busy trying to incarcerate a stray tress which had escaped from its
net； and made her olive shoulders look white beside it。
〃Let it alone；〃 said Hugh； 〃let it be beautiful。〃
But she gently repelled the hand he raised to hers； and； though she
was forced to put down her candle first； persisted in confining the
refractory tress； then seated herself at the table； and taking from
her pocket the manuscript which Hugh had been criticising in the
morning； unfolded it； and showed him all the passages he had
objected to； neatly corrected or altered。 It was wonderfully done
for the time she had had。 He went over it all with her again；
seated close to her； their faces almost meeting as they followed the
lines。 They had just finished it； and were about to commence
reading from the original； when Hugh； who missed a sheet of Euphra's
translation； stooped under the table to look for it。 A few moments
were spent in the search； before he discovered that Euphra's foot
was upon it。 He begged her to move a little； but received no reply
either by word or act。 Looking up in some alarm； he saw that she
was either asleep or in a faint。 By an impulse inexplicable to
himself at the time； he went at once to the windows； and drew down
the green blinds。 When he turned towards her again； she was
reviving or awaking； he could not tell which。
〃How stupid of me to go to sleep！〃 she said。 〃Let us go on with our
reading。〃
They had read for about half an hour； when three taps upon one of
the windows； slight； but peculiar； and as if given with the point of
a finger； suddenly startled them。 Hugh turned at once towards the
windows； but； of course； he could see nothing； having just lowered
the blinds。 He turned again towards Euphra。 She had a strange wild
look； her lips were slightly parted； and her nostrils wide； her face
was rigid； and glimmering pale as death from the cloud of her black
hair。
〃What was it？〃 said Hugh； affected by her fear with the horror of
the unknown。 But she made no answer； and continued staring towards
one of the windows。 He rose and was about to advance to it； when
she caught him by the hand with a grasp of which hers would have
been incapable except under the influence of terror。 At that moment
a clock in the room began to strike。 It was a slow clock； and went
on deliberately； striking one。。。two。。。three。。。till it had struck
twelve。 Every stroke was a blow from the hammer of fear； and his
heart was the bell。 He could not breathe for dread so long as the
awful clock was striking。 When it had ended； they looked at each
other again； and Hugh breathed once。
〃Euphra！〃 he sighed。
But she made no answer； she turned her eyes again to one of the
windows。 They were both standing。 He sought to draw her to him；
but she yielded no more than a marble statue。
〃I crossed the Ghost's Walk to…night；〃 said he； in a hard whisper；
scarcely knowing that he uttered it； till he heard his own words。
They seemed to fall upon his ear as if spoken by some one outside
the room。 She looked at him once more； and kept looking with a
fixed stare。 Gradually her face became less rigid； and her eyes
less wild。 She could move at last。
〃Come； come；〃 she said； in a hurried whisper。 〃Let us gono； no；
not that way；〃as Hugh would have led her towards the private
stair〃let us go the front way； by the oak staircase。〃
They went up together。 When they reached the door of her room； she
said； 〃Good night；〃 without even looking at him； and passed in。
Hugh went on； in a state of utter bewilderment； to his own
apartment； shut the door and locked ita thing he had never done
before； lighted both the candles on his table； and then walked up
and down the room； trying； like one aware that he is dreaming； to
come to his real self。
〃Pshaw！〃 he said at last。 〃It was only a little bird； or a large
moth。 How odd it is that darkness can make a fool of one！ I am
ashamed of myself。 I wish I had gone out at the window； if only to
show Euphra I was not afraid； though of course there was nothing to
be seen。〃
As he said this in his mind；he could not have spoken it aloud； for
fear of hearing his own voice in the solitude；he went to one of
the windows of his sitting…room； which was nearly over the library；
and looked into the wood。Could it be？Yes。He did see something
white； gliding through the wood； away in the direction of the
Ghost's Walk。 It vanished； and he saw it no more。
The morning was far advanced before he could go to bed。 When the
first light of the aurora broke the sky； he looked out again；and
