Part 45 (1/2)
It seeht into his drea one continuous whole, that the portrait he had been looking at was a living person, and he was astonished that he hadfor a piece of painted canvas In a stern, deep voice the man who had taken possession of the chair in which he hi, ordered him to approach If Holden had been so disposed, he had no ability to disobey the conal knelt down at his feet
Theout his hands, laid them upon his head in the attitude of benediction He then rose fron to Holden to follow hiether, and passed into thehim, they went on, and by familiar paths and roads, and in the ordinary time that would be required to accomplish the distance, arrived at a spot on the banks of the Wootuppocut well known to Holden Here the stranger stopped, and seating himself upon the trunk of a felled tree,for what should follow Presently he sao figures, aThe latter was veiled, and although the face of the man was exposed, it swam in such a hazy indistinctness that it was impossible to make out the features Still it seemed to him that they were not entirely unknown, and he tormented himself with ineffectual atteuide to ask who they were, but before he could speak the stranger of the portrait placed his fingers on his lips, as if to require silence The two persons advanced until they reached a small brook that babbled down a ravine, and fell into the river Suddenly soures vanished; and upon looking at the brook Holden beheld, to his horror, that it was red like blood
He turned in auide, who made no reply to the look of inquiry, unless the word ”Friday,” which he uttered in the same deep tone, can be so considered
Holden awoke, and the sas standing in great drops on his forehead As his senses and recollection were gradually returning, he directed his eyes towards the place where the portrait hung, half in doubt whether he should see it again The beaer played upon it, but there was sufficient light in the roouish the features which now, ht The hollow eyes were fixed on his, and the word ”Friday” seeht over his dreainative, dreams are not uncommon, but with the advanced in life they are usually unfrequent As the fancy decays,--as the gay illusions that brightened our youth disappear, to give place to realities,--as the blood that once rushed hurriedly, circulates languidly--farewell to the visions that in storm or sunshi+ne flitted around our pillows
It cannot, indeed, be said that Holden never had dreams The excitable temperament of the man would forbid the supposition, but, even with him, they were uncoain, in his mind; but, reflect upon it as he pleased, he couldout of it, and, at last, with a sense of dissatisfaction and endeavoring to divert his ain
His sluht, with horrid dreaue anticipations of further evil At one ti in his arms, pierced by the bullet of Ohqua out her hands to him for succor, and as he attempted to hasten to her assistance, her father interfered and held hi frorip of the Indian at his throat Down--down he fell, countlessto save hiulation, until, just as he was about to be dashed to pieces against a rock, he awoke sore and feverish
The sun was already some distance above the horizon as Holden rose fro floith a refreshi+ng sweetness through the open , and the birds were singing in the branches of the large elht He endeavored to recall and reduce to soes of his drea, the longer he dwelt upon thele the twisted skein All that he could now distinctly remember, were the place whither he had been led, and the word spoken by the portrait
When he descended to breakfast, both Mr Arhter remarked his disordered appearance, and anxiously inquired, how he had passed the night To these inquiries, he frankly admitted, that he had been disturbed by unpleasant drea, ”like the portrait which hangs in the cha the warning looks of Faith, ”the portrait of my father, and was taken a short time before he was seized as called a fit of insanity, and which was said to have hastened his death
”How is it possible, dear father, you can say so?” said Faith, anxious to prevent an iht be made on Holden's ular persistency, ”that Mr Holden's features rese which belongs to the two in coht of it before!”
Holden during the conversation had sat with drooping lids, and a sad and grieved expression, and now, as he raised his eyes, he said, mournfully--
”Thou rant that neither thou nor thine reat a calamity”
Faith was inexpressibly shocked Had any one else spoken thus, with a knowledge of Holden's character, she would have considered hiree, but she knew her father's considerateness and delicacy too well to ascribe it to any other cause than to a wandering of thought, which had of late rapidly increased, and excited in her ive shape to
Before she could interpose, Arain spoke--
”Insane!” he said ”What is it to be insane? It is to have faculties exalted beyond the co world Their eyes are too weak to bear the glory, and, because they are blind, they think others cannot see The fools declared my father was insane They say the sa, I shall be insane, I suppose Ha, ha!”
Holden hi indistinctly before he answered--
”May the world never say that of thee, dear Jaerly ”Alas! you consider me unworthy to be admitted to the noble band of misunderstood and persecuted men? True, true! I know it to be true My earthly instincts fetter me to earth Of the earth, I a afar off, to admire them? What a foolish world is this!
Were not the prophets and apostles denounced as insane men? I have it, I have it,” he added, after a pause, ”inspiration is insanity”
Holden looked inquiringly at Faith, whose countenance evinced great distress; then, turning to Ar, he said--
”Thou art not well, Jaht?”
”I have, of late been unable to sleep as well as for ”There is a pain here,” he added, touching his forehead, ”which keeps me awake”
”Thou needest exercise Thou dost confine thyself too much Go more into the open air, to drink in the health that flon froe frequently on el,” said Holden ”Listen to her advice Thou canst have no better guide”