Dr. Hull now took the remaining chair by Miss Ludington's side, and a
perfect silence of some moments ensued, during which she could perfectly
hear the beating of Paul's heart. Then Alta began, with a wonderfully
soft touch, to play a succession of low, dreamy chords, rather than any
set composition--music that thrilled the listeners with vague suggestions
of the unfathomable mystery and unutterable sadness of human life. She
played on and on. It seemed to two of the hearers that she played for
hours, although it was probably but a few minutes.
At last the music flowed slower, trickled, fell in drops, and ceased.
They had a sensation of being breathed upon by a faint, cool draught of
air, and then appeared in the door-way of the cabinet the figure of a
beautiful girl, which, after standing still a moment, glided forth, by an
imperceptible motion, into the room.
The light, which had before seemed so faint, now proved sufficient to
bring out every line of her face and form. Or was it that the figure
itself was luminous by some light from within?
Paul heard Miss Ludington gasp; but if he had known that she was dying he
could not have taken his eyes from the apparition.
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