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exhalations. Shriek, ye clarions! ye loud trumpets, howl! Pile dirge on
dirge; rouse the funereal chords; let the air ring with dire wailing; let
wild discord rush on the wings of the wind! Already I hear it, while
guardian angels, attendant on humanity, their task achieved, hasten away,
and their departure is announced by melancholy strains; faces all unseemly
with weeping, forced open my lids; faster and faster many groups of these
woe-begone countenances thronged around, exhibiting every variety of
wretchedness--well known faces mingled with the distorted creations of
fancy. Ashy pale, Raymond and Perdita sat apart, looking on with sad
smiles. Adrian's countenance flitted across, tainted by death--Idris,
with eyes languidly closed and livid lips, was about to slide into the wide
grave. The confusion grew--their looks of sorrow changed to mockery; they
nodded their heads in time to the music, whose clang became maddening.
I felt that this was insanity--I sprang forward to throw it off; I rushed
into the midst of the crowd. Idris saw me: with light step she advanced; as
I folded her in my arms, feeling, as I did, that I thus enclosed what was
to me a world, yet frail as the waterdrop which the noon-day sun will drink
from the water lily's cup; tears filled my eyes, unwont to be thus
moistened. The joyful welcome of my boys, the soft gratulation of Clara,
the pressure of Adrian's hand, contributed to unman me. I felt that they
were near, that they were safe, yet methought this was all deceit;--the
earth reeled, the firm-enrooted trees moved--dizziness came over me--I
sank to the ground.
My beloved friends were alarmed--nay, they expressed their alarm so
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