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Istaggeredback,turned,andwaseitherstruckorstruckmyselfagainstsomeotherbulkyfurnishing. Ihaveavaguememoryofbatteringmyselfthustoandfrointhedarkness,ofaheavyblowatlastuponmyforehead,ofahorriblesensationoffallingthatlastedanage,ofmylastfranticefforttokeepmyfooting,andthenIremembernomore.
Iopenedmyeyesindaylight. Myheadwasroughlybandaged,andthemanwiththewitheredhandwaswatchingmyface. Ilookedaboutmetryingtorememberwhathadhappened,andforaspaceIcouldnotrecollect. Irolledmyeyesintothecornerandsawtheoldwoman,nolongerabstracted,nolongerterrible,pouringoutsomedropsofmedicinefromalittlebluephialintoaglass. “WhereamI?"Isaid. “Iseemtorememberyou,andyetIcannotrememberwhoyouare."
Theytoldmethen,andIheardofthehauntedRedRoomasonewhohearsatale. “Wefoundyouatdawn,"saidhe,“andtherewasbloodonyourforeheadandlips."
IwonderedthatIhadeverdislikedhim. Thethreeoftheminthedaylightseemedcommonplaceoldfolkenough. Themanwiththegreenshadehadhisheadbentasonewhosleeps.
ItwasveryslowlyIrecoveredthememoryofmyexperience. “Youbelievenow,"saidtheoldmanwiththewitheredhand,“thattheroomishaunted?" Hespokenolongerasonewhogreetsanintruder,butasonewhocondoleswithafriend.
“Yes,"saidI,“theroomishaunted."
“Andyouhaveseenit. Andwewhohavebeenhereallourliveshaveneverseteyesuponit. Becausewehaveneverdared. Tellus,isittrulytheoldearlwho—"
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