Кармілла

           "Silence,beast!Hehowlssothatyourladyshipscanscarcelyhearaword.Yournoblefriend,theyoungladyatyourright,hasthesharpesttooth—long,thin,pointed,likeanawl,likeaneedle;ha,ha!Withmysharpandlongsight,asIlookup,Ihaveseenitdistinctly;nowifithappenstohurttheyounglady,andIthinkitmust,hereamI,herearemyfile,mypunch,mynippers;Iwillmakeitroundandblunt,ifherladyshippleases;nolongerthetoothofafish,butofabeautifulyoungladyassheis.Hey?Istheyoungladydispleased?HaveIbeentoobold?HaveIoffendedher?"

           Theyounglady,indeed,lookedveryangryasshedrewbackfromthewindow.

           "Howdaresthatmountebankinsultusso?Whereisyourfather?Ishalldemandredressfromhim.Myfatherwouldhavehadthewretchtieduptothepump,andfloggedwithacartwhip,andburnttotheboneswiththecastlebrand!"

           Sheretiredfromthewindowasteportwo,andsatdown,andhadhardlylostsightoftheoffender,whenherwrathsubsidedassuddenlyasithadrisen,andshegraduallyrecoveredherusualtone,andseemedtoforgetthelittlehunchbackandhisfollies.

           Myfatherwasoutofspiritsthatevening.Oncominginhetoldusthattherehadbeenanothercaseverysimilartothetwofataloneswhichhadlatelyoccurred.Thesisterofayoungpeasantonhisestate,onlyamileaway,wasveryill,hadbeen,asshedescribedit,attackedverynearlyinthesameway,andwasnowslowlybutsteadilysinking.

           "Allthis,"saidmyfather,"isstrictlyreferabletonaturalcauses.