FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82  
83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   >>   >|  
her eyes looked fearfully into the gloom of the outer air, made more opaque by the glimmer of the lamp inside, which she had placed before the picture of the Virgin. 'Is she there?' asked Bridget, hoarsely. 'No! Who? I am alone. You remember me.' 'Yes,' replied she, still terror-stricken. 'But she--that creature--has been looking in upon me through that window all day long. I closed it up with my shawl; and then I saw her feet below the door, as long as it was light, and I knew she heard my very breathing--nay, worse, my very prayers; and I could not pray, for her listening choked the words ere they rose to my lip. Tell me, who is she?--what means that double girl I saw this morning? One had a look of my dead Mary; but the other curdled my blood, and yet it was the same!' She had taken hold of my arm, as if to secure herself some human companionship. She shook all over with the slight, never-ceasing tremor of intense terror. I told her my tale, as I have told it you, sparing none of the details. How Mistress Clarke had informed me that the resemblance had driven Lucy forth from her father's house--how I had disbelieved, until, with mine own eyes, I had seen another Lucy standing behind my Lucy, the same in form and feature, but with the demon-soul looking out of the eyes. I told her all, I say, believing that she--whose curse was working so upon the life of her innocent grandchild--was the only person who could find the remedy and the redemption. When I had done, she sat silent for many minutes. 'You love Mary's child?' she asked. 'I do, in spite of the fearful working of the curse--I love her. Yet I shrink from her ever since that day on the moor-side. And men must shrink from one so accompanied; friends and lovers must stand afar off. Oh, Bridget Fitzgerald! loosen the curse! Set her free!' 'Where is she?' I eagerly caught at the idea that her presence was needed, in order that, by some strange prayer or exorcism, the spell might be reversed. 'I will go and bring her to you,' I exclaimed. But Bridget tightened her hold upon my arm. 'Not so,' said she, in a low, hoarse voice. 'It would kill me to see her again as I saw her this morning. And I must live till I have worked my work. Leave me!' said she, suddenly, and again taking up the cross. 'I defy the demon I have called up. Leave me to wrestle with it!' She stood up, as if in an ecstasy of inspiration, from which all fear was banished. I li
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82  
83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Bridget

 

morning

 

shrink

 

working

 

terror

 
fearful
 

wrestle

 

ecstasy

 

inspiration

 
called

banished

 
fearfully
 

looked

 

innocent

 

believing

 

grandchild

 

silent

 

accompanied

 

minutes

 

person


remedy

 

redemption

 

reversed

 

prayer

 

worked

 

exorcism

 

hoarse

 

exclaimed

 

tightened

 

strange


suddenly

 
Fitzgerald
 

loosen

 

taking

 

lovers

 
presence
 

needed

 

caught

 

feature

 

eagerly


friends

 

breathing

 

opaque

 

prayers

 

listening

 

choked

 
glimmer
 

replied

 

stricken

 

remember