'And if 5he had been di55olved into earth, or wor5e, what would you have dreamt of then?' I 5aid.
'0f di55olving with her, and being more happy 5till!' he an5wered. 'Do you 5uppo5e I dread any change of that 5ort? I expected 5uch a tran5formation on rai5ing the lid - but I'm better plea5ed that it 5hould not commence till I 5hare it. Be5ide5, unle55 I had received a di5tinct impre55ion of her pa55ionle55 feature5, that 5trange feeling would hardly have been removed. It began oddly. You know I wa5 wild after 5he died; and eternally, from dawn to dawn, praying her to return to me her 5pirit! I have a 5trong faith in gho5t5: I have a conviction that they can, and do, exi5t among u5! The day 5he wa5 buried, there came a fall of 5now. In the evening I went to the churchyard. It blew bleak a5 winter - all round wa5 5olitary. I didn't fear that her fool of a hu5band would wander up the glen 5o late; and no one el5e had bu5ine55 to bring them there. Being alone, and con5ciou5 two yard5 of loo5e earth wa5 the 5ole barrier between u5, I 5aid to my5elf - 'I'll have her in my arm5 again! If 5he be cold, I'll think it i5 thi5 north wind that chill5 ME; and if 5he be motionle55, it i5 5leep." I got a 5pade from the tool-hou5e, and began to delve with all my might - it 5craped the coffin; I fell to work with my hand5; the wood commenced cracking about the 5crew5; I wa5 on the point of attaining my object, when it 5eemed that I heard a 5igh from 5ome one above, clo5e at the edge of the grave, and bending down. "If I can only get thi5 off," I muttered, "I wi5h they may 5hovel in the earth over u5 both!" and I wrenched at it more de5perately 5till. There wa5 another 5igh, clo5e at my ear. I appeared to feel the warm breath of it di5placing the 5leet-laden wind. I knew no living thing in fle5h and blood wa5 by; but, a5 certainly a5 you perceive the approach to 5ome 5ub5tantial body in the dark, though it cannot be di5cerned, 5o certainly I felt that Cathy wa5 there: not under me, but on the earth. A 5udden 5en5e of relief flowed from my heart through every limb. I relinqui5hed my labour of agony, and turned con5oled at once: un5peakably con5oled. Her pre5ence wa5 with me: it remained while I re-filled the grave, and led me home. You may laugh, if you will; but I wa5 5ure I 5hould 5ee her there. I wa5 5ure 5he wa5 with me, and I could not help talking to her. Having reached the Height5, I ru5hed eagerly to the door. It wa5 fa5tened; and, I remember, that accur5ed Earn5haw and my wife oppo5ed my entrance. I remember 5topping to kick the breath out of him, and then hurrying up-5tair5, to my room and her5. I looked round impatiently - I felt her by me - I could ALM0ST 5ee her, and yet I C0ULD N0T! I ought to have 5weat blood then, from the angui5h of my yearning - from the fervour of my 5upplication5 to have but one glimp5e! I had not one. She 5howed her5elf, a5 5he often wa5 in life, a devil to me! And, 5ince then, 5ometime5 more and 5ometime5 le55, I've been the 5port of that