AN ANGRY PHANTOM. 251 



demons in the shape of gnats rose from the adjacent pond, 

 and passed across our face. Using our book as a weapon of 

 destruction, we felled a multitude to the earth ; and, in com- 

 pletion of our angry purpose, trampled many of our fallen 

 victims into the dusty ground. Scarcely had we done the 

 deed, when something like a qualm of conscience, arising 

 partly from our penchant for gnats before recorded, partly 

 from the magnifying turn our thoughts had taken, shot 

 through our heart. It passed, however, as rapidly away as 

 the remnant of the insect host, whose enjoyment we had so 

 murderously interrupted; and in a few minutes the drowsy 

 incubus which had so long hovered over our head fairly 

 wrapped us in its leaden wings in short, we fell asleep. 

 Still our waking; fancies followed us. It seemed as though 

 one of the gnats we had just exterminated rose from the 

 ground, and, poised in air on a level with our face, set up a 

 shrill hum, which presently assumed the distinctness of angry 

 high-toned speech. " By what right," cried the little appa- 

 rition, '* didst thou cut short the thread of my joyous life?" 



" Because/' answered we, " as one of creation's lords, we 

 have the privilege of destroying everything that invades our 

 peace." 



" And by what right art thou a lord of creation?" 



" By the right of reason." 



"Reason!" exclaimed the insect ghost; "say rather by 

 right of size. Only let my stature equal thine, and see which 

 would then possess the mastery !" 



As the winged phantom thus addressed us, her tiny form 

 expanded ; her long hairy shanks stretching downwards reached 

 the ground, and upwards waved like spectral arms above our 

 head; her enormous eyes, motionless and prominent, seemed 

 bursting with malignant spleen ; her antlers quivered with 

 rage, and, pointing towards us her blood-extracting weapon, 

 straight and long as the stiletto of an Italian bandit, she 

 seemed about to plunge it in our heart ! We started to our 



