she　turned　her　eyes　again　to　one　of　the
windows。　　They　were　both　standing。　　He　sought　to　draw　her　to　him；
but　she　yielded　no　more　than　a　marble　statue。

〃I　crossed　the　Ghost's　Walk　to…night；〃　said　he；　in　a　hard　whisper；
scarcely　knowing　that　he　uttered　it；　till　he　heard　his　own　words。
They　seemed　to　fall　upon　his　ear　as　if　spoken　by　some　one　outside
the　room。　　She　looked　at　him　once　more；　and　kept　looking　with　a
fixed　stare。　　Gradually　her　face　became　less　rigid；　and　her　eyes
less　wild。　　She　could　move　at　last。

〃Come；　come；〃　she　said；　in　a　hurried　whisper。　〃Let　us　gono；　no；
not　that　way；〃as　Hugh　would　have　led　her　towards　the　private
stair〃let　us　go　the　front　way；　by　the　oak　staircase。〃

They　went　up　together。　　When　they　reached　the　door　of　her　room；　she
said；　〃Good　night；〃　without　even　looking　at　him；　and　passed　in。
Hugh　went　on；　in　a　state　of　utter　bewilderment；　to　his　own
apartment；　shut　the　door　and　locked　ita　thing　he　had　never　done
before；　lighted　both　the　candles　on　his　table；　and　then　walked　up
and　down　the　room；　trying；　like　one　aware　that　he　is　dreaming；　to
come　to　his　real　self。

〃Pshaw！〃　he　said　at　last。　〃It　was　only　a　little　bird；　or　a　large
moth。　　How　odd　it　is　that　darkness　can　make　a　fool　of　one！　　I　am
ashamed　of　myself。　　I　wish　I　had　gone　out　at　the　window；　if　only　to
show　Euphra　I　was　not　afraid；　though　of　course　there　was　nothing　to
be　seen。〃

As　he　said　this　in　his　mind；he　could　not　have　spoken　it　aloud；　for
fear　of　hearing　his　own　voice　in　the　solitude；he　went　to　one　of
the　windows　of　his　sitting…room；　which　was　nearly　over　the　library；
and　looked　into　the　wood。Could　it　be？Yes。He　did　see　something
white；　gliding　through　the　wood；　away　in　the　direction　of　the
Ghost's　Walk。　It　vanished；　and　he　saw　it　no　more。

The　morning　was　far　advanced　before　he　could　go　to　bed。　　When　the
first　light　of　the　aurora　broke　the　sky；　he　looked　out　again；and
the　first　glimmerings　of　the　morning　in　the　wood　were　more　dreadful
than　the　deepest　darkness　of　the　past　night。　　Possessed　by　a　new
horror；　he　thought　how　awful　it　would　be　to　see　a　belated　ghost；
hurrying　away　in　helpless　haste。　　The　spectre　would　be　yet　more
terrible　in　the　grey　light　of　the　coming　day；　and　the　azure　breezes
of　the　morning；　which　to　it　would　be　like　a　new　and　more　fearful
death；　than　amidst　its　own　homely　sepulchral　darkness；　while　the
silence　all　aroundsilence　in　lightcould　befit　only　that　dread
season　of　loneliness　when　men　are　lost　in　sleep；　and　ghosts；　if　they
walk　at　all；　walk　in　dismay。

