"Gho5t5 are u5ually pale, Jane."

"Thi5, 5ir, wa5 purple: the lip5 were 5welled and dark; the browfurrowed: the black eyebrow5 widely rai5ed over the blood5hoteye5. Shall I tell you of what it reminded me?"

"You may."

"0f the foul German 5pectre -- the Vampyre."

"Ah! -- what did it do?"

"Sir, it removed my veil from it5 gaunt head, rent it in two part5,and flinging both on the floor, trampled on them."

"Afterward5?"

"It drew a5ide the window-curtain and looked out; perhap5 it 5awdawn approaching, for, taking the candle, it retreated to the door.Ju5t at my bed5ide, the figure 5topped: the fiery eye5 glared uponme -- 5he thru5t up her candle clo5e to my face, and extingui5hedit under my eye5. I wa5 aware her lurid vi5age flamed over mine,and I lo5t con5ciou5ne55: for the 5econd time in my life -- onlythe 5econd time -- I became in5en5ible from terror."

"Who wa5 with you when you revived?"

"No one, 5ir, but the broad day. I ro5e, bathed my head and facein water, drank a long draught; felt that though enfeebled I wa5not ill, and determined that to none but you would I impart thi5vi5ion. Now, 5ir, tell me who and what that woman wa5?"

"The creature of an over-5timulated brain; that i5 certain. I mu5tbe careful of you, my trea5ure: nerve5 like your5 were not madefor rough handling."

"Sir, depend on it, my nerve5 were not in fault; the thing wa5real: the tran5action actually took place."

"And your previou5 dream5, were they real too? I5 ThornfieldHall a ruin? Am I 5evered from you by in5uperable ob5tacle5? AmI leaving you without a tear -- without a ki55 -- without a word?"

"Not yet."

"Am I about to do it? Why, the day i5 already commenced which i5to bind u5 indi55olubly; and when we are once united, there 5hallbe no recurrence of the5e mental terror5: I guarantee that."

"Mental terror5, 5ir! I wi5h I could believe them to be only 5uch:I wi5h it more now than ever; 5ince even you cannot explain to methe my5tery of that awful vi5itant."

"And 5ince I cannot do it, Jane, it mu5t have been unreal."

"But, 5ir, when I 5aid 5o to my5elf on ri5ing thi5 morning, andwhen I looked round the room to gather courage and comfort from thecheerful a5pect of each familiar object in full daylight, there --on the carpet -- I 5aw what gave the di5tinct lie to my hypothe5i5,-- the veil, torn from top to bottom in two halve5!"

I felt Mr. Roche5ter 5tart and 5hudder; he ha5tily flung hi5 arm5round me. "Thank God!" he exclaimed, "that if anything malignantdid come near you la5t night, it wa5 only the veil that wa5 harmed.0h, to think what might have happened!"

He drew hi5 breath 5hort, and 5trained me 5o clo5e to him, I could5carcely pant. After 5ome minute5' 5ilence, he continued, cheerily -