He stood spell-bound--afraid to move
or breathe--and worshipped the beautiful vision with all his soul
and strength, as if it had been indeed divine--but alas! it faded as
suddenly as it had appeared, and he felt as if the doors of heaven had
been shut upon him. He hastily undressed, and threw himself down in
the place where Isabelle had actually reposed; passionately kissed the
pillow that had been hallowed by the touch of her head, and bedewed it
with his tears. He lay long awake, thinking of the angelic being who
loved him and whom he adored, whilst Beelzebub, rolled up in a ball,
slept at his feet, and snored like the traditional cat of Mahomet, that
lay and slumbered upon the prophet's sleeve.
When morning came, de Sigognac was more impressed than ever with the
dilapidated, crumbling condition of his ancient mansion. Daylight has
no mercy upon old age and ruins; it reveals with cruel distinctness the
wrinkles, gray hairs, poverty, misery, stains, fissures, dust and mould
in which they abound; but more kindly night softens or conceals all
defects, with its friendly shade, spreading over them its mantle of
darkness. The rooms that used to seem so vast to their youthful owner
had shrunken, and looked almost small and insignificant to him now, to
his extreme surprise and mortification; but he soon regained the feeling
of being really at home, and resumed his former way of life completely;
just as one goes back to an old garment, that has for a time been laid
aside, and replaced by a new one.
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