As I was leaving the room it struck me that the clothes she wore might give me some clue to her dreaming intentionDressing-gown would mean house, dress outsideDressing-gown and dress were both in their places"Thank God," I said to myself, "she cannot be far, as she is only in her nightdress I ran downstairs and looked in the sitting roomNot there! Then I looked in all the other rooms of the house, with an ever-growing fear chilling my heartFinally, I came to the hall door and found it openIt was not wide open, but the catch of the lock had not caughtThe people of the house are careful to lock the door every night, so I feared that Lucy must have gone out as she wasThere was no time to think of what might happenA vague over-mastering fear obscured all details I took a big, heavy shawl and ran outThe clock was striking one as I was in the Crescent, and there was not a soul in sightI ran along the North Terrace, but could see no sign of the white figure which I expectedAt the edge of the West Cliff above the pier I looked across the harbour to the East Cliff, in the hope or fear, I don't know which, of seeing Lucy in our favourite seat There was a bright full moon, with heavy black, driving clouds, which threw the whole scene into a fleeting diorama of light and shade as they sailed acrossFor a moment or two I could see nothing, as the shadow of a cloud obscured StMary's Church and all around itThen as the cloud passed I could see the ruins of the abbey coming into view, and as the edge of a narrow band of light as sharp as a sword-cut moved along, the church and churchyard became gradually visibleWhatever my expectation was, it was not disappointed, for there, on our favourite seat, the silver light of the moon struck a half-reclining figure, snowy whiteThe coming of the cloud was too quick for me to see much, for shadow shut down on light almost immediately, but it seemed to me as though something dark stood behind the seat where the white figure shone, and bent over itWhat it was, whether man or beast, I could not tell I did not wait to catch another glance, but flew down the steep steps to the pier and along by the fish-market to the bridge, which was the only way to reach the East CliffThe town seemed as dead, for not a soul did I seeI rejoiced that it was so, for I wanted no witness of poor Lucy's conditionThe time and distance seemed endless, and my knees trembled and my breath came laboured as I toiled up the endless steps to the abbeyI must have gone fast, and yet it seemed to me as if my feet were weighted with lead, and as though every joint in my body were rusty When I got almost to the top I could see the seat and the white figure, for I was now close enough to distinguish it even through the spells of shadowThere was undoubtedly something, long and black, bending over the half-reclining white figureI called in fright, "Lucy! Lucy!" and something raised a head, and from where I was I could see a white face and red, gleaming eyes Lucy did not answer, and I ran on to the entrance of the churchyardAs I entered, the church was between me and the seat, and for a minute or so I lost sight of herWhen I came in view again the cloud had passed, and the moonlight struck so brilliantly that I could see Lucy half reclining with her head lying over the back of the seatShe was quite alone, and there was not a sign of any living thing about When I bent over her I could see that she was still asleepHer lips were parted, and she was breathing, not softly as usual with her, but in long, heavy gasps, as though striving to get her lungs full at every breathAs I came close, she put up her hand in her sleep and pulled the collar of her nightdress close around her, as though she felt the coldI flung the warm shawl over her, and drew the edges tight around her neck, for I dreaded lest she should get some deadly chill from the night air, unclad as she wasI feared to wake her all at once, so, in order to have my hands free to help her, I fastened the shawl at her throat with a big safety pinBut I must have been clumsy in my anxiety and pinched or pricked her with it, for by-and-by, when her breathing became quieter, she put her hand to her throat again and shop moaned