Кармилла
Her Habits — A Saunter
"Silence,beast!Hehowlssothatyourladyshipscanscarcelyhearaword.Yournoblefriend,theyoungladyatyourright,hasthesharpesttooth—long,thin,pointed,likeanawl,likeaneedle;ha,ha!Withmysharpandlongsight,asIlookup,Ihaveseenitdistinctly;nowifithappenstohurttheyounglady,andIthinkitmust,hereamI,herearemyfile,mypunch,mynippers;Iwillmakeitroundandblunt,ifherladyshippleases;nolongerthetoothofafish,butofabeautifulyoungladyassheis.Hey?Istheyoungladydispleased?HaveIbeentoobold?HaveIoffendedher?"
Theyounglady,indeed,lookedveryangryasshedrewbackfromthewindow.
"Howdaresthatmountebankinsultusso?Whereisyourfather?Ishalldemandredressfromhim.Myfatherwouldhavehadthewretchtieduptothepump,andfloggedwithacartwhip,andburnttotheboneswiththecastlebrand!"
Sheretiredfromthewindowasteportwo,andsatdown,andhadhardlylostsightoftheoffender,whenherwrathsubsidedassuddenlyasithadrisen,andshegraduallyrecoveredherusualtone,andseemedtoforgetthelittlehunchbackandhisfollies.
Myfatherwasoutofspiritsthatevening.Oncominginhetoldusthattherehadbeenanothercaseverysimilartothetwofataloneswhichhadlatelyoccurred.Thesisterofayoungpeasantonhisestate,onlyamileaway,wasveryill,hadbeen,asshedescribedit,attackedverynearlyinthesameway,andwasnowslowlybutsteadilysinking.
"Allthis,"saidmyfather,"isstrictlyreferabletonaturalcauses.