Now take down our brave young lover, give him of the port wine, and let him lie down for a while. He must then go home and rest, sleep much and eat much, that he may be resusciated of what he has given to his love. He must not stay here.
All this weakness comes to me in sleep; until I dread the very thought.
No trifling with me! I never jest! There is grim purpose in all I do; and I warn you that you do thwart me. Take care, for the sake of others if not for your own.
I have been so miserably weak, that to be able to think and move about is like feeling sunshine after a long spell of east wind out of a steel sky.
My dear, my dear, your ears must tingle as you sleep, as mine do waking.
For a man who was never in the country, and who did not evidently do much in the way of business, his knowledge and acumen were wonderful.
As I raised the blind, the morning sunlight flooded the room, I heard the professor’s low hiss of inspiration, and knowing its rarity, a deadly fear shot through my heart.
All our work is undone; we must begin again. There is no young Arthur here now; I have to call on your yourself this time, friend John.
Let me advise you, my dear young friend-nay, let me warn you with all seriousness, that should you leave these rooms you will not by any chance to sleep in any other part of the castle. It is old, and has many memories, and there are bad dreams for those who sleep unwisely. Be warned! Should sleep now or ever overcome you, or be like to do, then haste to your own chamber or to these rooms, for your rest will then be safe.
When I saw the count’s head coming out from the window, I did not see the face, but I knew the mean by the neck and the movement of his back and arms. In any case, I could not mistake the hands which I had had so many opportunities of studying.
I have had a great shock, and when I try to think of what it is I feel my head spin round, and I do not know if it was all real or the dreaming of a madman.
The secret is here, and I do not want to know it.
I wish you could be coming home soon enough to stay with us here. This strong air would soon restore Jonathan; it has quite restored me.
He has now so far quieted that there are spells of cessation from his passion.
While I live on here there is but one thing to hope for: that I may not go mad, if indeed, I be not mad already. If I be sane, then surely it is maddening to think that of all the foul things that lurk in this hateful place the count is the least dreadful to me; that to him alone I can look for safety, even though this be only whilst I serve his purpose.
It was soothing, somehow, to the feelings to find myself disassociated even in the mind of this poor madman from the others; but all the same I do not follow his thought. Am I to take it that I have anything in common with him, so that we are, as it were, to stand together, or has he to gain from me some good so stupendous that my well-being is needful to him?
The count’s mysterious warning frightened me at the time, it frightens me more now when I think of it, for in future he has a fearful hold upon me. I shall fear to doubt what he may say!
I seemed somehow to know her face, and to know it in connection with some dreamy fear, but I could not recollect at the moment how or where.
There was something about them that made me uneasy, some longing and at the same time some deadly fear.
You are first, and we shall follow; yours is the right to begin.