FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   197   198   199   200   201   202   203   204   205   206   207   208   209   210   211   212   213   214   215   216   217   218   219   220   221  
222   223   224   225   226   227   228   229   230   231   232   233   234   235   236   237   238   239   240   241   242   243   244   245   246   >>   >|  
rought it to her, made her drink it. "Now then, tell me what has thrown you into this state? What has happened to terrify you so much? another dream, vision, apparition? what?" he inquired, as he took from her hand the empty glass. "Oh, no, no, no! no dream, no vision, nothing of that sort. It was too dark to see anything, you know; but oh! it was something so ghastly and horrible that I shall never, never get over it!" she exclaimed, while shudder after shudder shook her frame. "Tell me," he said soothingly. "Oh, it was a damp girl!" she cried. "A damp girl!" he echoed in amazement and alarm; for he almost feared his dear wife was going crazy. "Oh yes, a damp girl! A clay-cold, clammy, corpse-like form of a girl!" "Where? when? what about her?" "Oh, I woke up and felt her lying by my side! so close that she chilled and oppressed me! I put out my hand, and she caught it in her deathly fingers! I screamed, but she spoke to me! She was about to tell me something, when she was suddenly snatched up and torn away!" "My dear Sybil, this was nightmare again!" "Oh, no, no, no! I have had nightmare, and know what it is! It is not like this! All this was real, as real as you and I! This place is full of devils!" "My darling wife, have you lost your senses?" "Oh, no; but I shall lose them if I stay in this demon-haunted place a day longer!" "Thank Heaven! we will not have to stay here a day longer. We leave, this coming evening. And see! the morning is dawning, Sybil; and with the coming of the light, all these shadows of darkness and phantoms of fear will flee away," said Lyon with a smile. "Oh, you don't believe me. You never do believe me. But oh! let me tell you all about this ghastly thing, and then perhaps you will see that it is real," said Sybil. And still in much agitation of spirits, she told him all the particulars of her strange visitation. He still believed in his soul that she had been the victim of incubus, but he would not vex her by persisting in saying so. He only repeated that the morning was at hand, when all the terrors of the night would be dispersed; and added that they would not have to pass another night in the "demon-peopled place," as this would be the very last day of their stay. As soon as it was light enough, they dressed themselves, and set about their simple daily work. He made the fire, and brought the water; and she cleared up their housekeeping corner, and p
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   197   198   199   200   201   202   203   204   205   206   207   208   209   210   211   212   213   214   215   216   217   218   219   220   221  
222   223   224   225   226   227   228   229   230   231   232   233   234   235   236   237   238   239   240   241   242   243   244   245   246   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

vision

 

longer

 
nightmare
 

shudder

 
ghastly
 

coming

 

morning

 
evening
 

dawning

 

corner


darkness

 

phantoms

 

shadows

 
housekeeping
 

believed

 

brought

 
peopled
 

terrors

 

dispersed

 

cleared


dressed
 

repeated

 
particulars
 
strange
 

visitation

 
spirits
 

agitation

 

simple

 

Heaven

 

persisting


victim

 

incubus

 

fingers

 
exclaimed
 

horrible

 

soothingly

 

feared

 

echoed

 

amazement

 

happened


thrown

 

rought

 
terrify
 

apparition

 

inquired

 

snatched

 

suddenly

 

devils

 

haunted

 
senses