put to flight. Then she rang the
bell.

The maid let her ring twice, and then came in, half dressed and sleepy.
She was ordered to place the candle upon a chair in such a position that
the flame might not be visible from the bed, to get a volume of
Barbieri's sermons, and to read in a low voice. The maid was in the
habit of administering these narcotics. She began to read, but at the
end of the second page, hearing her mistress's breathing grow deeper,
she very gradually lowered her voice, until it became only an
inarticulate murmur, and finally lapsed into silence. She waited a
moment, listening to the deep and regular breathing, then rose and went
to look at the dark face turned upwards on the pillows, with wrinkled
brow and half-open mouth. Then she took up the candle and went out on
tiptoe.

The Marchesa was asleep and dreaming. She was dreaming that she was
stretched on a bed of straw in a great dark dungeon, chains upon her
ankles, and accused of murder. The judge entered with a light, sat down
beside her, and read her a sermon on the necessity of confession. She
kept protesting that she was innocent, and repeating: "Don't you know
she was drowned?" The judge made no answer, but went on reading in a
mournful and solemn voice, while the Marchesa insisted: "No, no! I did
not kill her!" In her dream she was no longer phlegmatic, but writhed
like one in despair. "Remember that the child herself says so," the
judge replied. He rose to his feet, repeating: "She says so." Then he
struck the palm of one hand loudly upon the palm of the other, and
called out: "Enter!" Thus far the Marchesa had been conscious in her
dream that she was dreaming; at this point she thought she awoke, and
saw with horror, that some one had indeed entered the room.

A human form, slightly luminous, was seated in the armchair heaped with
clothes that stood beside her bed, but in such a position that she could
not distinguish the lower part of the apparition. Its shoulders, arms,
and clasped hands were of a whitish hue, and indistinct in outline, but
its head, that rested against the chair-back, was distinctly visible,
and surrounded by a pale light. The dark, living eyes were staring at
the Marchesa. Oh, horror! It was indeed the dead child! Oh, horror! Oh,
horror! The eyes of the apparition spoke, and accused her. The judge was
right, the child was saying so--without words--with her eyes! "It was
you who did it, Grandmother, you! I should ha