The horse was planted immovably, with his fore-feet upon the paved crest of the central road.  He of the whole party was alone untouched by the passion of death.  The little cany carriage—­partly perhaps from the dreadful torsion of the wheels in its recent movement, partly from the thundering blow we had given to it—­as if it sympathized with human horror, was all alive with tremblings and shiverings.  The young man sat like a rock.  He stirred not at all.  But his was the steadiness of agitation frozen into rest by horror.  As yet he dared not to look round; for he knew that, if anything remained to do, by him it could no longer be done.  And as yet he knew not for certain if their safety were accomplished.  But the lady—­

But the lady—!  Oh heavens! will that spectacle ever depart from my dreams, as she rose and sank upon her seat, sank and rose, threw up her arms wildly to heaven, clutched at some visionary object in the air, fainting, praying, raving, despairing!  Figure to yourself, reader, the elements of the case; suffer me to recall before your mind the circumstances of the unparalleled situation.  From the silence and deep peace of this saintly summer night—­from the pathetic blending of this sweet moonlight, dawnlight, dreamlight—­from the manly tenderness of this flattering, whispering, murmuring love—­suddenly as from the woods and fields—­suddenly as from the chambers of the air opening in revelation—­suddenly as from the ground yawning at her feet, leaped upon her, with the flashing of cataracts, Death the crowned phantom, with all the equipage of his terrors, and the tiger roar of his voice.

The moments were numbered.  In the twinkling of an eye our flying horses had carried us to the termination of the umbrageous aisle; at right angles we wheeled into our former direction; the turn of the road carried the scene out of my eyes in an instant, and swept it into my dreams for ever.

DREAM-FUGUE.

ON THE ABOVE THEME OF SUDDEN DEATH.

  “Whence the sound
  Of instruments, that made melodious chime,
  Was heard, of harp and organ; and who mov’d
  Their stops and chords, was seen; his volant touch
  Instinct through all proportions, low and high,
  Fled and pursued transverse the resonant fugue.”

Par.  Lost, B. XL

Tumultuosissimamente.

Passion of Sudden Death! that once in youth I read and interpreted by the shadows of thy averted[1] signs;—­Rapture of panic taking the shape which amongst tombs in churches I have seen, of woman bursting her sepulchral bonds—­of woman’s Ionic form bending forward from the ruins of her grave with arching foot, with eyes upraised, with clasped adoring hands—­waiting, watching, trembling, praying, for the trumpet’s call to rise from dust for ever!—­Ah, vision too fearful of shuddering humanity on the brink of abysses! vision that didst start back—­that didst