Кармілла

           "Well,herfuneralisover,Ihope,andherhymnsung;andourearsshan’tbetorturedwiththatdiscordandjargon.Ithasmademenervous.Sitdownhere,besideme;sitclose;holdmyhand;pressithard-hard-harder."

           Wehadmovedalittleback,andhadcometoanotherseat.

           Shesatdown.Herfaceunderwentachangethatalarmedandeventerrifiedmeforamoment.Itdarkened,andbecamehorriblylivid;herteethandhandswereclenched,andshefrownedandcompressedherlips,whileshestareddownuponthegroundatherfeet,andtrembledalloverwithacontinuedshudderasirrepressibleasague.Allherenergiesseemedstrainedtosuppressafit,withwhichshewasthenbreathlesslytugging;andatlengthalowconvulsivecryofsufferingbrokefromher,andgraduallythehysteriasubsided."There!Thatcomesofstranglingpeoplewithhymns!"shesaidatlast."Holdme,holdmestill.Itispassingaway."

           Andsograduallyitdid;andperhapstodissipatethesomberimpressionwhichthespectaclehadleftuponme,shebecameunusuallyanimatedandchatty;andsowegothome.

           ThiswasthefirsttimeIhadseenherexhibitanydefinablesymptomsofthatdelicacyofhealthwhichhermotherhadspokenof.Itwasthefirsttime,also,Ihadseenherexhibitanythingliketemper.

           Bothpassedawaylikeasummercloud;andneverbutonceafterwardsdidIwitnessonherpartamomentarysignofanger.Iwilltellyouhowithappened.