"stoker-dracula-168" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stoker Bram)

the darkness to be closing down upon us, great masses of greyness,
which here and there bestrewed the trees, produced a peculiarly
weird and solemn effect, which carried on the thoughts and grim
fancies engendered earlier in the evening, when the failing sunset
threw into strange relief the ghost-like clouds which amongst the
Carpathians seem to wind ceaselessly through the valleys. Sometimes
the hills were so steep that, despite our driver's haste, the horses
could only go slowly. I wished to get down and walk up them, as we
do at home, but the driver would not hear it. "No, no," he said;
"you must not walk here; the dogs are too fierce;" and then he
added, with what he evidently meant for grim pleasantry- for he looked
round to catch the approving smile of the rest- "and you may have
enough of such matters before you go to sleep." The only stop he would
make was a moment's pause to light his lamps.

When it grew dark there seemed to be some excitement amongst the
passengers, and they kept speaking to him, one after the other, as
though urging him to further speed. He lashed the horses
unmercifully with his long whip, and with wild cries of
encouragement urged them on to further exertions. Then through the
darkness I could see a sort of patch of grey light ahead of us, as
though there were a cleft in the hills. The excitement of the
passengers grew greater; the crazy coach rocked on its great leather
springs, and swayed like a boat tossed on a stormy sea. I had to
hold on. The road grew more level, and we appeared to fly along.
Then the mountains seemed to come nearer to us on each side and to
frown down upon us; we were entering on the Borgo Pass. One by one
several of the passengers offered me gifts, which they pressed upon me
with an earnestness which would take no denial; these were certainly
of an odd and varied kind, but each was given in simple good faith,
with a kindly word, and a blessing, and that strange mixture of
fear-meaning movements which I had seen outside the hotel at Bistritz-
the sign of the cross and the guard against the evil eye. Then, as
we flew along, the driver leaned forward, and on each side the
passengers, craning over the edge of the coach, peered eagerly into
the darkness. It was evident that something very exciting was either
happening or expected, but though I asked each passenger, no one would
give me the slightest explanation. This state of excitement kept on
for some little time; and at last we saw before us the Pass opening
out on the eastern side. There were dark, rolling clouds overhead, and
in the air the heavy, oppressive sense of thunder. It seemed as though
the mountain range had separated two atmospheres, and that now we
had got into the thunderous one. I was now myself looking out for
the conveyance which was to take me to the Count. Each moment I
expected to see the glare of lamps through the blackness; but all
was dark. The only light was the flickering rays of our own lamps,
in which the steam from our hard-driven horses rose in a white
cloud. We could now see the sandy road lying white before us, but
there was on it no sign of a vehicle. The passengers drew back with
a sigh of gladness, which seemed to mock my own disappointment. I