C. At length, finding that neither persuasion,
bribery, nor taunts of cowardice had any effect on my schoolfellow,
who could not decide which appearance would be the more appalling,
for,--he assured me I should be certain to encounter either one or the
other--the White Lady, or the Laird Deil,--I gave up all further
effort to induce him to accompany me, and made up my mind to go to
Rownam avenue alone.
Biding my opportunity, and waiting till my father was safely out of
the way,--on a visit to Greenock, where some business transaction
would oblige him to remain for some days,--I climbed out of my bedroom
window, when I deemed the rest of the household to be sound asleep,
scudded swiftly across the fields, and, making short work of the lofty
wall that formed the southernmost boundary of the Rownam estates,
quickly made my way to the avenue. It was an ideal Sunday night in
August, and it seemed as if all nature participated in the Sabbath
abstraction from noise and work. Hardly a sound broke the exquisite
silence of the woods. At times, overcome with the delightful sensation
of freedom, I paused, and, raising my eyes to the starry heavens,
drank in huge draughts of the pure country air, tainted only with the
sweet smell of newly mown hay, and the scent of summer flowers. I
became intoxicated, delirious, and in transports of joy threw myself
on the soft mossy ground, and, baring my throat and chest, bathed
myself in the moonbeams' kisses.
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