The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

A Strange Revenge. 725
window an inch or two, he demanded of Elspeth what she
wanted.
" Quick an' open the door," was the breathless request
'" if ye waste a single meenit she may be deed !"
" My poor woman, she is dead already—dead, Elspeth,
and certified so by the doctor."
" The doctor !" kills ; I can kill
and she chuckled derisively, "he only
and cure tae—ha ! ha ! Up wi' the
window an' let's jump in or I'll smash every pane o't," she
threatened ;
" if the deel gets me again she'll dee, and I'll
be huntit ! huntit ! huntit
same time clutching the window and shaking it violently.
!" she almost screamed, at the
" Let her in !" The command was so peremptory that
David turned sharply round ; but while he did so the con-
viction flashed upon him that the words had not a worldly
origin. It seemed to originate in the brain itself, as if the
receptive centre had been communicated with irrespective
of the organ of hearing.
"Who knows but that some unseen influence is working
here," he argued, a feeling of uneasiness creeping over him.
" Hamlet spoke truly about the narrowness of human vision;
I'll indulge the whim."
Elspeth scrambled in as if an army of demons were at
her heels, and stood on the floor panting. Her face had
grown sunken and pinched, and about her eyes there was
an almost unnatural, restless gleam. She formed an un-
nerving picture ; involuntarily David drew back a pace,
and began to regret that he had not fortified himself by
summoning the presence of John. What if she carried
some weapon, and had in her madness adopted this cunning
ruse to carry out a diabolical scheme of revenge for treatment
which had been so prolific of curses !
"Where is she?" Elspeth asked in a grating whisper.
Then she plunged a hand into the bosom of her dress :
" Safe, safe," she muttered to herself, as she brought out a
small vial and thrust it back again.
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