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257
Cranford
·
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
156
Having
braved
the
dangers
of
Darkness
Lane,
and
thus
having
a
little
stock
of
reputation
for
courage
to
fall
back
upon;
and
also,
I
daresay,
desirous
of
proving
ourselves
superior
to
men
(videlicet
Mr
Hoggins)
in
the
article
of
candour,
we
began
to
relate
our
individual
fears,
and
the
private
precautions
we
each
of
us
took.
I
owned
that
my
pet
apprehension
was
eyes—
eyes
looking
at
me,
and
watching
me,
glittering
out
from
some
dull,
flat,
wooden
surface;
and
that
if
I
dared
to
go
up
to
my
looking-glass
when
I
was
panic-stricken,
I
should
certainly
turn
it
round,
with
its
back
towards
me,
for
fear
of
seeing
eyes
behind
me
looking
out
of
the
darkness.
I
saw
Miss
Matty
nerving
herself
up
for
a
confession;
and
at
last
out
it
came.
She
owned
that,
ever
since
she
had
been
a
girl,
she
had
dreaded
being
caught
by
her
last
leg,
just
as
she
was
getting
into
bed,
by
some
one
concealed
under
it.
She
said,
when
she
was
younger
and
more
active,
she
used
to
take
a
flying
leap
from
a
distance,
and
so
bring
both
her
legs
up
safely
into
bed
at
once;
but
that
this
had
always
annoyed
Deborah,
who
piqued
herself
upon
getting
into
bed
gracefully,
and
she
had
given
it
up
in
consequence.
But
now
the
old
terror
would
often
come
over
her,
especially
since
Miss
Pole’s
house
had
been
attacked
(we
had
got
quite
to
believe
in
the
fact
of
the
attack
having
taken
place),
and
yet
it
was
very
unpleasant
to
think
of
looking
under
a
bed,
and
seeing
a
man
concealed,
with
a
great,
fierce
face
staring
out
at
you;
so
she
had
bethought
herself
of
something—
perhaps
I
had
noticed
that
she
had
told
Martha
to
buy
her
a
penny
ball,
such
as
children
play
with—
and
now
she
rolled
this
ball
under
the
bed
every
night:
if
it
came
out
on
the
other
side,
well
and
good;
if
not
she
always
took
care
to
have
her
hand
on
the
bell-rope,
and
meant
to
call
out
John
and
Harry,
just
as
if
she
expected
men-servants
to
answer
her
ring.
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