“Listen to what I have to tell thee,”
she began. “Thou art no longer a young
boy; thou must know all. I had a good friend....
She married a man whom she loved with all her heart,
and she was happy with her husband. But during
the first year of their married life they both went
to the capital to spend a few weeks and enjoy themselves.
They stopped at a good hotel and went out a great
deal to theatres and assemblies. My friend was
very far from homely; every one noticed her, all the
young men paid court to her; but among them was one
in particular ... an officer. He followed her
unremittingly, and wherever she went she beheld his
black, wicked eyes. He did not make her acquaintance,
and did not speak to her even once; he merely kept
staring at her in a very strange, insolent way.
All the pleasures of the capital were poisoned by his
presence. She began to urge her husband to depart
as speedily as possible, and they had fully made up
their minds to the journey. One day her husband
went off to the club; some officers—officers
who belonged to the same regiment as this man—had
invited him to play cards.... For the first time
she was left alone. Her husband did not return
for a long time; she dismissed her maid and went to
bed.... And suddenly a great dread came upon
her, so that she even turned cold all over and began
to tremble. It seemed to her that she heard a
faint tapping on the other side of the wall—like
the noise a dog makes when scratching—and
she began to stare at that wall. In the corner
burned a shrine-lamp; the chamber was all hung with
silken stuff.... Suddenly something began to
move at that point, rose, opened.... And straight
out of the wall, all black and long, stepped forth
that dreadful man with the wicked eyes!
“She tried to scream and could not. She
was benumbed with fright. He advanced briskly
toward her, like a rapacious wild beast, flung something
over her head, something stifling, heavy and white....
What happened afterward I do not remember....
I do not remember! It was like death, like murder....
When that terrible fog dispersed at last—when
I ... my friend recovered her senses, there was no
one in the room. Again—and for a long
time—she was incapable of crying out, but
she did shriek at last ... then again everything grew
confused....
“Then she beheld by her side her husband, who
had been detained at the club until two o’clock....
His face was distorted beyond recognition. He
began to question her, but she said nothing....
Then she fell ill.... But I remember that when
she was left alone in the room she examined that place
in the wall.... Under the silken hangings there
proved to be a secret door. And her wedding-ring
had disappeared from her hand. This ring was
of an unusual shape. Upon it seven tiny golden
stars alternated with seven tiny silver stars; it
was an ancient family heirloom. Her husband asked
Copyrights
A Reckless Character from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.
