Lair of the White Worm

"Come!  I want you."

She instinctively drew back--she was not accustomed to such words, more
especially to such a tone.  Her answer was indicative of a new contest.

"Why should I go?  What for?"

He did not at once reply--another indication of his overwhelming egotism.
She repeated her questions; habit reasserted itself, and he spoke without
thinking the words which were in his heart.

"I want you, if you will be so good, to come with me to the turret roof.
I am much interested in certain experiments with the kite, which would
be, if not a pleasure, at least a novel experience to you.  You would see
something not easily seen otherwise."

"I will come," she answered simply; Edgar moved in the direction of the
stair, she following close behind him.

She did not like to be left alone at such a height, in such a place, in
the darkness, with a storm about to break.  Of himself she had no fear;
all that had been seemed to have passed away with her two victories over
him in the struggle of wills.  Moreover, the more recent
apprehension--that of his madness--had also ceased.  In the conversation
of the last few minutes he seemed so rational, so clear, so unaggressive,
that she no longer saw reason for doubt.  So satisfied was she that even
when he put out a hand to guide her to the steep, narrow stairway, she
took it without thought in the most conventional way.

Lady Arabella, crouching in the lobby behind the door, heard every word
that had been said, and formed her own opinion of it.  It seemed evident
to her that there had been some rapprochement between the two who had so
lately been hostile to each other, and that made her furiously angry.
Mimi was interfering with her plans!  She had made certain of her capture
of Edgar Caswall, and she could not tolerate even the lightest and most
contemptuous fancy on his part which might divert him from the main
issue.  When she became aware that he wished Mimi to come with him to the
roof and that she had acquiesced, her rage got beyond bounds.  She became
oblivious to any danger there might be in a visit to such an exposed
place at such a time, and to all lesser considerations, and made up her
mind to forestall them.  She stealthily and noiselessly crept through the
wicket, and, ascending the stair, stepped out on the roof.  It was
bitterly cold, for the fierce gusts of the storm which swept round the
turret drove in through every unimpeded way, whistling at the sharp
corners and singing round the trembling flagstaff.  The kite-string and
the wire which controlled the runners made a concourse of weird sounds
which somehow, perhaps from the violence which surrounded them, acting on
their length, resolved themselves into some kind of harmony--a fitting
accompaniment to the tragedy which seemed about to begin.

Mimi's heart beat heavily.  Just before leaving the turret-chamber she
had a shock which she could not shake off.  The lights of the room had
momentarily revealed to her, as they passed out, Edgar's face,
concentrated as it was whenever he intended to use his mesmeric power.
Now the black eyebrows made a thick line across his face, under which his
eyes shone and glittered ominously.  Mimi recognised the danger, and
assumed the defiant attitude that had twice already served her so well.
She had a fear that the circumstances and the place were against her, and
she wanted to be forearmed.

The sky was now somewhat lighter than it had been.  Either there was
lightning afar off, whose reflections were carried by the rolling clouds,
or else the gathered force, though not yet breaking into lightning, had
an incipient power of light.  It seemed to affect both the man and the
woman.  Edgar seemed altogether under its influence.  His spirits were
boisterous, his mind exalted.  He was now at his worst; madder than he
had been earlier in the night.

Mimi, trying to keep as far from him as possible, moved across the stone
floor of the turret roof, and found a niche which concealed her.  It was
not far from Lady Arabella's place of hiding.

Edgar, left thus alone on the centre of the turret roof, found himself
altogether his own master in a way which tended to increase his madness.
He knew that Mimi was close at hand, though he had lost sight of her.  He
spoke loudly, and the sound of his own voice, though it was carried from
him on the sweeping wind as fast as the words were spoken, seemed to
exalt him still more.  Even the raging of the elements round him appeared
to add to his exaltation.  To him it seemed that these manifestations
were obedient to his own will.  He had reached the sublime of his
madness; he was now in his own mind actually the Almighty, and whatever
might happen would be the direct carrying out of his own commands.  As he
could not see Mimi, nor fix whereabout she was, he shouted loudly:

"Come to me!  You shall see now what you are despising, what you are
warring against.  All that you see is mine--the darkness as well as the
light.  I tell you that I am greater than any other who is, or was, or
shall be.  When the Master of Evil took Christ up on a high place and
showed Him all the kingdoms of the earth, he was doing what he thought no
other could do.  He was wrong--he forgot _Me_.  I shall send you light,
up to the very ramparts of heaven.  A light so great that it shall
dissipate those black clouds that are rushing up and piling around us.
Look!  Look!  At the very touch of my hand that light springs into being
and mounts up--and up--and up!"

He made his way whilst he was speaking to the corner of the turret whence
flew the giant kite, and from which the runners ascended.  Mimi looked
on, appalled and afraid to speak lest she should precipitate some
calamity.  Within the niche Lady Arabella cowered in a paroxysm of fear.