 CHAPTER 180 The bustle of the arrival we have noticed subsided at the London Hotel, when another travelling chariot dashed up to the door, and the landlord made a rush out to welcome his new arrival, considering himself quite in luck to have two such customers in one evening. A gentleman on whose head was a fur-travelling cap, was at one of the windows of this carriage, and he called to the landlord, saying, Are you best rooms occupied? Not the best, sir, was the reply, for we have several suites of apartments in all respects equal to each other, but we have a family just arrived in one suite. The lake family, sir. Well it don't matter to me who you have, I will get out if you can accommodate me. Oh certainly, sir, you will find here accommodation of the very first character I can ensure you, sir. Allow me, sir, to hold an umbrella over you, it's a bad night, sir, I'm afraid the winter is setting in very strangely, sir, and prophetically of— Silence. I don't want your opinion of the matter. If there's one thing I dislike more than another, it's a chattering man. This rebuff silenced the landlord, who said not another word, although probably he thought the more, and those thoughts were not of a very kindly character, as regarded the stranger, who had so very answer harmoniously stopped his amiable remarks. Indeed when he got into the hall, he consigned the newcomer to the care of the head-waiter, and retired to his own apartment in Great Dungeon. I hope everything is quiet here, said the stranger to the head-waiter. Oh dear, yes, sir, the house is as quiet as a lamb, sir, I can assure you. We have only three inmates at present, sir. As the lakes, highly respectable people, sir, a brother of Lord Lakes, sir, I believe, and the—I don't want to hear who you have. What the devil is it to me? If there's anything I dislike more than another, it's a damned magpie of a waiter. The head-waiter was terribly offended, and said not another word, so that the gentleman was left in the sole occupation of his apartments, and then to fling himself upon a couch. Ah, ah, God knows how it will all end. Well, well, we shall see, we shall see. They have arrived, and that's one comfort. I am now then, I think so well made up, that they will not readily know me. Oh, no, no, I should hardly know myself now, shaven clean as I am, after being accustomed on the Continent to wear beard and moustache. Well, well, we shall see how it will all end. Thank the fates, they have not gone somewhere where I could not find them. They rung the bell. Waiter, let me have the best of the House of Fords, will you? And remember, my name is Blue. Sir, Blu—Blu, sir? Yes, Diggory Blue. Yes, sir—yes, sir, certainly. What an odd name, so little acquires the waiter, as he went downstairs to tell his master. I say, sir, the genton number ten and eleven says his name is Diggory Blue. Blu—Blu, said the landlord, it is an odd name for a Christian. Perhaps he ain't a Christian, said the very identical Mr. Blu himself, popping his head over the bar in which the little discourse was going on between the landlord and the waiter. How do you know he's a Christian? I beg your pardon, sir, really, I—I—ahem—a thousand pardons, sir. Sure! The strange gentleman went to the door and gave some directions to the servants belonging to his carriage, which sent them away, and then Mr. Blu started up into his rooms again, without saying another word to the landlord, who was terribly annoyed at being caught canvassing the name of one of his guests, with one of the waiters. Confound him, he muttered. He has no business to have such a name as Blu, and good God, if his surname was Blu, or the devil made his godfathers and godmothers call him Diggory. Sam, Sam! Yes, sir. Put down in the book, Diggory Blu. Yes, sir. Bless us why there's somebody else as I'm a sinner. The landlord could not have sworn a better oath. He ran to the door, and there beheld another travelling carriage, out of which stepped a gentlemanly-looking man enveloped in a rich travelling cloak, lined with fur. Can you accommodate us? he said. Yes, sir, with pleasure. Who have you here, landlord? A family named Lake, sir, and of Mr. Blu, sir. Quiet people, I dare say, I shall most likely remain with you a week or two. Let me have the best apartments you have unoccupied at present. Yes, sir. This way, if you please, sir, this way. The last arrival seemed to be in bad health, for he walked very slowly, like a man suffering from great bodily exhaustion, and more than once he paused as he followed the landlord up the principal staircase of the hotel, as if it were absolutely necessary he should do so to recover breath, and moreover the landlord had him sighed deeply, but whether that was from mental or physical distress he had no means of knowing. His curiosity, however, was much excited by the gentleman, and his sympathies likewise, for he was the reverse of Mr. Blu, and