Красная комната

           AfewIspokealoud,buttheechoeswerenotpleasant. ForthesamereasonIalsoabandoned,afteratime,aconversationwithmyselfupontheimpossibilityofghostsandhaunting. Mymindrevertedtothethreeoldanddistortedpeopledownstairs,andItriedtokeepituponthattopic. 

           Thesombreredsandgraysoftheroomtroubledme;evenwithitssevencandlestheplacewasmerelydim. Thelightinthealcoveflaringinadraft,andthefireflickering,kepttheshadowsandpenumbraperpetuallyshiftingandstirringinanoiselessflightydance. Castingaboutforaremedy,IrecalledthewaxcandlesIhadseeninthecorridor,and,withaslighteffort,carryingacandleandleavingthedooropen,Iwalkedoutintothemoonlight,andpresentlyreturnedwithasmanyasten. TheseIputinthevariousknick-knacksofchinawithwhichtheroomwassparselyadorned,andlitandplacedthemwheretheshadowshadlaindeepest,someonthefloor,someinthewindowrecesses,arrangingandrearrangingthemuntilatlastmyseventeencandlesweresoplacedthatnotaninchoftheroombuthadthedirectlightofatleastoneofthem. ItoccurredtomethatwhentheghostcameIcouldwarnhimnottotripoverthem. Theroomwasnowquitebrightlyilluminated. Therewassomethingverycheeringandreassuringintheselittlesilentstreamingflames,andtonoticetheirsteadydiminutionoflengthofferedmeanoccupationandgavemeareassuringsenseofthepassageoftime. 

           Evenwiththat,however,thebroodingexpectationofthevigilweighedheavilyenoughuponme.