the first glimmerings of the morning in the wood were more dreadful
than the deepest darkness of the past night。 Possessed by a new
horror； he thought how awful it would be to see a belated ghost；
hurrying away in helpless haste。 The spectre would be yet more
terrible in the grey light of the coming day； and the azure breezes
of the morning； which to it would be like a new and more fearful
death； than amidst its own homely sepulchral darkness； while the
silence all aroundsilence in lightcould befit only that dread
season of loneliness when men are lost in sleep； and ghosts； if they
walk at all； walk in dismay。
But at length fear yielded to sleep； though still he troubled her
short reign。
When he awoke； he found it so late； that it was all he could do to
get down in time for breakfast。 But so anxious was he not to be
later than usual； that he was in the room before Mr。 Arnold made his
appearance。 Euphra； however； was there before him。 She greeted him
in the usual way； quite circumspectly。 But she looked troubled。
Her face was very pale； and her eyes were red； as if from
sleeplessness or weeping。 When her uncle entered； she addressed him
with more gaiety than usual； and he did not perceive that anything
was amiss with her。 But the whole of that day she walked as in a
reverie； avoiding Hugh two or three times that they chanced to meet
without a third person in the neighbourhood。 Once in the
forenoonwhen she was generally to be found in her roomhe could
not refrain from trying to see her。 The change and the mystery were
insupportable to him。 But when he tapped at her door； no answer
came； and he walked back to Harry； feeling； as if； by an unknown
door in his own soul； he had been shut out of the half of his being。
Or rathera wall seemed to have been built right before his eyes；
which still was there wherever he went。
As to the gliding phantom of the previous night； the day denied it
all； telling him it was but the coinage of his own over…wrought
brain； weakened by prolonged tension of the intellect； and excited
by the presence of Euphra at an hour claimed by phantoms when not
yielded to sleep。 This was the easiest and most natural way of
disposing of the difficulty。 The cloud around Euphra hid the ghost
in its skirts。
Although fear in some measure returned with the returning shadows；
he yet resolved to try to get Euphra to meet him again in the
library that night。 But she never gave him a chance of even
dropping a hint to that purpose。 She had not gone out with them in
the morning； and when he followed her into the drawing…room； she was
already at the piano。 He thought he might convey his wish without
interrupting the music； but as often as he approached her； she
broke； or rather glided； out into song； as if she had been singing
in an undertone all the while。 He could not help seeing she did not
intend to let him speak to her。 But； all the time； whatever she
sang was something she knew he liked； and as often as she spoke to
him in the hearing of her uncle or cousin； it was in a manner
peculiarly graceful and simple。
He could not understand her； and was more bewitched； more fascinated
than ever； by seeing her through the folds of the incomprehensible；
in which element she had wrapped herself from his nearer vision。
She had always seemed above himnow she seemed miles away as well；
a region of Paradise； into which he was forbidden to enter。
Everything about her； to her handkerchief and her gloves； was
haunted by a vague mystery of worshipfulness； and drew him towards
it with wonder and trembling。 When they parted for the night； she
shook hands with him with a cool frankness； that put him nearly
beside himself with despair； and when he found himself in his own
room； it was some time before he could collect his thoughts。 Having
succeeded； however； he resolved； in spite of growing fears； to go to
the library； and see whether it were not possible she might be
there。 He took up a candle； and went down the back stair。 But when
he opened the library door； a gust of wind blew his candle out； all
was darkness within； a sudden horror seized him； and； afraid of
yielding to the inclination to bound up the stair； lest he should go
wild with the terror of pursuit； he crept slowly back； feeling his
way to his own room with a determined deliberateness。Could the
library window have been left open？ Else whence the gust of wind？
Next day； and the next； and the next； he fared no better： her
behaviour continued the same； and she allowed him no opportunity of
requesting an explanation。
CHAPTER XII。
A SUNDAY。