240 Shadowings 



I had complained of these haunters only to be 

 told that 1 must never speak of them, and that 

 they did not exist. I had complained to every- 

 body in the house ; and everybody in the house 

 had told me the very same thing. But there was 

 the evidence of my eyes! The denial of that 

 evidence I could explain only in two ways : - 

 Either the shapes were afraid of big people, and 

 showed themselves to me alone, because I was 

 little and weak ; or else the entire household had 

 agreed, for some ghastly reason, to say what was 

 not true. This latter theory seemed to me the 

 more probable one, because I had several times 

 perceived the shapes when I was not unattended ; 

 and the consequent appearance of secrecy 

 frightened me scarcely less than the visions did. 

 Why was I forbidden to talk about what I 

 saw, and even heard, on creaking stairways, 

 behind wavering curtains ? 



" Nothing will hurt you," this was the mer- 

 ciless answer to all my pleadings not to be left 

 alone at night. But the haunters did hurt me. 

 Only they would wait until after I had fallen 

 asleep, and so into their power, for they pos- 

 sessed occult means of preventing me from rising 

 or moving or crying out. 



