Лігейя

           Ilistenedinanagonyofsuperstitiousterror—buttherewasnorepetitionofthesound. Istrainedmyvisiontodetectanymotioninthecorpse—buttherewasnottheslightestperceptible. YetIcouldnothavebeendeceived. Ihadheardthenoise,howeverfaint,andmysoulwasawakenedwithinme. Iresolutelyandperseveringlykeptmyattentionriveteduponthebody. Manyminuteselapsedbeforeanycircumstanceoccurredtendingtothrowlightuponthemystery. Atlengthitbecameevidentthataslight,averyfeeble,andbarelynoticeabletingeofcolorhadflushedupwithinthecheeks,andalongthesunkensmallveinsoftheeyelids. Throughaspeciesofunutterablehorrorandawe,forwhichthelanguageofmortalityhasnosufficientlyenergeticexpression,Ifeltmyheartceasetobeat,mylimbsgrowrigidwhereIsat. Yetasenseofdutyfinallyoperatedtorestoremyself-possession. Icouldnolongerdoubtthatwehadbeenprecipitateinourpreparations—thatRowenastilllived. Itwasnecessarythatsomeimmediateexertionbemade; yetturretwasaltogetherapartfromtheportionoftheabbeytenantedbytheservants—therewerenonewithincall—Ihadnomeansofsummoningthemtomyaidwithoutleavingtheroomformanyminutes—andthisIcouldnotventuretodo. Ithereforestruggledaloneinmyendeavorstocallbackthespiritillhovering. Inashortperioditwascertain,however,thatarelapsehadtakenplace; thecolordisappearedfrombotheyelidandcheek,leavingawannessevenmorethanthatofmarble; thelipsbecamedoublyshrivelledandpinchedupintheghastlyexpressionofdeath; arepulsiveclamminessandcoldnessoverspreadrapidlythesurfaceofthebody; andalltheusualrigorousillnessimmediatelysupervened.