Кармілла
A Guest
AtthedrawbridgewemetMadamePerrodonandMademoiselleDeLafontaine,whohadcomeout,withouttheirbonnets,toenjoytheexquisitemoonlight.
Weheardtheirvoicesgabblinginanimateddialogueasweapproached.Wejoinedthematthedrawbridge,andturnedabouttoadmirewiththemthebeautifulscene.
Thegladethroughwhichwehadjustwalkedlaybeforeus.Atourleftthenarrowroadwoundawayunderclumpsoflordlytrees,andwaslosttosightamidthethickeningforest.Attherightthesameroadcrossesthesteepandpicturesquebridge,nearwhichstandsaruinedtowerwhichonceguardedthatpass;andbeyondthebridgeanabrupteminencerises,coveredwithtrees,andshowingintheshadowssomegreyivy-clusteredrocks.
Overtheswardandlowgroundsathinfilmofmistwasstealinglikesmoke,markingthedistanceswithatransparentveil;andhereandtherewecouldseetheriverfaintlyflashinginthemoonlight.
Nosofter,sweeterscenecouldbeimagined.ThenewsIhadjustheardmadeitmelancholy;butnothingcoulddisturbitscharacterofprofoundserenity,andtheenchantedgloryandvaguenessoftheprospect.
Myfather,whoenjoyedthepicturesque,andI,stoodlookinginsilenceovertheexpansebeneathus.Thetwogoodgovernesses,standingalittlewaybehindus,discourseduponthescene,andwereeloquentuponthemoon.
MadamePerrodonwasfat,middle-aged,andromantic,andtalkedandsighedpoetically.
