I went to bed, but I only slept a few hours. Then feeling that I could not sleep any more, I got up again. I hung my shaving mirror by the window, and was just beginning to shave. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder, and heard the Count's voice saying to me, "Good morning." I jumped. It was amazing that I had not seen him, since the reflection of the glass covered the whole room behind me. I had cut myself slightly because I was so surprised, but did not notice it at the time. I replied 'Good Morning' to the Count, and turned to the mirror again to see how I had been mistaken. This time there could be no error, for the man was close to me, and I could see him over my shoulder. But there was no reflection of him in the mirror! The whole room behind me was displayed, but there was no sign of a man in it, except myself.

This was startling, and it came after so many strange things. That vague feeling of uneasiness which I always have when the Count is near became even stronger. But then I saw that the cut had bled a little, and the blood was trickling over my chin. I put down the razor, turning at the same time to look for some sticking plaster.

Vocabulary:

Shave: To remove the hair from the body
Error: Mistake
Startling: Surprising
Vague: Not clear or definite
Uneasiness: Thinking something may be wrong
Trickle: Liquid running in a small amount
Razor: A sharp blade used for shaving
Sticking plaster: Used to cover cuts and stop slight bleeding