Her
hand pressed against her heart felt no movement there. Her father,
noticing the change in her, exclaimed, "Bertaud is quite right, you
are sometimes abnormally pale; do you feel ill?"
"No, father, it is nothing; I felt dizzy for a moment."
"All the same we must hurry Bertaud with his examination."
Back in her own room the young girl began to weep. "I shall never
escape that man, never, never."
Her eyes invoked the Virgin of ivory. Her two arms extended, implored
her, but it seemed to Esperance that they were opened also to whatever
discouragement Destiny might have in store. She fell asleep in her
chair, worn out by self-hypnosis on the holy image.
A horrible nightmare unfolded in her brain. She found herself on a
great map of the world, with a voice calling to her, "Why are you
frozen there, why don't you move? You are free as the air of this
great globe." Then she began to walk, but at once she saw the earth
open and long tentacles, like arms, emerge to clutch her. She recoiled
quickly and started in another direction but the same phenomenon
occurred again. After that she determined to climb on to a great plain
that she saw ahead. She thought she was safe when all at once she saw
arising on every side the frightful tentacles which crept along her
hiding-place, viscous and black, nearer, near enough to touch her. An
indescribable terror brought her to her feet with a cry for help!
Mile.
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