Кармілла
The Meeting
Inthissolitude,havingjustlistenedtosostrangeastory,connected,asitwas,withthegreatandtitleddead,whosemonumentsweremolderingamongthedustandivyroundus,andeveryincidentofwhichboresoawfullyuponmyownmysteriouscase—inthishauntedspot,darkenedbythetoweringfoliagethatroseoneveryside,denseandhighaboveitsnoiselesswalls—ahorrorbegantostealoverme,andmyheartsankasIthoughtthatmyfriendswere,afterall,notabouttoenteranddisturbthistristeandominousscene.
TheoldGeneral’seyeswerefixedontheground,asheleanedwithhishanduponthebasementofashatteredmonument.
Underanarrow,archeddoorway,surmountedbyoneofthosedemoniacalgrotesquesinwhichthecynicalandghastlyfancyofoldGothiccarvingdelights,IsawverygladlythebeautifulfaceandfigureofCarmillaentertheshadowychapel.
Iwasjustabouttoriseandspeak,andnoddedsmiling,inanswertoherpeculiarlyengagingsmile;whenwithacry,theoldmanbymysidecaughtupthewoodman’shatchet,andstartedforward.Onseeinghimabrutalizedchangecameoverherfeatures.Itwasaninstantaneousandhorribletransformation,asshemadeacrouchingstepbackwards.BeforeIcouldutterascream,hestruckatherwithallhisforce,butshedivedunderhisblow,andunscathed,caughthiminhertinygraspbythewrist.Hestruggledforamomenttoreleasehisarm,buthishandopened,theaxefelltotheground,andthegirlwasgone.
Hestaggeredagainstthewall
