Кармілла
The Woodman
One,notunpleasant,butverypeculiar,shesaid,resembledtheflowofanicystreamagainstherbreast.Atalatertime,shefeltsomethinglikeapairoflargeneedlespierceher,alittlebelowthethroat,withaverysharppain.Afewnightsafter,followedagradualandconvulsivesenseofstrangulation;thencameunconsciousness."
IcouldheardistinctlyeverywordthekindoldGeneralwassaying,becausebythistimeweweredrivingupontheshortgrassthatspreadsoneithersideoftheroadasyouapproachtherooflessvillagewhichhadnotshownthesmokeofachimneyformorethanhalfacentury.
YoumayguesshowstrangelyIfeltasIheardmyownsymptomssoexactlydescribedinthosewhichhadbeenexperiencedbythepoorgirlwho,butforthecatastrophewhichfollowed,wouldhavebeenatthatmomentavisitoratmyfather’schateau.Youmaysuppose,also,howIfeltasIheardhimdetailhabitsandmysteriouspeculiaritieswhichwere,infact,thoseofourbeautifulguest,Carmilla!
Avistaopenedintheforest;wewereonasuddenunderthechimneysandgablesoftheruinedvillage,andthetowersandbattlementsofthedismantledcastle,roundwhichgigantictreesaregrouped,overhungusfromaslighteminence.
InafrighteneddreamIgotdownfromthecarriage,andinsilence,forwehadeachabundantmatterforthinking;wesoonmountedtheascent,andwereamongthespaciouschambers,windingstairs,anddarkcorridorsofthecastle.