listened with a refined and gentlemanly courtesy to whatever was said to him by any one, apparently, though it was evidently an effort to speak so weak and ill did he seem to be. I am sorry, sir, said the landlord, when he had shown the gentleman into his rooms. I am sorry, sir, you don't seem well. I am rather an invalid, but I dare say I shall soon be better, thank you. Thank you, one candle only, I dislike too much light, charge for as many as you please, but never let me have but one, landlord. As you please, sir, as you please, I hope you will make yourself comfortable here, and I can assure you, sir, that nothing shall be wanting on my part to make you so. I am sure of that, landlord, you are very good, thank you. What name shall I say, sir, in case any gentleman should call to see you, sir? Black. Black, sir? Black. Oh, Mr. Black, yes, sir, certainly, why not? Oh, of course, I only thought it a little odd, you see, sir, because we have a gentleman already in the house called Blu. That was all, sir. Mr. Black, thank you, sir. The landlord bowed himself out, and Mr. Black inclined his head with the look of a condescending emperor, so that when the landlord got downstairs, he said to his wife, Now, that is a gentleman. He listens to all you have got to say, like a gentleman, and don't snap you up, as that Mr. Blu did. Mr. Black, it is quite clear to me, is a man of the world, and a perfect gentleman. He'll lure, what's that, eh? What? Why, it's Mr. Black's bell, and he must have almost broken the wire. Sam, Sam? Run up to eight, and see what's wanted. Sam did run up to eight, and when he got there, he found Mr. Black lying upon the floor in a fainting fit, and wholly insensible. The alarmed waiter ran downstairs to his master with the news, and the nearest medical man was sent for, but with as little parade as possible, for the hotelkeeper did not wish to alarm all his other guests with the news of the fact that there was a sick person in the house, which he knew was not pleasing to many persons, and might not use them to change their quarters. When the medical man came, he was shown upstairs at once, when Mr. Black had been lifted onto a sofa, where he lay without any signs of consciousness at all, much to the horror of the landlord, who began to think he was dead, and that there would be all the disagreeableness of having a corpse in his house. The surgeon felt the pulse and the heart, and then he said, He is in a swoon, but he must be in a desperately weak state. He looks it, don't he, sir? He does indeed, how dreadfully emaciated he is. By dint of great exertion and the use of stimulants, the surgeon succeeded in restoring Mr. Black to consciousness, and when he was so restored, he looked around him with that strange vacant expression, which a man wears who has newly come out of a trance, and whose memory is in a state of abeyance. Well, sir, how are you now? said the surgeon. He made no reply. I should advise that he be put to bed, landlord, added the medical man, and something of a warm, nourishing quality given to him. I will send him some medicine. Mr. Black now made an effort to speak, and his memory seemed to have come back to him, as he said. I fear I have been a deal of trouble, but the fatigue of travelling fast, it is that has unnerved me. I shall be much better to-morrow. Thank you all. I will call to-morrow, said the surgeon, and see how you get on, if you please. I shall be much obliged. I feel myself quite strong enough to retire for the night without assistance. Thank you. He made no opposition to the landlord sending him up by Sam some spiced wine, and when it came, he said, I hope no one sleeps near me, who will come in late and disturb me, as I require a full and clear night's repose. Oh, no, sir, said Sam, it's the young lady, sir, as belongs to the Lake family, sleeps in the next room but one to you, that is to say, number nine. The very next room ain't occupied at all, sir, to-night, so you will be as quiet as if you wasn't a church, sir. Thank you. Thank you. Good night, Samuel. End of chapter one hundred and eighty. Chapter one hundred and eighty-one of Varni the Vampire, volume three. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recorded by Gesine. Varni the Vampire, volume three by Thomas Prescott Prest. Chapter one hundred and eighty-one. It is midnight, and the landlord of the hotel suddenly springs out of bed onto the floor, as if he had been galvanized, carrying with him all the bed-clothes and leaving his wife shivering. Good gracious, what was that? He cried. And well he might, for the repose of the whole house was broken in upon by two loud treaks, such as had never before sounded within those walls, and then all was still as the grave. Murder! Murder! shouted the landlady. Somebody has stolen all the bed-clothes. Bother the bed-clothes! cried the landlord, as he hurried on his apparel by the dim light of a night-lamp