Carmilla

cen

of that night. It was no such transitory terror as a dream leaves behind it. It seemed to deepen by

ory, and I could not bear its being treated as a jest; and at another I thought he might fancy that I had been attacked by the mysterious complaint whic

d the vivacious Mademoiselle Lafontaine. They both perceived that I was out o

t I fancied that Madame

ng, "the long lime tree walk, behind C

bly thought the theme rather inopportun

ate was being repaired, before sunrise, and twice saw t

there are cows to milk in th

to be frightened, and never d

he can see down that walk from her room window," I inter

n rather later th

. I had a dream of something black coming round my bed, and I awoke in a perfect horror, and I really thought, for some seconds, I saw a dark figure near the chimneypiece, but I felt under my pillow for my charm, and the momen

recounted my adventure, at the reci

harm near you?" sh

drawing room, but I shall certainly take it wit

ectually as to lie alone in my room that night. I remember distinctly that I pinned the charm t

ell. My sleep was deligh

and melancholy, which, however, did not

. It was too far away the night before. I am quite sure it was all fancy, except the dreams. I used to think that evil spirits made dreams, but our doctor told me it is

u think the cha

in some drug, and is an antidote

cts only o

these complaints, wandering in the air, begin by trying the nerves, and so infect the brain, but before they can seize upon

te agreed with Carmilla, but I did my best, an

girl. A strange melancholy was stealing over me, a melancholy that I would not have interrupted. Dim thoughts of death began to open, and an idea th

ht be, my soul

I would not consent to tell my pap

doration more frequent. She used to gloat on me with increasing ardor the more my st

rlier symptoms that more than reconciled me to the incapacitating effect of that stage of the malady. This fascination increased for a time, until it reached a cert

agreeable. It was very near the turning po

he current of a river. This was soon accompanied by dreams that seemed interminable, and were so vague that I could never recollect their scenery and persons, or any one c

oducing always the same sensation of indescribable solemnity and fear. Sometimes there came a sensation as if a hand was drawn softly along my cheek and neck. Sometimes it was as if warm lips kissed me, and longer and longer and more lovingly as they reached my thro

ince the commencement of

d grown pale, my eyes were dilated and darkened underneath, and the la

th an obstinacy which now seems to me unaccountable

t. My complaint seemed to be one of the imagination, or the nerves, and, horrible

ire, for I had now been suffering for three weeks, and they were seldom i

mine were extremely alarming. Had I been capable of comprehending my condition, I would have invoked aid and ad

of a dream that led immed

d to hear in the dark, I heard one, sweet and t

ectedly sprang up, and I saw Carmilla, standing, near the foot of my bed, in her

a was being murdered. I remember springing from my bed, and my ne

ooms in alarm; a lamp burned always on the lobby, and

g at Carmilla's door. Our

and an uproar. We shrieked

and furiously. If my father's room had been at that side of the house, we would have called him up at once to our ai

furnished. Recognizing the voices of the servants on the lobby, we sallied out together; and having renewed, as fruitlessly, our summons at Carmi

the room. Everything was undisturbed. It was exactly in the state in