Christian fiction; Wingfold, Thomas (Fictitious character) -- Fiction
face, as a half-drowned man would clear from his face the waters whence
he hath been lifted; and like two stars of light from amidst the cloud
gazed forth the eyes of the girl. And she looked upon me with the
courage of a child, and she said unto me, Stranger, knowest thou
wherefore was that cry? Was it thou who did so cry in our street in
the night? And I answered her and said, Verily not I, maiden, but I too
heard the cry, and it shook my soul within me.--What seemed it unto thee
like, she asked, for truly I slept, and know only the terror thereof
and not the sound? And I said, It seemed unto me that every soul in the
village cried out at once in some dream of horror.--I cried not out, she
said; for I slept and dreamed, and my dream was such that I know verily
I cried not out. And the maiden was lovely in her innocence. And I said:
And was thy dream such, maiden, that thou wouldst not refuse but wouldst
tell it to an old man like me? And with that the wind came down from the
mountain like a torrent of wolves, and it laid hold upon me and swept
me from the village, and I fled before it, and could not stay my steps
until I got me into the covert of a hollow rock.
“‘And scarce had I turned in thither when, lo! thither came the maiden
also, flying in my footsteps, and driven of the self-same mighty wind.
And I turned in pity and said, Fear not, my child. Here is but an old
man with a sore and withered heart, and he will not harm thee.--I fear
thee not, she answered, else would I not have followed thee.--Thou didst
not follow me of thine own inclining, I said, but the wind that
came from the mountains and swept me before it, did bear thee after
me.--Truly I know of no wind, she said, but the wind of my own following
of thee. Wherefore didst thou flee from me?--Nay! but wherefore didst
thou follow me, maiden?--That I might tell thee my dream to the which
thou didst desire to hearken. For, lo! as I slept I dreamed that a man
came unto me and said, Behold, I am the unresting and undying one, and
my burden is greater than I can bear, for Death who befriendeth all is
my enemy, and will not look upon me in peace. And with that came the
cry, and I awoke, and ran out to see whence came the cry, and found thee
alone in the street. And as God liveth, such as was the man in my dream,
such art thou in my waking sight.--Not the less must I ask thee again,
I said, wherefore didst thou follow me?--That I may comfort thee,
she answered.--And how thinkest thou to comfort one whom God hath
forsaken?--That cannot be, she said, seeing that in a vision of the
night he sent thee unto me, and so now hath sent me unto thee. Therefore
will I go with thee, and minister unto thee.--Bethink thee well what
thou doest, I said; and before thou art fully resolved, sit thee down by
me in this cave, that I may tell thee my tale. And straightway she
sat down, and I told her all. And ere I had finished the sun had
risen.--Then art thou now alone, said the maiden, and hast no one to
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