that was burning on the dressing-table. There's something wrong in the house, or else I have had one of the strangest dreams that ever anybody had, and one of the most likely reality, too. Did you hear them? Oh, those horrid screams! It's not a dream, then, for two people don't dream the same thing at the same moment of time. That's quite clear. Hark! Hark! What's that? What a banging of doors, to be sure! Who's there? Who's there? Wait a bit. The landlord lifted the night-bold off his bedroom, and then there dashed into the room in only one garment, which fluttered in the breeze, no other than the young man who had come with the ladies. He made but one spring into the landlord's bed, crying, Oh, take care of me! Oh, save me! There's seeds or something, and I shall be hurt. Oh, save me! Save me! I can't fight. I never did. Spare my life! Oh, spare my life! Oh, the wretch! shrieked the landlady. And the landlord, justly enough enraged at that intrusion, seized upon the intruder and shot him out of the room via the armist, and that with such force, too, that he rolled all the way down the stairs, upsetting Sam, who was rushing up with the lantern, it having been his turn to sit up all night, as one of the establishment always did, in case of fire or anything happening which might make it necessary to arouse the inmates of the house. The landlord, however, had completed enough of his toilette to enable him to make a decent appearance. So out he salid, having lit a candle, and the first person he met upon the landing was Mr. Blue, fully dressed and with a pistol in his hand. Good God, sir! cried the landlord. What is it all about? What has happened, sir? I cannot tell you, and I'm as anxious as you can be to know. This way, this way, it was the young lady who screamed, for God's sake lend me a light. The landlord resigned his light mechanically, and he sought to his surprise that there was a black patch now over one of Mr. Blue's eyes, and he sought his face was painted. At all events he was so much disguised that it was only by his voice that the landlord knew him. Before, however, they either of them got across the corridor to the door of the young lady's room, Mr. and Mrs. Lake half-dressed made their appearance, both eagerly inquiring what was the matter. I don't know, said the landlord. I only had a scream. Which came from the apartment of that young lady? said Mr. Blue. What young lady? said Mr. Lake sharply. It's rather odd that you, a stranger, should know so precisely which was the apartment of that young lady. Mrs. Lake, go in and see if anything be the matter with Annetta. I hope to have nothing as a miss with her. Mr. Lake looked suspiciously at Mr. Blue, and so did the landlord, for when Mr. Blue had spoken in the presence of the Lake, his voice was completely altered, so that the landlord no longer could have recognized him by it, and he was more puzzled than ever. Oh, come in, come in, Mr. Lake! cried Mrs. Lake, appearing at the door of Annetta's room. She's dead! Dead! cried Mr. Blue with a shout. Oh, no, no, no! He dashed past Mr. Lake, the landlord, and Mrs. Lake, and was in the room in a moment. They went after him as soon as they had recovered sufficiently from their surprise to do so, and they saw him with his hands clasped, and bending over the form of the beautiful young girl as she lay in bed. No, no, no, he said. She is not dead. She has fainted. God knows what the cause may be, but she is not dead. Thank heaven! He turned from the bedside, and without saying another word to the party's present, he walked away to his own room, and left them staring at each other in surprise. The young lady now opened her eyes, and looked wildly about her for a few moments, and then she spoke quickly. Oh, help! help, help! Away, away! Oh, horror! Horror! Horror! Annetta! My dear Annetta! said Mrs. Lake. What is this? Praise her! Retire! To the landlord. My dear Annetta, what has alarmed you? My dear, go away, Mr. Lake. I will let you know all about it. It's a mystery to me at present. Go away! I'll be back soon. Mr. Lake left the room, and in the corridor he found the landlord, who was looking as bewildered as any mortal man could well look, for he could make neither head nor tail of the whole affair. Landlord! said Mr. Lake. Who is that party who behaved so strangely just now? His name is Blue, sir. Blue? Blue? An odd name, and an odd man. Where can I have seen him before? Just as he cried out, and went into the room, I thought there was a something in his voice that came familiarly to my ears, and yet I don't know him. I suspect, landlord, that he has more to do with his midnight disturbance than he would care to own. Well, sir, I don't know, said the landlord, whose interest it was not to disoblige or throw suspicion upon any of his guests. It really ain't very likely, sir. I should say the young lady has had a bad dream, sir, and that's almost all