ld see him by himself, at
full length upon a sofa, and, in about half an hour, I became aware,
by his deep and regularly drawn respiration, that he was fast asleep.
When slumber refuses to visit one, there is something peculiarly
irritating, not to the temper, but to the nerves, in the consciousness
that some one is in your immediate presence, actually enjoying the
boon which you are seeking in vain; at least, I have always found it
so, and never more than upon the present occasion. A thousand annoying
imaginations harassed and excited me, every object which I looked
upon, though ever so familiar, seemed to have acquired a strange
phantom-like character, the varying shadows thrown by the flickering
of the lamp-light, seemed shaping themselves into grotesque and
unearthly forms, and whenever my eyes wandered to the sleeping figure
of my husband, his features appeared to undergo the strangest and most
demoniacal contortions. Hour after hour was told by the old clock, and
each succeeding one found me, if possible, less inclined to sleep than
its predecessor. It was now considerably past three; my eyes, in their
involuntary wanderings, happened to alight upon the large mirror which
was, as I have said, fixed in the wall opposite the foot of the bed. A
view of it was commanded from where I lay, through the curtains, as I
gazed fixedly upon it, I thought I perceived the broad sheet of glass
shifting its position in relation to the bed; I rivetted my eyes
upon it with intense scrutiny; it was no deception, the mirror, as
if acting of its own impulse moved slowly aside, and disclosed a dark
aperture in the wall, nearly as large as an ordinary door; a figure
evidently stood in this; but the light was too dim to define it
accurately. It stepped cautiously into the chamber, and with so little
noise, that had I not actually seen it, I do not think I should
have been aware of its presence. It was arrayed in a kind of woollen
night-dress, and a white handkerchief or cloth was bound tightly about
the head; I had no difficulty spite of the strangeness of the attire
in recognising the blind woman whom I so much dreaded. She stooped
down, bringing her head nearly to the ground, and in that attitude she
remained motionless for some moments, no doubt in order to ascertain
if any suspicious sound were stirring. She was apparently satisfied by
her observations, for she immediately recommenced her silent progress
towards a ponderous mahogany d