Podstrony

• Index
• Andrzej.Sapkowski. .Krew.Elfow.[www.osiolek.com].1
• Guide to Tipitaka
• Renegaci z Pern
• Chmielewska Joanna (Nie)boszczyk Maz (www.ksiazki4
• Slepe Szczescie
• Keane M., D. Chase Dieta w chorobach nowotworowych
• Paul Williams Mahayana buddhism. The doctrinal foundations
• John Toland Bogowie wojny t.2
• Czarnecki Piotr Koncepcja umyslu w filozofii De
• Barnes Julian Pod slonce (2)
• zanotowane.pl
• doc.pisz.pl
• pdf.pisz.pl
• thesimstimes.opx.pl

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.When he went out ofthe room I could hear the key turn softly.A minute later I went over andtried it, and the door was locked.When, an hour or two after, the Count came quietly into the room, hiscoming awakened me, for I had gone to sleep on the sofa.He was verycourteous and very cheery in his manner, and seeing that I had beensleeping, he said, "So, my friend, you are tired? Get to bed.There is thesurest rest.I may not have the pleasure of talk tonight, since there aremany labours to me, but you will sleep, I pray."I passed to my room and went to bed, and, strange to say, slept withoutdreaming.Despair has its own calms.31 May.--This morning when I woke I thought I would provide myselfwith some papers and envelopes from my bag and keep them in mypocket, so that I might write in case I should get an opportunity, but againa surprise, again a shock!Every scrap of paper was gone, and with it all my notes, my memoranda,relating to railways and travel, my letter of credit, in fact all that might beuseful to me were I once outside the castle.I sat and pondered awhile, andthen some thought occurred to me, and I made search of my portmanteauand in the wardrobe where I had placed my clothes.The suit in which I had travelled was gone, and also my overcoat and rug.I could find no trace of them anywhere.This looked like some newscheme of villainy.17 June.--This morning, as I was sitting on the edge of my bed cudgellingmy brains, I heard without a crackling of whips and pounding andscraping of horses' feet up the rocky path beyond the courtyard.With joyI hurried to the window, and saw drive into the yard two great leiter-wagons, each drawn by eight sturdy horses, and at the head of each pair aSlovak, with his wide hat, great nail-studded belt, dirty sheepskin, andhigh boots.They had also their long staves in hand.I ran to the door,intending to descend and try and join them through the main hall, as Ithought that way might be opened for them.Again a shock, my door wasfastened on the outside.Then I ran to the window and cried to them.They looked up at mestupidly and pointed, but just then the "hetman" of the Szgany came out,and seeing them pointing to my window, said something, at which theylaughed.Henceforth no effort of mine, no piteous cry or agonized entreaty, wouldmake them even look at me.They resolutely turned away.The leiter-Page 35CHAPTER 4wagons contained great, square boxes, with handles of thick rope.Thesewere evidently empty by the ease with which the Slovaks handled them,and by their resonance as they were roughly moved.When they were all unloaded and packed in a great heap in one corner ofthe yard, the Slovaks were given some money by the Szgany, and spittingon it for luck, lazily went each to his horse's head.Shortly afterwards, Iheard the crackling of their whips die away in the distance.24 June.--Last night the Count left me early, and locked himself into hisown room.As soon as I dared I ran up the winding stair, and looked outof the window, which opened South.I thought I would watch for theCount, for there is something going on.The Szgany are quarteredsomewhere in the castle and are doing work of some kind.I know it, fornow and then, I hear a far-away muffled sound as of mattock and spade,and, whatever it is, it must be the end of some ruthless villainy.I had been at the window somewhat less than half an hour, when I sawsomething coming out of the Count's window.I drew back and watchedcarefully, and saw the whole man emerge.It was a new shock to me tofind that he had on the suit of clothes which I had worn whilst travellinghere, and slung over his shoulder the terrible bag which I had seen thewomen take away.There could be no doubt as to his quest, and in mygarb, too! This, then, is his new scheme of evil, that he will allow others tosee me, as they think, so that he may both leave evidence that I have beenseen in the towns or villages posting my own letters, and that anywickedness which he may do shall by the local people be attributed to me.It makes me rage to think that this can go on, and whilst I am shut up here,a veritable prisoner, but without that protection of the law which is even acriminal's right and consolation.I thought I would watch for the Count's return, and for a long time satdoggedly at the window.Then I began to notice that there were somequaint little specks floating in the rays of the moonlight.They were likethe tiniest grains of dust,and they whirled round and gathered in clustersin a nebulous sort of way.I watched them with a sense of soothing, and asort of calm stole over me.I leaned back in the embrasure in a morecomfortable position, so that I could enjoy more fully the aerialgambolling.Something made me start up, a low, piteous howling of dogs somewherefar below in the valley, which was hidden from my sight.Louder itseemed to ring in my ears, and the floating moats of dust to take newshapes to the sound as they danced in the moonlight.I felt myselfstruggling to awake to some call of my instincts.Nay, my very soul wasstruggling, and my half-remembered sensibilities were striving to answerthe call.I was becoming hypnotised!Quicker and quicker danced the dust.The moonbeams seemed to quiveras they went by me into the mass of gloom beyond.More and more theyPage 36CHAPTER 4gathered till they seemed to take dim phantom shapes.And then I started,broad awake and in full possession of my senses, and ran screaming fromthe place.The phantom shapes, which were becoming gradually materialised fromthe moonbeams, were those three ghostly women to whom I was doomed.I fled, and felt somewhat safer in my own room, where there was nomoonlight, and where the lamp was burning brightly.When a couple of hours had passed I heard something stirring in theCount's room, something like a sharp wail quickly suppressed.And thenthere was silence, deep, awful silence, which chilled me.With a beatingheart, I tried the door, but I was locked in my prison, and could donothing.I sat down and simply cried.As I sat I heard a sound in the courtyard without, the agonised cry of awoman.I rushed to the window, and throwing it up, peered between thebars.There, indeed, was a woman with dishevelled hair, holding her hands overher heart as one distressed with running.She was leaning against thecorner of the gateway.When she saw my face at the window she threwherself forward, and shouted in a voice laden with menace, "Monster, giveme my child!"She threw herself on her knees,and raising up her hands, cried the samewords in tones which wrung my heart.Then she tore her hair and beat herbreast, and abandoned herself to all the violences of extravagant emotion.Finally, she threw herself forward, and though I could not see her, I couldhear the beating of her naked hands against the door.Somewhere high overhead, probably on the tower, I heard the voice of theCount calling in his harsh, metallic whisper.His call seemed to beanswered from far and wide by the howling of wolves [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]