haps I fell into a doze--I cannot say; but again I
started up at the repetition, as it seemed outside my window, of that
cry of sadness and despair. I hastily drew aside the heavy curtains of
my bed--at that moment the room seemed to be illuminated with a dim,
unearthly light--and I saw, gradually growing into human shape, the
figure of a woman. I recognized in it my aunt, Miss Ringwood.
Horror-struck, I gazed at the apparition; it advanced a little--the lips
moved--I heard it distinctly say:

"_Reginald Westcar, The Mere belongs to you. Compel John Maryon to pay
the debt of honor!_"

I fell back senseless.

When next I returned to consciousness, it was when I was called in the
morning; the shutters were opened, and I saw the red light of the
dawning winter sun.

* * * * *

There is a strange sympathy between the night and the mind. All one's
troubles represent themselves as increased a hundredfold if one wakes in
the night, and begins to think about them. A muscular pain becomes the
certainty of an incurable internal disease; and a headache suggests
incipient softening of the brain. But all these horrors are dissipated
with the morning light, and the after-glow of a cold bath turns them
into jokes. So it was with me on the morning after my arrival at The
Shallows. I accounted most satisfactorily for all that had occurred, or
seemed to have occurred, during the night; and resolved that, though the
old Madeira was uncommonly good, I must be careful in future not to
drink more than a couple of glasses after dinner. I need scarcely say
that I said nothing to Mrs. Balk of my bad dreams, and shortly after
breakfast I took my gun, and went out in search of such game as I might
chance to meet with. At three o'clock I sent the keeper home, as his
capacious pockets were pretty well filled, telling him that I thought I
knew the country, and should stroll back leisurely. The gray gloom of
the November evening was spreading over the sky as I came upon a small
plantation which I believed belonged to me. I struck straight across it;
emerging from its shadows, I found myself by a small stream and some
marshy land; on the other side another small plantation. A snipe got up,
I fired, and tailored it. I marked the bird into this other plantation,
and followed. Up got a covey of partridges--bang, bang--one down by the
side of an oak. I was about to enter this covert, when a lady and
gentleman emerged,