The attitude was that of an idle boy, and was
so oddly out of keeping with his age and expression that Unorna almost
laughed as she looked at him.
"At all events," he continued, "you cannot doubt my absolute sincerity.
You come to me for an explanation. I give you the only sensible one that
exists, and the only one which can have a really sedative effect upon
your excitement. Of course, if you have any especial object in
believing in ghosts--if it affords you any great and lasting pleasure to
associate, in imagination, with spectres, wraiths, and airily-malicious
shadows, I will not cross your fancy. To a person of solid nerves
a banshee may be an entertaining companion, and an apparition in a
well-worn winding-sheet may be a pretty toy. For all I know, it may be
a delight to you to find your hair standing on end at the unexpected
appearance of a dead woman in a black cloak between you and the person
with whom you are engaged in animated conversation. All very well, as
a mere pastime, I say. But if you find that you are reaching a point on
which your judgment is clouded, you had better shut up the magic lantern
and take the rational view of the case."
"Perhaps you are right."
"Will you allow me to say something very frank, Unorna?" asked Keyork
with unusual diffidence.
"If you can manage to be frank without being brutal."
"I will be short, at all events. It is this. I think you are becoming
superstitious.
Pages:
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186