Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-03-07


fectlv polite but strangely cold.
Eyes" I replied, they are quite
well, thank you"
you can come down stairs when you
are ready" she continued, as she stood
before the glass, giving the last touches
to her toilet. 'sDinner will be on the
table in about twenty minutes. | had
better 90 down-they will be waiting
for me-" saying which she left the room.
4 curious woman, | thought, when
she was gone; and, altogether, | did not
care much about her-perhaps, also, [
was little sorry that, against the wishes
of nv parents, | had come to The Will
lows at all When | came into the
drawing room found party Of about
dozen people assembled there. There
were, besides my aunt and an elderly
German lady, who was a relative Of her
late husband, the clergyman of the par
ish with his wife aud two daughters, DR..
Barrister, the local physician-a tall,
good looking young man of about six or
seven and twenty; the Squire, and three
or four others who, like myself, were
staving on visit at the house. Dinner
passed very pleasantly. We had music
and dance when the gentlemen came
upstairs. Altogether [ enjoyed myself
very much, and 1t was past midnight
when we rose from the supper table.
One thing [ did notice almost uncOn-
sciously during the evening, and this
was a strange, absent, and at the same
time searching, expression which some
times came upon Aunt Judiths face. 1t
was as though she were looking at Or for
something that was invisible to every
body else.
Well! when supper was over, and these
of the guests who were leaving the house
had taken their departure, I went with
Aunt Judith to her bedroom, ''to see"
she said, "whether Sophia had got my
room ready yet"
Sophia was waiting for US when we
entered the room, and my aunt and she
Immediately began to talk in German.
What they were saying could not tell,
as did not understand the
language; but, somehow, from their
manner or the tone of their
voices, it seemed to me as if they were
discussing something which they did not
want me to know about. At last my
aunt said to me in English:
"My dear, | am sorry the room had
intended for you is not ready yet. 1t
will be ready tomorrow, but for tonight
you must sleep in another room"
Here Sophia said something in Ger
man, and, after a moments pause, Aunt
Judith said, as if in answer
''The Blue Room. Yes, my dear"
she continued, speaking to me, cit is an
old fashioned room, but very comfort
able. Sophia will show you to it. Good
night, DEAR
before came over her fece as I left the
room with Sophia, who walked before
me with a candle.
We went up flight of stairs that led
to part of the building which seemed to
be but little used. At the top of these
stairs there was long narrow passage,
the walls of which were lined with oak
panels. When we got to the end of this
passage we turned to the right and went
few yards down another and similar
passage, until the servant opened a door
that led into a spacious bedchamber.
Having put the candle on the mantel-
piece, and laid my travelling bag which
she carried with her on the floor, she
looked cursorily round the room, and
then, when she had hidden me good
night, went out and shut the door. I
felt very nervous as I looked about the
apartment, which seemed to be in an un-
inhabited part of the large house, and
was furnished, I thought, in an antique
and rather gruesome manner. The lofty
walls, paneled as they were with wood
painted blue, contrasted strangely with
the heavy silk window curtains, which
were of dark red color, and with some
old portraits in oil that hung in massive
oak and ebony frames. The chairs and
tables were all cumbrous and old
fashioned, and, as to the bed, it almost
frightened me to think of sleeping in it,
so vast and gloomy did 1t look with it's
huge canopy and somber curtains.
1t is not easy to go to sleep at once
during the first night of ones stay in a
strange house, especially if anything has
happened to make the mind uneasy and
suspicious. For long time lay awake
wondering at the curious look had seen
on Aunt Judith's face, and shivering,
now and again, as I thought how far
away [ was from the rest of the house
hold. If [ were to be taken suddenly i'll,
or ii anything were to happen to me dur
ing the night, what could I do? There
was a bellrope in the room, but I had
forgotten to ask Sophia whether it COM
with a bell, and, if SO, whether
there was any one to answer my ring.