"She saw something, or somebody, through the window, and was
frightened," she said, in a low voice, checking Tom Barksdale and
another gentleman, who would have pressed with the inconsiderate
crowd toward the senseless figure Mr. Aylett had laid upon the sofa.
"Will you see what it was?"
The request cleared the room directly of all the men of the
assembly, with the exception of Winston and Dr. Ritchie, a young
physician, who was superintending the administration of restoratives
to Mrs. Aylett.
She was reviving rapidly when the search party gave in their report.
There were fresh tracks upon the piazza, and these they had traced
to the back of the house, losing them there in the drifting snow,
the wind blowing like a hurricane, and ploughing what had fallen and
what was descending into constantly changing heaps. But the
watch-dogs had been unchained, and four of the negro men detailed as
sentinels, the gentlemen engaging to make the round of the premises
again before bed-time.
The effect of this communication was the reverse of tranquillizing
upon the patient. The wild, terrified look in her eye resembled the
unreasoning fear of lunacy as she seized her husband's arm.
"Indeed, indeed they must not. It is not right or safe to make such
a serious matter of my foolish nervousness. I am not sure there was
any one there! It was probably an optical delusion. I was plunged in
a reverie, thinking of happy, peaceful, lovely things"--with the
sickly feint of a meaning smile into his face--"and, happening to
look at the window, I fancied that I saw"--with all her self-command
her voice failed here, and she put her hand before her eyes for a
moment before she could go on--"I thought I saw--SOMETHING! It may
have been a human face--it may have been the shadow of the curtains,
or the reflection of the lights upon the glass; but it startled me,
appearing so abruptly. Please say no more about it. If it was a
living creature, it must have been one of the servants, tempted by
curiosity to peep at the dancers."
"It will prove to be a costly indulgence to him, if I can discover
who the rascal was," said Mr. Aylett, decisively. "I would not have
had you so startled for the worth of all the lazy hounds on the
premises."
His wife laid her hand upon his.
"It is Christmas night, my love, and the poor fellow is excusable.
He showed excellent taste. It was a very pretty scene. I shall not
soon forgive myself for throwing it into such 'admired disorder.'
Miss Scott"--[to a musical spinster]--"may I tax your politeness so
far as to ask you to take my seat at the piano? I must go to my room
for a few minutes," raising her finger smilingly to her displaced
ivy wreath. "If you would testify your tolerance of my folly, please
go on with your amusement. I shall be encouraged to return when I
hear the music."