CHAPTER 14
That Night Week
During the whole of the week Irene had been thinking every other momentof her promise to the old lady, although even now she could not feelquite sure that she had not been dreaming. Could it really be that anold lady lived up in the top of the house, with pigeons and aspinning-wheel, and a lamp that never went out? She was, however, nonethe less determined, on the coming Friday, to ascend the three stairs,walk through the passages with the many doors, and try to find thetower in which she had either seen or dreamed her grandmother.
Her nurse could not help wondering what had come to the child--shewould sit so thoughtfully silent, and even in the midst of a game withher would so suddenly fall into a dreamy mood. But Irene took care tobetray nothing, whatever efforts Lootie might make to get at herthoughts. And Lootie had to say to herself: 'What an odd child sheis!' and give it up.
At length the longed-for Friday arrived, and lest Lootie should bemoved to watch her, Irene endeavoured to keep herself as quiet aspossible. In the afternoon she asked for her doll's house, and went onarranging and rearranging the various rooms and their inhabitants for awhole hour. Then she gave a sigh and threw herself back in her chair.One of the dolls would not sit, and another would not stand, and theywere all very tiresome. Indeed, there was one would not even lie down,which was too bad. But it was now getting dark, and the darker it gotthe more excited Irene became, and the more she felt it necessary to becomposed.
'I see you want your tea, princess,' said the nurse: 'I will go and getit. The room feels close: I will open the window a little. The eveningis mild: it won't hurt you.'
'There's no fear of that, Lootie,' said Irene, wishing she had put offgoing for the tea till it was darker, when she might have made herattempt with every advantage.
I fancy Lootie was longer in returning than she had intended; for whenIrene, who had been lost in thought, looked up, she saw it was nearlydark, and at the same moment caught sight of a pair of eyes, brightwith a green light, glowering at her through the open window. The nextinstant something leaped into the room. It was like a cat, with legsas long as a horse's, Irene said, but its body no bigger and its legsno thicker than those of a cat. She was too frightened to cry out, butnot too frightened to jump from her chair and run from the room.
It is plain enough to every one of my readers what she ought to havedone--and indeed, Irene thought of it herself; but when she came to thefoot of the old stair, just outside the nursery door, she imagined thecreature running up those long ascents after her, and pursuing herthrough the dark passages--which, after all, might lead to no tower!That thought was too much. Her heart failed her, and, turning from thestair, she rushed along to the hall, whence, finding the front dooropen, she darted into the court pursued--at least she thought so--bythe creature. No one happening to see her, on she ran, unable to thinkfor fear, and ready to run anywhere to elude the awful creature withthe stilt-legs. Not daring to look behind her, she rushed straight outof the gate and up the mountain. It was foolish indeed--thus to runfarther and farther from all who could help her, as if she had beenseeking a fit spot for the goblin creature to eat her in his leisure;but that is the way fear serves us: it always sides with the thing weare afraid of.
The princess was soon out of breath with running uphill; but she ranon, for she fancied the horrible creature just behind her, forgettingthat, had it been after her such long legs as those must have overtakenher long ago. At last she could run no longer, and fell, unable evento scream, by the roadside, where she lay for some time half dead withterror. But finding nothing lay hold of her, and her breath beginningto come back, she ventured at length to get half up and peer anxiouslyabout her. It was now so dark she could see nothing. Not a singlestar was out. She could not even tell in what direction the house lay,and between her and home she fancied the dreadful creature lying readyto pounce upon her. She saw now that she ought to have run up thestairs at once. It was well she did not scream; for, although very fewof the goblins had come out for weeks, a stray idler or two might haveheard her. She sat down upon a stone, and nobody but one who had donesomething wrong could have been more miserable. She had quiteforgotten her promise to visit her grandmother. A raindrop fell on herface. She looked up, and for a moment her terror was lost inastonishment. At first she thought the rising moon had left her place,and drawn nigh to see what could be the matter with the little girl,sitting alone, without hat or cloak, on the dark bare mountain; but shesoon saw she was mistaken, for there was no light on the ground at herfeet, and no shadow anywhere. But a great silver globe was hanging inthe air; and as she gazed at the lovely thing, her courage revived. Ifshe were but indoors again, she would fear nothing, not even theterrible creature with the long legs! But how was she to find her wayback? What could that light be? Could it be--? No, it couldn't. Butwhat if it should be--yes--it must be--her great-great-grandmother'slamp, which guided her pigeons home through the darkest night! Shejumped up: she had but to keep that light in view and she must find thehouse. Her heart grew strong. Speedily, yet softly, she walked downthe hill, hoping to pass the watching creature unseen. Dark as it was,there was little danger now of choosing the wrong road. And--which wasmost strange--the light that filled her eyes from the lamp, instead ofblinding them for a moment to the object upon which they next fell,enabled her for a moment to see it, despite the darkness. By lookingat the lamp and then dropping her eyes, she could see the road for ayard or two in front of her, and this saved her from several falls, forthe road was very rough. But all at once, to her dismay, it vanished,and the terror of the beast, which had left her the moment she began toreturn, again laid hold of her heart. The same instant, however, shecaught the light of the windows, and knew exactly where she was. Itwas too dark to run, but she made what haste she could, and reached thegate in safety. She found the house door still open, ran through thehall, and, without even looking into the nursery, bounded straight upthe stair, and the next, and the next; then turning to the right, ranthrough the long avenue of silent rooms, and found her way at once tothe door at the foot of the tower stair.
When first the nurse missed her, she fancied she was playing her atrick, and for some time took no trouble about her; but at last,getting frightened, she had begun to search; and when the princessentered, the whole household was hither and thither over the house,hunting for her. A few seconds after she reached the stair of thetower they had even begun to search the neglected rooms, in which theywould never have thought of looking had they not already searched everyother place they could think of in vain. But by this time she wasknocking at the old lady's door.