Holmes，butitseemedtosendachillrightdownmyback。Iwassomelittlewayoff，sothatIcouldnotmakeoutthefeatures，buttherewassomethingunnaturalandinhumanabouttheface。ThatwastheimpressionthatIhad，andImovedquicklyforwardstogetanearerviewofthepersonwhowaswatchingme。
ButasIdidsothefacesuddenlydisappeared，sosuddenlythatitseemedtohavebeenpluckedawayintothedarknessoftheroom。Istoodforfiveminutesthinkingthebusinessover，andtryingtoanalyzemyimpressions。Icouldnottellifthefacewerethatofamanorawoman。Ithadbeentoofarfrommeforthat。Butitscolorwaswhathadimpressedmemost。
Itwasofalividchalkywhite，andwithsomethingsetandrigidaboutitwhichwasshockinglyunnatural。SodisturbedwasIthatIdeterminedtoseealittlemoreofthenewinmatesofthecottage。Iapproachedandknockedatthedoor，whichwasinstantlyopenedbyatall，gauntwomanwithaharsh，forbiddingface。”’Whatmayyoubewantin’?’sheasked，inaNorthernaccent。”’Iamyourneighboroveryonder，’saidI，noddingtowardsmyhouse。’Iseethatyouhaveonlyjustmovedin，soIthoughtthatifIcouldbeofanyhelptoyouinany——’”’Ay，we’lljustaskyewhenwewantye，’saidshe，andshutthedoorinmyface。Annoyedatthechurlishrebuff，Iturnedmybackandwalkedhome。Allevening，thoughItriedtothinkofotherthings，mymindwouldstillturntotheapparitionatthewindowandtherudenessofthewoman。Ideterminedtosaynothingabouttheformertomywife，forsheisanervous，highlystrungwoman，andIhadnowishthatshewouldsharetheunpleasantimpressionwhichhadbeenproduceduponmyself。Iremarkedtoher，however，beforeIfellasleep，thatthecottagewasnowoccupied，towhichshereturnednoreply。”Iamusuallyanextremelysoundsleeper。Ithasbeenastandingjestinthefamilythatnothingcouldeverwakemeduringthenight。Andyetsomehowonthatparticularnight，whetheritmayhavebeentheslightexcitementproducedbymylittleadventureornotI
knownot，butIsleptmuchmorelightlythanusual。
HalfinmydreamsIwasdimlyconsciousthatsomethingwasgoingonintheroom，andgraduallybecameawarethatmywifehaddressedherselfandwasslippingonhermantleandherbonnet。Mylipswerepartedtomurmuroutsomesleepywordsofsurpriseorremonstranceatthisuntimelypreparation，whensuddenlymyhalf-openedeyesfelluponherface，illuminatedbythecandle-light，andastonishmentheldmedumb。SheworeanexpressionsuchasIhadneverseenbefore——suchasIshouldhavethoughtherincapableofassuming。Shewasdeadlypaleandbreathingfast，glancingfurtivelytowardsthebedasshefastenedhermantle，toseeifshehaddisturbedme。Then，thinkingthatIwasstillasleep，sheslippednoiselesslyfromtheroom，andaninstantlaterIheardasharpcreakingwhichcouldonlycomefromthehingesofthefrontdoor。IsatupinbedandrappedmyknucklesagainsttherailtomakecertainthatIwastrulyawake。ThenItookmywatchfromunderthepillow。Itwasthreeinthemorning。