Turning instantly,
she walked to the top step of the temple, and stood there for a few
moments, watchfully surveying the open space before her.
But in those few moments the scene in the building changed once more.
The madman, while he still wavered between relapsing into the raving fit
and continuing under the influence of the tranquil mood in which he had
been prematurely disturbed, caught sight of Goisvintha when her approach
suddenly shadowed the entrance to the temple. Her presence, momentary
though it was, was for him the presence of a figure that had not
appeared before; that had stood in a strange position between the shade
within and the faint light without; it was a new object, presented to
his eyes while they were straining to recover such imperfect faculties
of observation as had been their wont, and it ascendancy over him was
instantaneous and all-powerful.
He started, bewildered like a deep sleeper suddenly awoke; violent
shudderings ran for a moment over his frame; then it strengthened again
with its former unnatural strength; the demon raged within him in
renewed fury as he tore his robe which Numerian held as he lay at his
feet from the feeble grasp that confined it, and, striding up to the
pile of idols, stretched out his hands in solemn deprecation.
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