第3部分(第5/7 页)

hard…wrung　pledge　to　stand　in　the　stead　of　a　parent　to　a　strange　child　she　could　not　love；　and　to　see　an　uncongenial　alien　permanently　intruded　on　her　own　family　group。

A　singular　notion　dawned　upon　me。　I　doubted　not—never　doubted—　that　if　Mr。　Reed　had　been　alive　he　would　have　treated　me　kindly；　and　now；　as　I　sat　looking　at　the　white　bed　and　overshadowed　walls—　occasionally　also　turning　a　fascinated　eye　towards　the　dimly　gleaning　mirror—I　began　to　recall　what　I　had　heard　of　dead　men；　troubled　in　their　graves　by　the　violation　of　their　last　wishes；　revisiting　the　earth　to　punish　the　perjured　and　avenge　the　oppressed；　and　I　thought　Mr。　Reed’s　spirit；　harassed　by　the　wrongs　of　his　sister’s　child；　might　quit　its　abode—whether　in　the　church　vault　or　in　the　unknown　world　of　the　departed—and　rise　before　me　in　this　chamber。　I　wiped　my　tears　and　hushed　my　sobs；　fearful　lest　any　sign　of　violent　grief　might　waken　a　preternatural　voice　to　fort　me；　or　elicit　from　the　gloom　some　haloed　face；　bending　over　me　with　strange　pity。　This　idea；　consolatory　in　theory；　I　felt　would　be　terrible　if　realised：　with　all　my　might　I　endeavoured　to　stifle　it—I　endeavoured　to　be　firm。　Shaking　my　hair　from　my　eyes；　I　lifted　my　head　and　tried　to　look　boldly　round　the　dark　room；　at　this　moment　a　light　gleamed　on　the　wall。　Was　it；　I　asked　myself；　a　ray　from　the　moon　perating　some　aperture　in　the　blind？　No；　moonlight　was　still；　and　this　stirred；　while　I　gazed；　it　glided　up　to　the　ceiling　and　quivered　over　my　head。　I　can　now　conjecture　readily　that　this　streak　of　light　was；　in　all　likelihood；　a　gleam　from　a　lantern　carried　by　some　one　across　the　lawn：　but　then；　prepared　as　my　mind　was　for　horror；　shaken　as　my　nerves　were　by　agitation；　I　thought　the　swift　darting　beam　was　a　herald　of　some　ing　vision　fro