Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 152: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

a ta a amram eterna cama Saati ea JOSEPH WILMOT ; cither convince me that it was a vision ora reality. But I sank back with a sensation of utter weak- ness, as if just recovering from a long, a severe, and an exhausting iliness. I experienced, too, such a racking pain in the head, that I mechani- cally raised my hand to my brow—and found that it was bandaged. As I passed my hand over that bandage, the movement was accompanied by suddenly-excited sharp stinging pains on either temple; so that the idea at once struck me that I had been leeched. I shuddered coldly from head to foot, while a horrible consternation seized upon my mind. Was it all true? had I indeed fallen down in a swoon by the side of the couch whereon reposed the dead Annabel? and had that incident been followed by a severe illness—perhaps an ill- ness which, for aught I knew to the contrary, might have already lasted several days, and not merely several hours? And then too arose in my memory the prophetic vision in Charlton Church: thoughts of awful solemnity gradually crept into my mind—a superstitious terror, which was not however all a terror; because, if the spirit of Annabel had suddenly glided up to my bedside, I felt that I should not have been afraid ! I lay for some minutes in a state of mind which cannot be easily explained. How I wished that some one would enter, that I might put the ques- tions for which I so yearned to receive answers. How long had I been ill >—had only hours elapsed, or had days passed, since I beheld the inanimate form of Annabel stretched like a beauteous marble statue in that couch of death, her lovely head re- posing in stillness upon the golden masses of her luxuriant hair? Again I strove to rise—but I could not: it seemed as if all my physical energies had been crushed out of me: I was thoroughly powerless, prostrate—as incapable of following my volition as the infant child. Gradually — doubtless through exhaustion—a drowsiness stole over me: the objects in the cham- ber grew fancifully dim—till at length they faded from my view,—while the mist of sleep deepened around me. Then methought I heard the door gently opening ; and that old nurse whom [I had seen in the chamber of death, stole slowly round the bed towards me. But she was immediately followed by another figure—a slender and youthful shape, habited in deep mourning. But, Oh! it seemed as if wild and ecstatic fancies suddenly sprang into existence in my brain, as I beheld the hair which crowned the head of that young crea- ture. It was of the same precious golden hue as that of Annabel: but instead of showering down in myriads of shining curls on her neck and shoulders, it was gathered up in rich massive bands and fas- tened with black ribbons. I did not immediately catch a glimpse of the countenance: but soon I did, as it was bent upon me. And then—Oh, wilder thoughts !—Oh, vision more ecstatic still !— it seemed to me the countenance of Annabel. Yes, her countenance—but pale—indeed colourless—all save the vermilion lips, which had their bright vital colouring. Was it a spirit from the other world which I thus beheld? Ah! how touchingly mournful—how full of a sweet pathetic interest and of an angelic sympathy—was the expression of that face, as the soft mournful azure eyes were fixed upon mine! [ longed to stretch out my arms. towards that beauteous vision: but it sud- OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT, 139 denly disappeared from my view—and it seemed as if the darkest, blackest night fell upon my eyes, When I again woke, a rushlight was burning on the chest of drawers in my little chamber; and I perceived a medicine-bottle standing near it. I raised my hand to my forehead to steady my thoughts: it was merely a mechanical movement— but it made me aware that the bandage was gone. I felt my temples ; and the evidences of leech-bites were there. Then, I had indeed been very ill :— perhaps I had raved in delirium? perhaps I had passed through the ordeal of a dangerous fever P I now felt convinced that whole days, and not merely hours, must have elapsed since I sank down senseless by the side of the couch whereon I beheld the dead one. Oh! if days had thus passed by, she was perhaps already in the cold grave—at least in the narrow coffin ; and never more could it be given to me to look again upon the counte- nance of her whom I had loved so tenderly and so well! The tears streamed from my eyes—my heart was convulsed with bitterest sobs—and I mur- mured continuously for some minutes the name of Annabel. I lay awake for more than three hours. I heard the church-clock strike one—then two. IL beheld the glimmering of the midsummer dawn eome tremulously in at the window and make the rushlight grow pale. The clock struck three; and then again did a drowsiness come upon me, and sleep revisited my eyes. How long I slept I know not: but after awhile methought that I had an- other singular dream. It appeared to me as if it was now altogether light in the chamber—that the door opened—that the old nurse came cautiously in—and that she was followed by the same figure clad in deep mourning, that I had before beheld and that bore the likeness of Annabel. Methought that in a species of holy and serene rapture did my eyes follow this angelic being as she approached the couch ; and that her looks were again bent upon me with the mournfulest, holiest sympathy. It seemed also that I studied her attentively, and that the similitude she bore to Annabel was per- fect. There was the same exquisite symmetry of the figure, with the developed charms of sweet seventeen—the same classic profile of the counte- nance—the same clear azure of the large and mournful-looking eyes—and there too the same glory of the rich golden hair, And the transparent fairness of the skin was set off even dazzlingly by the sable garments:—every feature, every linea- ment, every graceful contour, every elegant attri- bute,—all these-vere the characteristics of Anna- bel. But what meant the singularity of this dream? Wherefore a second time should I fancy that she thus followed that old nurse into the room P—and this nurse, too, an ugly creature whose wrinkled countenance and hatchet features seemed positively repulsive when viewed by the side of Annabel’s exquisite loveliness. Again did the vision fade from my view; but after a short interval I awoke completely, and found myself alone. The church clock was striking eight in the | morning. I looked towards the drawers: the yushlight was gone—the medicine bottle was re- moved from the table—and its contents had diminished ; for I well recollected up to what mark they were when I had first noticed that bottle in a ElO@QO) SS (Cf) im