On first being moved, Sybil sighed once and turned over and then she
fell into a still deeper sleep, from which she did not again awake even
when they bore her into the dreadful Haunted Chapel, and laid her down,
still on the mattress, in the old place, to the right of the altar.
"Poor child! She was so tired, so worn out in body and mind, that she
could scarcely sit her horse. Yet she never once complained, nor should
I have even surmised the extent of her prostration, were it not for this
coma-like sleep. She will not wake now. We may safely leave her alone
while we go back and bring our saddle horses here, for we must bring
them in order to hide them to-day and use them to-night. And you, Joe,
after you have helped me to bring the horses through the thicket, must
go to Blackville and buy food and bring it to us to-night before we
resume our journey."
"Yes, sir; and meantimes, there is some crackers and cheese and
sweetmeats, and likewise a bottle of port wine, in the cart, as you left
in the chapel when you went away."
"Oh, indeed! that will be a godsend, Joe! We must bring that back to the
chapel with us when we come," said Mr. Berners, as with his servant he
bent his steps back to the thicket path.
Sybil, left alone in the interior of the haunted chapel, slept on
soundly for some little time. She had not really been quite unconscious
of her removal thither. She had half waked on being taken from the cart,
but had immediately fallen asleep again; though she was still vaguely
conscious of being borne along to some place of safety and repose, and
that her devoted husband and her faithful servant were her
bearers--vaguely conscious also of being laid down upon some level place
of perfect rest, with a roof above her head; but beyond this she knew
nothing, cared nothing, being too utterly prostrated in mind and body to
rouse herself to any utterances, or even to save herself from sinking to
sleep.
How long she had slept she never could tell, when at length she was
suddenly and fearfully aroused--aroused to a degree of wakefulness that
neither the noisy jolting over the rocky road, nor the painful dragging
through the thorny thicket had been able to effect.
And yet it was but by a touch--the touch of an ice-cold little hand
passing lightly over her face.
She started up in a panic and glared around. All seemed black as pitch,
and at first she could see nothing; but as she strained her eyes, she
dimly discerned the shapes of the gothic windows, with the dark night
sky and the ghostly trees beyond; and she recognized the Haunted Chapel!