400 AN APPARITION. 



bency and totter, supported by the arm of Mrs. Dove, to his 

 dormitory and his bed. There we must leave him, and, taking 

 a few steps backward, relate his experiences of that memorable 

 evening, as in substance or in shadow they were imparted 

 next morning in the weakness of recent terror to the eager but 

 anticipative ear of Mrs. Dove. 



He had, as he declared, just entered the library, when 

 the door, as if taken by a draught though wind there was 

 none shut to behind him. The moon was shining brightly 

 through the casement opposite, and threw a long black shadow 

 on the floor from the high antique arm-chair the poet's 

 chair placed then with its back towards him, and fronting 

 the library table, which stood not far from the cold empty fire- 

 place. Caleb proceeded towards the bookcase, that division of 

 it a little to the right of the chair, and just above it, which he 

 knew so accurately to be the precise place of the desired 

 volume. He stood under it his arm was raised towards it; but 

 another arm was stretched forth at the same time, and another 

 hand, pale and shadowy, took down the book before he could 

 lay hold of it. The apparition to which that hand belonged 

 must have risen from the great arm-chair, whose back had 

 screened it on his entrance; and before Caleb had time, if he 

 had dared, to look upon its features, was again reseated, back 

 towards him, book open, at an illustrated page, whereon it was 

 pointing with its thin white finger to the figure of a cockroach. 

 The terrified looker-on saw it clearly for a moment, as in its 



