In one of these suggestive, or rather reflected, visions, I saw Evelyn
groping through darkness to the side-gate which gave into the grounds of
Mr. Bainrothe from our own, made years before by my father's permission
for the convenience of his friend; the night was a dark and stormy one,
yet she went forth alone, or seemed to, in my vision, to seek a man she
detested, and with him connive the destruction of the fortunes of the
child of her benefactress, whose confidence she abused.
Then I saw them returning together, through that pantry-door which she
had left unbolted, though locked when she went out by another egress,
and which the man, who returned with her, readily unlocked with the
duplicate key he carried, _not_ by my father's permission. This last I
knew.
Now the scene was changed to the dining-room. Again I saw the mirror
swing back on its invisible and noiseless hinges, and now the glare of a
shaded lamp fell in bands of light across its surface. But I was inside
this time, by the glamour of my dream, and I saw them emptying the open
chest painfully, laboriously, stealthily; stopping now and then to
listen, to breathe, again working silently, industriously, at their
vocation of theft and crime!
At last all seemed accomplished. A large, covered basket was partially
loaded with the contents--heavy as lead--and, between them, they bore it
out into the storm and darkness again, and I heard the sound of the
spade and mattock at work on the graveled road.
Pages:
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218