Euphra allowed him to lead her to the piano; but instead of singing a song
to him, she played some noisy music, through which he and she contrived to
talk for some time, without being overheard; after which he left the room.
Euphra then looked round to Hugh, and begged him with her eyes to come to
her. He could not resist, burning with jealousy as he was.
“Are you sure you have nerve enough for this, Hugh?” she said, still
playing.
“I have had nerve enough to sit still and look at you for the last half
hour,” answered Hugh, rudely.
She turned pale, and glanced up at him with a troubled look. Then, without
responding to his answer, said:
“I daresay the count is not over-anxious to hold you to your bet.”
“Pray intercede for me with the count, madam,” answered Hugh,
sarcastically. “He would not wish the young fool to be frightened, I
daresay. But perhaps he wishes to have an interview with the ghost
himself, and grudges me the privilege.”
She turned deadly pale this time, and gave him one terrified glance, but
made no other reply to his words. Still she played on.
“You will arm yourself?”
“Against a ghost? Yes, with a stout heart.”
“But don’t forget the secret door through which we came that night, Hugh.
I distrust the count.”
The last words were spoken in a whisper, emphasized into almost a hiss.
“Tell him I shall be armed. I tell you I shall meet him bare-handed.
Betray me if you like.”
Hugh had taken his revenge, and now came the reaction. He gazed at Euphra;
but instead of the injured look, which was the best he could hope to see,
an expression of “pity and ruth” grew slowly in her face, making it more
lovely than ever in his eyes. At last she seemed on the point of bursting
into tears; and, suddenly changing the music, she began playing a
dead-march. She kept her eyes on the keys. Once more, only, she glanced
round, to see whether Hugh was still by her side; and he saw that her face
was pale as death, and wet with silent tears. He had never seen her weep
before. He would have fallen at her feet, had he been alone with her. To
hide his feelings, he left the room, and then the house.
He wandered into the Ghost’s Walk; and, finding himself there, walked up
and down in it. This was certainly throwing the lady a bold challenge,
seeing he was going to spend the night in her room.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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