240 Shado wings 



I had complained of these haunters only to be 

 told that I 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. 



