She was altogether much shaken, she dreamed strange dreams by night,
was capable of little by day, was declared by the children to be
cross, and was much inclined to plead indisposition as an excuse for
not visiting that alarming room in the evening. Indeed for the
greater part of the day she felt as if she must avail herself of
the pretext, and as if she neither could nor would encounter that
strange double creature in the dark; but somehow she had been as
much fascinated as terrified, and, in spite of her resolve, she
found herself mechanically following Jumbo, shuddering all over
and as cold as ice.
The dark chambers were warmed by German stoves, so that the atmosphere
was always equable, and it seemed to revive her, while a kind, warm
hand led her as usual to her seat, and it was the usual gentle,
courteous, paternal tone that addressed her, "How chill and trembling
you are! My poor child, you were sadly alarmed last night."
Aurelia murmured some excuse about being very foolish.
"It was not you who was foolish," was the reply; and though her
hand was retained it was evidently for the sake of warming it,
and comforting her, not of caressing it in the startling mode of
yesterday. There was a pause, during which her composure began
to be restored, and some inquiries whether she were quite recovered;
to which she replied with eager affirmatives, feeling indeed quite
herself again, now that all was in its familiar state around her.
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