Прокляття мумії, або Камінь Семи Зірок

           Atsuchmomentsshewouldhavefullpossessionofobservationandmemory.Shewouldknowandrememberallthatwasgoingon,andhadgoneonaroundher;buthercomingbacktoheroldselfhadtomesomethingthesensationofanewpersoncomingintotheroom.UptothetimeofleavingLondonIhadbeencontentwhenevershewaspresent.Ihadovermethatdelicioussenseofsecuritywhichcomeswiththeconsciousnessthatloveismutual.Butnowdoubthadtakenitsplace.IneverknewwhetherthepersonalitypresentwasmyMargaret—theoldMargaretwhomIhadlovedatthefirstglance—ortheothernewMargaret,whomIhardlyunderstood,andwhoseintellectualaloofnessmadeanimpalpablebarrierbetweenus.Sometimesshewouldbecome,asitwere,awakeallatonce.Atsuchtimes,thoughshewouldsaytomesweetandpleasantthingswhichshehadoftensaidbefore,shewouldseemmostunlikeherself.Itwasalmostasifshewasspeakingparrot-likeoratdictationofonewhocouldreadwordsoracts,butnotthoughts.Afteroneortwoexperiencesofthiskind,myowndoubtingbegantomakeabarrier;forIcouldnotspeakwiththeeaseandfreedomwhichwereusualtome.Andsohourbyhourwedriftedapart.WereitnotforthefewoddmomentswhentheoldMargaretwasbackwithmefullofhercharmIdonotknowwhatwouldhavehappened.Asitwas,eachsuchmomentgavemeafreshstartandkeptmylovefromchanging.

           Iwouldhavegiventheworldforaconfidant;butthiswasimpossible.