It was arrayed in a kind of woollen
night-dress, and a white handkerchief or cloth was bound tightly about
the head; I had no difficulty spite of the strangeness of the attire
in recognising the blind woman whom I so much dreaded. She stooped
down, bringing her head nearly to the ground, and in that attitude she
remained motionless for some moments, no doubt in order to ascertain
if any suspicious sound were stirring. She was apparently satisfied by
her observations, for she immediately recommenced her silent progress
towards a ponderous mahogany dressing table of my husband's; when she
had reached it, she paused again, and appeared to listen attentively
for some minutes; she then noiselessly opened one of the drawers from
which, having groped for some time, she took something which I soon
perceived to be a case of razors; she opened it and tried the edge
of each of the two instruments upon the skin of her hand; she quickly
selected one, which she fixed firmly in her grasp; she now stooped
down as before, and having listened for a time, she, with the hand
that was disengaged, groped her way into the dressing room where Lord
Glenfallen lay fast asleep. I was fixed as if in the tremendous spell
of a night mare. I could not stir even a finger; I could not lift my
voice; I could not even breathe, and though I expected every moment to
see the sleeping man murdered, I could not even close my eyes to shut
out the horrible spectacle, which I had not the power to avert.
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