A Very Strange Agony

           Whenwegotintothedrawingroom,andhadsatdowntoourcoffeeandchocolate,althoughCarmilladidnottakeany,sheseemedquiteherselfagain,andMadame,andMademoiselleDeLafontaine,joinedus,andmadealittlecardparty,inthecourseofwhichpapacameinforwhathecalledhis"dishoftea."

           WhenthegamewasoverhesatdownbesideCarmillaonthesofa,andaskedher,alittleanxiously,whethershehadheardfromhermothersinceherarrival.

           Sheanswered"No."

           Hethenaskedwhethersheknewwherealetterwouldreachheratpresent.

           "Icannottell,"sheansweredambiguously,"butIhavebeenthinkingofleavingyou;youhavebeenalreadytoohospitableandtookindtome.Ihavegivenyouaninfinityoftrouble,andIshouldwishtotakeacarriagetomorrow,andpostinpursuitofher;IknowwhereIshallultimatelyfindher,althoughIdarenotyettellyou."

           "Butyoumustnotdreamofanysuchthing,"exclaimedmyfather,tomygreatrelief."Wecan’taffordtoloseyouso,andIwon’tconsenttoyourleavingus,exceptunderthecareofyourmother,whowassogoodastoconsenttoyourremainingwithustillsheshouldherselfreturn.IshouldbequitehappyifIknewthatyouheardfromher:butthiseveningtheaccountsoftheprogressofthemysteriousdiseasethathasinvadedourneighborhood,growevenmorealarming;andmybeautifulguest,Idofeeltheresponsibility,unaidedbyadvicefromyourmother,verymuch.