What was to prevent my enjoying anhours nap here
Now, Dick, you will hardly believe me, when I assure you, that formany nights after this last experience, I did not go to my room at all. Iused to sit up for a while in the drawing-room after you had gone up toyour bed; and then steal down softly to the hall-door, let myself out, andsit in the Robin Hood tavern until the last guest went off; and then I gotthrough the night like a sentry, pacing the streets till morningFor more than a week I never slept in bed. I sometimes had a snoozeon a form in the Robin Hood, and sometimes a nap in a chair during theday but regular sleep I had absolutely noneI was quite resolved that we should get into another house; but Icould not bring myself to tell you the reason, and I somehow put it offfrom day to day, although my life was, during every hour of this pro-crastination, rendered as miserable as that of a felon with the constableson his track. I was growing absolutely ill from this wretched mode ofOne afternoon I determined to enjoy an hour s sleep upon your bed. Ihated mine; so that I had never, except in a stealthy visit every day to unmake it, lest Martha should discover the secret of my nightly absenceentered the ill-omened chamberAs ill-luck would have it, you had locked your bedroom, and takenaway the key.
I went into my own to unsettle the bedclothes, as usual,and give the bed the appearance of having been slept in. Now, a varietyof circumstances concurred to bring about the dreadful scene throughwhich I was that night to pass. In the first place, I was literally over-powered with fatigue, and longing for sleep; in the next place, the effectof this extreme exhaustion upon my nerves resembled that of a narcoticand rendered me less susceptible than, perhaps, I should in any othercondition have been, of the exciting fears which had become habitual tome. Then again, a little bit of the window was open, a pleasant freshnespervaded the room, and, to crown all, the cheerful sun of day wasmaking the room quite pleasant. What was to prevent my enjoying anhours nap here? The whole air was resonant with the cheerful hum oflife, and the broad matter-of-fact light of dav filled everv corner of theroom
I yielded-stifling my qualms-to the almost overpowering temptation; and merely throwing off my coat, and loosening my cravat, I ladown, limiting myself to half-an-hour's doze in the unwonted enjoymentof a feather bed, a coverlet, and a bolster.It was horribly insidious; and the demon, no doubt, marked myfatuated preparations. Dolt that I was, I fancied, with mind and bodyworm out for want of sleep, and an arrear of a full w'eek's rest to my cred-it, that such measure as hayf-an-hour's sleep, in such a situation, was pos-sible. My sleep was death-like, long, and dreamlesswithout a start or fearful sensation of any kind, i waked gently, butcompletely. It was, as you have good reason to remember, long past mid-night-I believe, about two o clock. When sleep has been deep and longenough to satisfy nature thoroughly, one often wakens in this wav, sud-denly, tranquilly, and completely.There was a figure seated in that lumbering, old sofa-chair, near thefireplace. Its back was rather towards me, but I could not be mistaken; itturned slowly round, and, merciful heavens! there was the stony facewith its infernal lineaments of malignity and despair, gloating on meThere was now no doubt as to its conscioushess ot my y,e ew close toesence and thehellish malice with which it was animated, for it arose, anup, it held stiffly in its han ope about its neck, and the other end,coiledhe bedside There was aMy good angel nerved me for this horrible crisis. I remained for someseconds transfixed by the gaze of this tremendous phantom. He camelose to the bed, and appeared on the point of mounting upon it. Thenext instant I was upon the floor at the far side, and in a moment morewas,I dont know how, upon the lobbyBut the spell was not yet broken; the valley of the shadowwas not yet traversed. The abhorred phantom was before mewas standing near the banisters, stooping a little, and with one enrope round its own neck, was poising a noose at the other, as if to throwover mine; and while engaged in this baleful pantomime, it wore a smileso sensual, so unspeakably dreadful, that my senses were nearly over-powered. I saw and remember nothing more, until I found myself inour room
I had a wonderful escape, Dick-there is no disputing that-anfor which, while I live, I shall bless the mercy of heaven. No one can con-ceive or imagine what it is for flesh and blood to stand in the presence ofsuch a thing but one who has had the terrific experience. Dick, Dick, ashadow has passed over me-a chill has crossed my blood and marrow,and I will never be the same again--never Dick-neverlOur handmaid, a mature girl of two-and-flftv, as i have said, stavedher hand, as Toms story proceeded, and by little and little drew near tous, with open mouth, and her brows contracted over her little, beadyblack eyes, till stealing a glance over her shoulder now and then, she es-tablished herself close behind us. During the relation, she had made vari-ous earmest comments, in an undertone; but these and her ejaculations,for the sake of brevity and simplicity, I have omitted in my narration.It's often I heard tell of it, she now said, but I never believed itrightly till now-though, indeed, why should not I? Does not my moth-er, down there in the lane, know quare stories, God bless us, beyantelling about it? But you ought not to have slept in the back bedroom.She was loath to let me be going in and out of that room even in the dayme, let alone for any Christian to spend the night in it: for sure she sayit was his own bedroomWhose own bedroom?" we asked, in a breathwhy, his-the ould Judge s-Judge Horrocks, to be sure, God rest hissowl and she looked fearfully round.Amen! Muttered. But did he die there?Die there! No, not quite there, she said. Shure, was not it over thebanisters he hung himself, the ould sinner, God be merciful to us all? andwas not it in the alcove they found the handles of the skipping-rope cutoff, and the knife where he was settling the cord, God bless us, to hanghimself with? It was his housekeepers daughter owned the rope, mymother often told me and the child never throte after, and used to bestarting up out of her sleep, and screeching in the night time, widdhrames and frights that cum an her; and they said how it was the speer-it of the ould Judge that was tormentin her; and she used to be roaringand yelling out to hould back the big ould fellow with the crooked neckand then she d screech Oh, the master! the master! he s stampin at meand beckoning to me! Mother, darling, don t let me go. And so the poorcrathure died at last, and the docthers said it was wather on the brainfor it was all they could sayHow long ago was all this?I asked.
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