right, the moon started suddenly from behind a cloud, and enabled us
to see, as plainly as I now see this paper, the figure of a tall, thin
woman, with uncovered head, and long hair that floated round her
shoulders, attired in something which seemed either a loose white
cloak or a sheet thrown hastily about her. She stood on the corner
hedge, where the road on which we were met that which leads to Spring
House, with her face towards us, her left hand pointing to this place,
and her right arm waving rapidly and violently as if to draw us on in
that direction. The horse had stopped, apparently frightened at the
sudden presence of the figure, which stood in the manner I have
described, still uttering the same piercing cries, for about half a
minute. It then leaped upon the road, disappeared from our view for
one instant, and the next was seen standing upon a high wall a little
way up the avenue on which we purposed going, still pointing towards
the road to Spring House, but in an attitude of defiance and command,
as if prepared to oppose our passage up the avenue. The figure was now
quite silent, and its garments, which had before flown loosely in the
wind, were closely wrapped around it 'Go on, Leary, to Spring House,
in God's name!' said my mother; 'whatever world it belongs to, we will
provoke it no longer.' ''Tis the Banshee, ma'am,' said Leary; 'and I
would not, for what my life is worth, go anywhere this blessed night
but to Spring House. But I'm afraid there's something bad going
forward, or _she_ would not send us there.' So saying, he drove
forward; and as we turned on the road to the right, the moon suddenly
withdrew its light, and we saw the apparition no more; but we heard
plainly a prolonged clapping of hands, gradually dying away, as if it
issued from a person rapidly retreating. We proceeded as quickly as
the badness of the roads and the fatigue of the poor animal that drew
us would allow, and arrived here about eleven o'clock last night. The
scene which awaited us you have learned from my mother's letter. To
explain it fully, I must recount to you some of the transactions which
took place here during the last week.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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