I stood petrified with
astonishment, and gazed into the mirror; and then I saw that my own
reflection was changed, too; that, in place of my own figure, was that
of an elderly Chinaman, who stood regarding me with stony calm.
"I must have stood for near upon a minute, unable to move and scarce
able to breathe, face to face with that awful figure. At length I turned
to escape, and, as I turned, he turned also, and I could see him, over
my shoulder, hurrying away. As I reached the door, I halted for a
moment, looking back with the door in my hand, holding the candle above
my head; and even so _he_ halted, looking back at me, with his hand upon
the door and his lantern held above his head.
"I was so much upset that I could not go to bed for some hours, but
continued to pace the room, in spite of my fatigue. Now and again I was
impelled, irresistibly, to peer into the cupboard, but nothing was to be
seen in the mirror save my own figure, candle in hand, peeping in at me
through the half-open door. And each time that I looked into my own
white, horror-stricken face, I shut the door hastily and turned away
with a shudder; for the pegs, with the clothes hanging on them, seemed
to call to me.
Pages:
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276