But yet again he found himself snug in bed. Twenty times he tried, and
twenty times he failed; for in fact he was not awake, only dreaming that
he was. At length in an agony of despair, fancying he heard the goblins
all over the house, he gave a great cry. Then there came, as he thought,
a hand upon the lock of the door. It opened, and, looking up, he saw a
lady with white hair, carrying a silver box in her hand, enter the
room. She came to his bed, he thought, stroked his head and face with
cool, soft hands, took the dressing from his leg, rubbed it with
something that smelled like roses, and then waved her hands over him
three times. At the last wave of her hands everything vanished, he felt
himself sinking into the profoundest slumber, and remembered
nothing
more until he awoke in earnest.
The setting moon was throwing a feeble light through the casement,
and
the house was full of uproar. There was soft heavy multitudinous
stamping, a clashing and clanging of weapons, the voices of men and
the
cries of women, mixed with a hideous bellowing, which sounded
victorious. The cobs were in the house! He sprang from his bed,
hurried
Madhuri Noah
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