The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-02-07

whirl Of excitement, bis veins seem
ed to swell to bursting. his llp'
seemed to force yes" in spite o
BIN, quivering az they came apart
The hiss ofthe seemed in his ears
He changed it into the name
which was spell too, and
cried, "Help me, Cod" not knowing
WHY.
Then there came another pause
be felt as ifne had been dropped from
something that had held him. and
had fallen, and was faint The ex
citement had been more than be
could bear Once more everything
swan around him, and he did not
know where be was. Had be escap
ed altogether was the first waking
wonder of Inconsistencies in bis
mind. But when he could think and
see again, be was still in the same
spot, surrounded by the old curtains
aud the carved panels-but alone
He felt, too, that he was able TO move
but the strangest dull consciousness
was in him throughout all the rest o.
his trial. His body felt to him as q
frightened horse feels TO traveller
at nights thing separate from him,
more frightened than he was-stsrt.
ing aside ct every step, seeing more
than its master. His limbs SHOOK
with fear and weakness, almost re,
tusing to obey the action Of his will
trembling under him with Jerks aside
when be compelled himself to move.
The bair stood upright on his head
every finger trembled as with palsy
his lips, bis eyelids quivered with
nervous agitation. Bat his mind was
strong, stimulated to q desperate
calm. He dragged himself round
the room. be crossed the very spot
where the magician bad been--all
was vacant, siient, clear Had be
vsBquished the enemy ? This thought
can, into bis mind with an involuu.
tsry triumph The old strain of feel
ing came back Such effects might
be produced, perhaps, only by imagi
nation, by excit.ment. by decision
Lindores locked up, by sudden
attraction be could not tell what
and the blood suddenly froze his veins
that had been so boiling aud fermeDt
ing. Some one was looking at bin
from the oil mirror on the wall 4
face not human aud lifelike, like that
of the inbabitsnt Of the place, but
ghostly and terrible, ike one of the
dead and while be looked, crowd
of other faces came behind. all look
ing al him, some mournfully, some
with a menace in their terrible eyes
The mirror did no: change, but with
in small dim space seemed TO con-
tain an innumerable company, crowd
ed above aud below, all with one
gaze at him. His lips dropped apart
with gasp of horror. More and
more and more J He was standing
close oy the table when this crowd
came. Then all at once there was
laid upon him cold hand. He tern
ed close to his side. brushing him
with his robe, holding him fast by
the arm, sat Earl Robert in his great
chair. 4 sbriek came from the young
mans lips. He seemed to hear il
echoing away into unfathomable dis
tance. The cold touch penetrated bis
very soul.
"Do you try spells upon me, Lin
dores ? That is tool Of the past
You shall have sometime to work
with. And are you so sure of whom
you call upon? If there is such one,
why should He helpyou who never
called on Him before ?"
Lindores could not tell if these
words were spoken it was a com.
muaication rapid as the thoughts in
the mind AND he felt as if some.
thing answered that was not at all
himself. He seemed to stand pass
i've and hear the argument, docs
God reckon with q man in trouble,
whether he has ever called on Him
before l call now" (now he felt it
vas himself that said $50, evil
spirit go, dead and cursed go, in
the name of God :"
He felt himself flung violently
agaist the wall \ faint laugh, stiff
aed in the throat, and followed by a
groan, rolled around the room the
old curtains seemed to open
here and there, and flutter as if with
comings and goings Lindores lean
ed with his back against the wall
aud all bis senses restored to him.
He felt blood trickle down his neck.
and ia this contact once more with
the physical, his body, in its madness
of fright. grew manageable For the
first time be felt wholly master Of
Though the magician was
standing in his place, a great, majes-
tic. appalling figure, be aid not shrink;
Liar" be cried, in q voice tba;
rang and echoed as in patural air
'clinging to miserable lii like worm
like a reptile /; promisin all things,
having nothing, but this den, unvisit-
ed by the light of day. Is this your
power-your superiority TO men who
die is it for this seat Y on oppress a
race, and make house Unhappy /
vow, in Gods name, your reign is
over You, and your secret, shall
last no more"
There was no reply. But Liudores
'elt bis terrible ancestor s eyes get
ing once more that me smefic mas
.erv over him which had already al
most overcome his powers He must
his own, or perish. He
had human horror OF turning his
back upon that wstchful adversary !;
o face him seemed the only safety {;
put to face him was TO be conquered.
Slowly, with d pang indescribable. be
ore himself from that gaze ii SEEM
ID to drag his eyes out of,tbeir sockets,
MS heart out of his bosom. Reso-
utely. with the daring Of despera-
ion, he turned round to the spot
where he entered-the spot where
be door was-hearing already in an
icipa;ion the step after him-feeling
be grip that would crush and smoth-
II his exhausted life-but too Gesper-
re to care.