The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 222: what you’re looking at

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

= —_——e ee ee eee 7 hi The | WLAN 7.7 a | | Gl ai his head in the manner desired: for Melmoth’s | gloom a long way off: and this glimmering grads eountenance had suddenly become pale and livid— frenzy was now expressed in his glaring eye-balls —and his whole appearance was that of a maniac about to burst forth into all the terrific violence of a rabid fury. But stifling that sentiment of alarm with which so awful a spectacle for an instant in- spired him, the medical man placed himself in the position most convenient to catch anything that the invalid might murmuringly breathe in his ear. “The darkness was thick and tangible last night,” Melmoth resumed with startling abrupt- ness, “as I rose from my pallet and looked forth from the window. Yes—lI looked forth, despite of that pitchy blackness which filled the air; and my eyes could penetrate the dense atmosphere of night as if my glances were lightnings piercing throagh it. And it seemed as if there were a feeble glimmering that began to appear amidst that 79 ally grew brighter and brighter, until a church- yard, bathed in moonlight, stood out from amidst the utter dariness that still enveloped all besides. It was the scene of cold silvery lustre viewed on the opposite bank of a river of ink—a‘strange pic- tare beheld through the medium of an atmosphere black as pitch! But, Ah! did [ see in that churchyard ?” demanded Melmotii, a strange spasm for a moment convulsing his features, as his fingers tightened with spasmodic violence in their grasp upon the surgeon’s arm. “’Twas myself—my own self—lying asleep by the side of a grave—aye, and near a coffin which had been dragged up from that grave—yes, and nigh also to the loathsome corpse torn forth from that coffin. And then my mind was transfused from myself into that image of myself which lay sleeping in the moon-lit churchyard: in other words, it seemed as if I lost my own identity as I stood at the window of this CONMUCIIOW