Miss Templeton, who slept in
the next room, came rushing in, and they both saw an enormous insect,
half beetle and half scorpion, dart under the pillow. John Martin was
fetched, but although he searched everywhere, not a trace of the
insect could be found.
That night, directly Gladys got in bed and blew out the light, she
heard a ticking sound on the sheets, and a huge insect with long hairy
legs ran up her sleeve. Her shrieks brought the whole household to the
room, but the insect was nowhere to be seen.
She was thus plagued for nearly a fortnight. One insect only--never a
number, but only one, of prodigious size and terrifying form--appeared
to her in the least suspected places, _i.e._, on the dressing-table or
chimney-piece, in her shoes, or pockets; crawled over her in the dark;
and could never be caught.
These perpetual frights, and consequent sleeplessness, wore Gladys
out. She grew so ill that she had to give up acting, and go into a
home to try the rest cure.
Hamar then communicated with her, through a third person, and offered
to leave off tormenting her, if she would agree to be engaged to him.
"I never will!" she said.
"Then I will never leave off persecuting you," was his retort.
But he was wary. He had no wish to kill her or to damage her looks--so
he let her get well and remain thus for a brief space. When she was
once again in full vigour, acting at the Imperial, he recommenced his
unwelcome attentions.
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