Page:The Monk, A Romance - Lewis (1796, 1st ed., Volume 1).djvu/202

 taining the truth of my conjectures. Suddenly I was aware of some one below pacing hastily backwards and forwards. Every thing now appeared to me an object of suspicion. With precaution I drew near the window, which, as the room had been long shut up, was left open in spite of the cold. I ventured to look out. The beams of the moon permitted me to distinguish a man, whom I had no difficulty to recognize for my host. I watched his movements. He walked swiftly, then stopped and seemed to listen: he stamped upon the ground, and beat his stomach with his arms, as if to guard himself from the inclemency of the season: at the least noise, if a voice was heard in the lower part of the house, if a bat flitted past him, or the wind rattled amidst the leafless boughs, he started, and looked round with anxiety.

"Plague take him!" said he at length with extreme impatience; "what can he be about?"

He spoke in a low voice; but as he