She is left alone at the pensionnat in the
vacation, strained by work and anxiety, and tortured by exhaustion,
restlessness, and sleeplessness:--
"One day, perceiving this growing illusion, I said, 'I really
believe my nerves are getting overstretched: my mind has suffered
somewhat too much; a malady is growing upon it--what shall I do?
How shall I keep well?'
"Indeed there was no way to keep well under the circumstances. At
last a day and night of peculiarly agonising depression were
succeeded by physical illness; I took perforce to my bed. About
this time the Indian summer closed, and the equinoctial storms
began; and for nine dark and wet days, of which the hours rushed on
all turbulent, deaf, dishevelled--bewildered with sounding
hurricane--I lay in a strange fever of the nerves and blood. Sleep
went quite away. I used to rise in the night, look round for her,
beseech her earnestly to return. A rattle of the window, a cry of
the blast only replied--Sleep never came!
"I err. She came once, but in anger. Impatient of my importunity
she brought with her an avenging dream.
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