▁once ▁the ▁threat ▁has ▁passed ▁she ▁retre ats ▁back ▁into ▁her ▁own ▁world ▁of ▁isol ation . ▁According ▁to ▁Sep ul ch ra ve ' s ▁sister s , ▁the ▁Lad ies ▁C ora ▁and ▁Clar ice , ▁Ger tr ude ▁is ▁of ▁common ▁blood ▁and ▁not ▁of ▁the ▁noble ▁blood line ▁of ▁the ▁Gro ans . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁cand les ▁g utter ed ▁or ▁fla red ▁so ▁the ▁sh adows ▁moved ▁from ▁side ▁to ▁side , ▁or ▁up ▁and ▁down ▁the ▁wall , ▁and ▁with ▁those ▁movements ▁behind ▁the ▁bed ▁there ▁s way ed ▁the ▁sh adows ▁of ▁four ▁birds . ▁Between ▁them ▁vac ill ated ▁an ▁enorm ous ▁head . ▁This ▁um bra ge ▁was ▁cast ▁by ▁her ▁lady ship , ▁the ▁ 7 6 th ▁Count ess ▁of ▁Gro an . ▁She ▁was ▁pro pped ▁against ▁several ▁pill ows ▁and ▁a ▁black ▁sh aw l ▁was ▁d rap ed ▁around ▁her ▁shoulders . ▁Her ▁hair , ▁a ▁very ▁dark ▁red ▁color ▁of ▁great ▁l uster , ▁appeared ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁left ▁suddenly ▁while ▁being ▁w oven ▁into ▁a ▁kn otted ▁structure ▁on ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁her ▁head . ▁Th ick ▁co ils ▁still ▁fell ▁about ▁her ▁shoulder ▁or ▁cluster ed ▁on ▁the ▁pill ows ▁like ▁burning ▁sn akes . ▁Her ▁eyes ▁were ▁of ▁the ▁pale ▁green ▁that ▁is ▁common ▁among ▁c ats . ▁They ▁were ▁large ▁eyes , ▁yet ▁seemed , ▁in ▁proportion ▁to ▁the ▁pale ▁area ▁of ▁her ▁face , ▁to ▁be ▁small . ▁The ▁nose ▁was ▁big