In vain I contemplated the bed, comfortable enough
now in its appearance that the stifling curtains were withdrawn; no
temptation to invade it came to arouse me from the chair into which I
had thrown myself. It was as if I felt myself under the spell of some
invisible influence that like the eye of a basilisk, held me
enchained. I remember turning my head towards a certain quarter of
the wall as if I half expected to encounter there the bewildering
glance of a serpent. Yet far from being apprehensive of any danger, I
only wondered over the weakness of mind that made such fancies
possible.
"An extra loud swirl of the foliage without, accompanied by a quick
vibration of the house, aroused me at last. If I was to lose the
sense of this furious storm careering over my head, I must court
sleep at once. Rising, I drew off my coat, unloosened my vest and was
about to throw it off, when I bethought me of a certain wallet it
contained. Going to the door in some unconscious impulse of precaution
I suppose, I locked myself in, and then drawing out my wallet, took
from it a roll of bills which I put into a small side pocket,
returning the wallet to its old place.
"Why I did this I can scarcely say. As I have before intimated, I was
under no special apprehension.
Pages:
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136