Случай Чарльза Декстера Варда
Chapter 6
Dashingthecoldfluidinherface,hewasheartenedtoobserveanimmediateresponseonherpart,andwaswatchingthebewilderedopeningofhereyeswhenachillshotthroughhimandthreatenedtoreducehimtotheverystatefromwhichshewasemerging.Fortheseeminglysilentlaboratorywasnotassilentasithadappearedtobe,butheldthemurmursofatense,muffledconversationintonestoolowforcomprehension,yetofaqualityprofoundlydisturbingtothesoul.
Itwasnot,ofcourse,newforCharlestomutterformulae;butthismutteringwasdefinitelydifferent.Itwassopalpablyadialogue,orimitationofadialogue,withtheregularalterationofinflectionssuggestingquestionandanswer,statementandresponse.OnevoicewasundisguisedlythatofCharles,buttheotherhadadepthandhollownesswhichtheyouth’sbestpowersofceremonialmimicryhadscarcelyapproachedbefore.Therewassomethinghideous,blasphemous,andabnormalaboutit,andbutforacryfromhisrecoveringwifewhichclearedhismindbyarousinghisprotectiveinstinctsitisnotlikelythatTheodoreHowlandWardcouldhavemaintainedfornearlyayearmorehisoldboastthathehadneverfainted.Asitwas,heseizedhiswifeinhisarmsandboreherquicklydownstairsbeforeshecouldnoticethevoiceswhichhadsohorriblydisturbedhim.Evenso,however,hewasnotquickenoughtoescapecatchingsomethinghimselfwhichcausedhimtostaggerdangerouslywithhisburden.ForMrs.
