Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1886-10-20
THE BASILISK.
A STORY OFTO-DAY.
CHAPTER v.
AWAKING.

In tho midst of a terrible mental
chaos, state of conscious inability to
comprehend my own personality, l am
brought back to semblance Of sense
by hearing a murmur of many voices.
whispered unrestful words, which irri-
tate my faculties without redeeming
me from the nightmare of lost identi-
ty. Sense slowly seems to permeate a
frame reluctant to revive; but, surely as
the tide gains on the shore, the senses
left void by that earthquake ebb of con-
seriousness are filed by its returning
flow. Gradually the relations Of mind
and body were resumed, but ere the
sharp and anxious whisperings con-
veyed meaning to my mind, strove to
feel the assurance of bodily existence,
and made a feeble effort to raise my
hand. The effort was q failure, but it
helped to restore me. I soon tried
again, and this time was aware of ex-
erting muscular power. raised my
right arm q moment, and dropped it
helplessly. I felt like one partially
paralyzed.
"Hush!'' said voice. HE moves.'
This time the words were plain, and
understood; but where was, or what
had happened, still failed to grasp,
nor did l yet think or care to know.
The idea of reality was like light in
darkness to my returning senses. The
vague horror of smothered person
atty had been so terrible, that instinct
lively I sought to greet the human
brotherhood on finding myself, under
whatever circumstances, restored to it.
again reached forth my hand, this
time more strongly.
''He's coming round" said harsh
voice. Then louder: ''Wait! don't
fetch doctor.'
did not yet attach much meaning
to what l heard. chiefly craved for
some reinsurance. some sign of SYM
pathy. Again I lifted my hand to-
wards the voices of fellow-men.
This time my mute appeal was not
made in vain. A hand took mine with
delicate but comforting clasp. Feeling
that here was something to keep me
safe, even in the nebulous wilderness
of forgetfulness, I gave up the tension
OF struggling to regain my footing
among realities, and slipped contented-
~ into vacuity.
From dreamless slumber awoke
with clearer faculties, l remembered
with no effort the incidents of my
journey from st. Bartimeus's, my ar
rival at the lodge-gates. my progress
to the house, the gathering storm, the
opening door, the voice that had called
to me through the storm, then the crash
that had hurled me into insensibility.
This time there was no painful striving
to resume the powers of life. A feel.
ing of safety and rest pervaded me. I
no longer sought to move-to prove the
existence of bodily powers. I was con-
tent to be.
Time had not yet resumed its signi-
ficance. I had no idea how long I had
been where l was; no notion whether
it were day or night, or what day or
night it was. I did not trouble my
serenity of rest with specializing upon
1t. I might have been in swoon of an
hours duration; might have been
sleeping an enchanted sleep of many
centuries.
The touch of reality was again
supplied by voices. I awoke from an
other spell of slumber to hear the
sound of incisive whispering-th
whispering, which is of all sounds
the most irritating to nerves that long
for quiet, and of all means to escape
hearing the most futile.
HE must be moved from here"
said a mans voice-Mr. Beaufoy's. I
remembered all about him and myself,
as if bad no concern in the matter.
A woman's step came close to me.
He is asleep-sound asleep" said
the voice of Miss Beaufoy.
This struck me as being quite true. I
was still outside all the active concerns
of life.
"There is nothing the matter, :" said
Mr.. Beaufoy, close to me. ''That's q
quiet and wholesome sleep. l was
quite right in not having a doctor in"
HE might be moved now said
Miss Beaufoy. ''There II evidently
nothing the matter"
He ought not to have been brought
in here, said her father in . tone
Of great irritation.
1T was Hardy brought him in. He
ought to have known better"
''Hardy is a fool. He was frightened
out of his wits by the thunder"
1.-The lightning, should think. 1t
was enough to frighteu him."
Nothing was enough to justify him
in d,sobeying orders. And Mary, too
she was in here"
| had the sense to see ANYTHING, she
would never dare think Of it or speak
of it.
''Where is shep''
"She went to her room crying of
course. She won't soon forget what l
said to her."
There was a cruelty in the way this
was said, which reminded me Of the
tone had noticed before in some Of
Miss Beaufoy's remarks to her cousin.
1t brought back associations still more
strongly, and woke me up more
thoroughly. I recalled also the hand
that had been, as it seemed, stretched
out to me in the abyss from the whole.
sale living world Of substance. That
clasp, so full of womanly sympathy
and help, could not have been from the
hand of the mperious creature who
spoke so coldly and so cruelty.
| Mary Fortescue sent away in tears
My coming had brought trouble to hen
| already. I pondered over it with
truthful feelings, while the whispered
conversation between father and
daughter went on UNDECIDED. The note
Of trouble being thus struck. what I
had heard began to gather some shape
and meaning to me. had begun my
new career hero BY causing evident in
convenience. My presence in this par
ticular roomsWas nlanifsstg highly dis.
nlaaain1. II o0cmrad - ma that