Jarvis's uneasiness developed into curiosity, and in answer to many
questions he learned that blind Kerry had that day been visited by
another of those visions of Dan which never came to her except when her
nursling was in some disgrace or danger, and never failed to come to her
then. On this occasion the vision had been one of great sorrow, and
Kerry trembled as she recounted it.
"I saw him as plain as plain, and he was standing in Misthress Mona's
room, atween the bed and the wee craythur's cot, and he went down on his
knees aside of it, and cried, and cried, and cried morthal, and
Misthress Mona herself was there sobbing her heart out, as the sayin'
is, and the wee craythur was sleeping soft and quiet, and it was dark
night outside, and the candle was in the misthress's hand. Aw, yes, I
saw it, sir, I saw it, and I tould my man here, and, behould ye, he
said, 'Drop it, woman, drop it,' says he, 'it's only drames, it's only
drames.'"
Jarvis did not find the story a tragic one, but he listened with an
interest that was all his own.
"You saw Mr. Dan in Miss Mona's room--do you mean her chamber?"
"Sure, and he climbed in at the window, and white as a haddock, and all
amuck with sweat."
"Climbed in at the window--the window of her chamber--her
bedroom--you're sure it was her bedroom?"
"Sarten sure. Don't I know it same as my own bit of a place? The bed,
with the curtains all white and dimity, as they're sayin', and the wee
thing's cot carved over with the lions, and the tigers, and the
beasties, and the goat's rug, and the sheepskin--aw, yes, aw, yes."
The reality of the vision had taken such a hold of Kerry that she had
looked upon it as a certain presage of disaster, and when Jarvis had
opened the door she had leapt to the conclusion that he came to announce
the catastrophe that she foresaw, and to summon her to Ballamona.
Jarvis smiled grimly. He had heard in the old days of Kerry's second
sight, and now he laughed at it. But the blind woman's stupid dreams had
given him an idea, and he rose suddenly and hurried away.
Jarvis knew the Deemster's weakness, for he knew why he found himself
where he was. Stern man as the Deemster might be, keen of wit and strong
of soul, Jarvis knew that there was one side of his mind on which he was
feebler than a child. On that side of the Deemster Jarvis now meant to
play to his own end and profit.
He was full to the throat of the story which he had to pour into
credulous ears, that never listened to a superstitious tale without
laughing at it, and mocking at it, and believing it, when he stepped
into the hall at Ballamona, and came suddenly face to face with Dan, and
saw the door of Mona's sitting-room open before and close behind him.
Jarvis was bewildered. Could it be possible that there was something in
the blind woman's second sight? He had scarcely recovered from his
surprise when the Deemster walked into the porch, looking as black as a
thunder-cloud.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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