Strona 372 z 483

"Your family is perfectly well," said Mr. Kirwin with gentleness;

"and someone, a friend, is come to visit you."

I know not by what chain of thought the idea presented itself,

but it instantly darted into my mind that the murderer had come

to mock at my misery and taunt me with the death of Clerval, as a

new incitement for me to comply with his hellish desires. I put

my hand before my eyes, and cried out in agony,

"Oh! Take him away! I cannot see him; for God's sake, do not let

him enter!"

Mr. Kirwin regarded me with a troubled countenance. He could not

help regarding my exclamation as a presumption of my guilt and

said in rather a severe tone,

"I should have thought, young man, that the presence of your

father would have been welcome instead of inspiring such violent

repugnance."

"My father!" cried I, while every feature and every muscle was

relaxed from anguish to pleasure. "Is my father indeed come? How

kind, how very kind! But where is he, why does he not hasten to

me?"