I have a will of my own: suffer as I may, I promise to break myself of it this time.

I can't, and won't let Oscar's brother see that he is an object of horror to me." She stopped once more, and gave me a little propitiatory kiss.

"Blame my blindness, dear, don't blame _me._ If I could only see--! Ah, how can I make you understand me, you who don't live in the dark ?" She went on a few paces, silent and thoughtful--and then spoke again.

"You won't laugh at me, if I say something ?" "You know I won't." "Suppose yourself to be in bed at night." "Yes ?" "I have heard people say that they have sometimes woke in the middle of the night, on a sudden, without any noise to disturb them.

And they have fancied (without anything particular to justify it) that there was something, or somebody, in the dark room.