But　at　length　fear　yielded　to　sleep；　though　still　he　troubled　her
short　reign。

When　he　awoke；　he　found　it　so　late；　that　it　was　all　he　could　do　to
get　down　in　time　for　breakfast。　　But　so　anxious　was　he　not　to　be
later　than　usual；　that　he　was　in　the　room　before　Mr。　Arnold　made　his
appearance。　　Euphra；　however；　was　there　before　him。　　She　greeted　him
in　the　usual　way；　quite　circumspectly。　　But　she　looked　troubled。
Her　face　was　very　pale；　and　her　eyes　were　red；　as　if　from
sleeplessness　or　weeping。　　When　her　uncle　entered；　she　addressed　him
with　more　gaiety　than　usual；　and　he　did　not　perceive　that　anything
was　amiss　with　her。　　But　the　whole　of　that　day　she　walked　as　in　a
reverie；　avoiding　Hugh　two　or　three　times　that　they　chanced　to　meet
without　a　third　person　in　the　neighbourhood。　　Once　in　the
forenoonwhen　she　was　generally　to　be　found　in　her　roomhe　could
not　refrain　from　trying　to　see　her。　　The　change　and　the　mystery　were
insupportable　to　him。　　But　when　he　tapped　at　her　door；　no　answer
came；　and　he　walked　back　to　Harry；　feeling；　as　if；　by　an　unknown
door　in　his　own　soul；　he　had　been　shut　out　of　the　half　of　his　being。
Or　rathera　wall　seemed　to　have　been　built　right　before　his　eyes；
which　still　was　there　wherever　he　went。

As　to　the　gliding　phantom　of　the　previous　night；　the　day　denied　it
all；　telling　him　it　was　but　the　coinage　of　his　own　over…wrought
brain；　weakened　by　prolonged　tension　of　the　intellect；　and　excited
by　the　presence　of　Euphra　at　an　hour　claimed　by　phantoms　when　not
yielded　to　sleep。　　This　was　the　easiest　and　most　natural　way　of
disposing　of　the　difficulty。　　The　cloud　around　Euphra　hid　the　ghost
in　its　skirts。

Although　fear　in　some　measure　returned　with　the　returning　shadows；
he　yet　resolved　to　try　to　get　Euphra　to　meet　him　again　in　the
library　that　night。　　But　she　never　gave　him　a　chance　of　even
dropping　a　hint　to　that　purpose。　　She　had　not　gone　out　with　them　in
the　morning；　and　when　he　followed　her　into　the　drawing…room；　she　was
already　at　the　piano。　　He　thought　he　might　convey　his　wish　without
interrupting　the　music；　but　as　often　as　he　approached　her；　she
broke；　or　rather　glided；　out　into　song；　as　if　she　had　been　singing
in　an　undertone　all　the　while。　　He　could　not　help　seeing　she　did　not
intend　to　let　him　speak　to　her。　　But；　all　the　time；　whatever　she
sang　was　something　she　knew　he　liked；　and　as　often　as　she　spoke　to
him　in　the　hearing　of　her　uncle　or　cousin；　it　was　in　a　manner
peculiarly　graceful　and　simple。

He　could　not　understand　her；　and　was　more　bewitched；　more　fascinated
than　ever；　by　seeing　her　through　the　folds　of　the　incomprehensible；
in　which　element　she　had　wrapped　herself　from　his　nearer　vision。
She　had　always　seemed　above　himnow　she　seemed　miles　away　as　well；
a　region　of　Paradise；　into　which　he　was　forbidden　to　enter。
Everything　about　her；　to　her　handkerchief　and　her　gloves；　was
haunted　by　a　vague　mystery　of　worshipfulness；　and　drew　him　towards
it　with　wonder　and　trembling。　　When　they　parted　for　the　night；　she
shook　hands　with　him　with　a　cool　frankness；　that　put　him　nearly
beside　himself　with　despair；　and　when　he　found　himself　in　his　own
room；　it　was　some　time　before　he　could　collect　his　thoughts。　　Having
succeeded；　however；　he　resolved；　in　spite　of　growing　fears；　to　go　to
the　library；　and　see　whether　it　were　not　possible　she　might　be
there。　　He　took　up　a　candle；　and　went　down　the　back　stair。　　But　when
he　opened　the　library　door；　a　gust　of　wind　blew　his　candle　out；　all
was　darkness　within；　a　sudden　horror　seized　him；　and；　afraid　of
yielding　to　the　inclination　to　bound　up　the　stair；　lest　he　should　go
wild　with　the　terror　of　pursuit；　he　crept　slowly　back；　feeling　his
way　to　his　own　room　with　a　determined　deliberateness。Could　the
library　window　have　been　left　open？　　Else　whence　the　gust　of　wind？

Next　day；　and　the　next；　and　the　next；　he　fared　no　better：　her
behaviour　continued　the　same；　and　she　allowed　him　no　opportunity　of
requesting　an　explanation。




CHAPTER　XII。

A　SUNDAY。