mething 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 lamplight, 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 riveted 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
dressing-table of my husband's. When she had reached it, she paused
again, and appeared to listen attentively for some minutes; she then
noiselessly opened one of the drawers, from which, having gro