that can be said about it. It may be so. You may depend, that's what it will turn out to be, sir. I hope so, I hope so. These things are not at all pleasant, and if anything of the kind should happen again, we should have to quit directly, you know, but I can say nothing now about it until I have heard from Mrs. Lake what a count Annetta gives of the affair. That alone must guide us in the whole business. In the morning we will talk about it, sir. There was a great deal of austerity in the manner of Mr. Lake. Indeed he might well enough be excused for not being over-pleased at what had taken place, and as for Mr. Blue, there certainly was sufficient in his behaviour to induce a large amount of suspicion that he was in some way connected with the affair. Moreover, the efforts he evidently made in the way of disguise were extremely suspicious in themselves. He evidently had a something to conceal, and when the landlord was now left alone in the corridor, he was strongly induced to make one of his first acts in the morning a notice to Mr. Blue that he would much prefer his room to the company at the London Hotel. He was strongly induced to make one of his first acts in the morning a notice to Mr. Blue that he would much prefer his room to his company at the London Hotel. Then it all of a sudden came to the landlord's head how poor Mr. Black must have been distressed at what had taken place, for Sam had told him what Mr. Black had said about wishing to sleep quietly, so that he felt quite a pang at the idea of so civil a gentleman having been so awfully disturbed, as he must have been, and he had no doubt, but that in the morning he would go away. I wonder if he is awake! thought the landlord. If I could but make some sort of apology to him to-night, and soothe him, all might be well. I'll first go and listen at his door. It may be that he really wants something, and if so, perhaps it would look attentive to knock and see him. I think I will. It's quite out of the question that he should have slept in the middle of all this riot. He approached Mr. Black's door, and listened. All was still as the very grave. What a horrid thing it would be if the shock, in his weak state, has been the death of him! thought the landlord, and the very idea made him quake again. After a few moments passed in this state of painful thought, he found that it would be quite out of the question for him to go to his own room again without ascertaining how Mr. Black was, and accordingly he knocked at the door, quite gently and then louder, and then louder still, but received no answer. Oh! this won't do! I must get in somehow, thought the landlord. He tried the handle, and found in a moment that the door was not fast. A light was burning on the side of the table, which was close to the bed, and there lay Mr. Black fast asleep, and looking so calm and serene, although he was an ugly man, that the landlord was truly astonished to see him. Well, he said, that's what I call sound sleeping at all events. It's a mercy, however. Oh! Lord! He's going to awake. Mr. Black opened his eyes, and looked up. I beg your pardon, sir, said the landlord. I earnestly beg your pardon, but as there has been a little noise in the house, I came to see first if you had been disturbed, and then if you wanted anything, sir. No, no, thank you. Has there been a noise, do you say? A little, sir. Well, I was fast asleep and did not hear it. However, I do sleep so sound, that I think a cannon going off in my ear would hardly awaken me. I am much obliged, however, for your attention, landlord. Can't I get you anything, sir? Nothing until the morning, thank you. Thank you, sir. Good night, sir. Good night. Well, said the landlord, as finding all quiet, he took his way now back to his own room. Well, he is a gentleman, every inch of him that he is. How very mild and polite. He hasn't been disturbed, well, that's a comfort. End of Chapter 181. CHAPTER 182 The waiter tells the story of the lake's disturbance to George and Francis. Nothing further occurred during the night to cause any alarm to the inmates of the London Hotel, but we may as well give Miss Annetta's account of the night's transaction, an account which she gave to Mrs. Lake at the time, and which soon spread all over the hotel, with, no doubt, many additions and embellishments as it was carried. She said that having retired to rest, she, being fatigued from her journey, soon dropped off asleep. That she, to the best of her belief, fastened her room door, although she certainly could not absolutely swear to having done so, she was so very weary. She did not know how long she had slept, but she had a frightful dream in which she thought she was pursued by wolves who ran after her through a large tract of country until she took shelter in a wood, and then all the wolves left her and abandoned the pursuit except one, and that one caught her and fastened his fangs in her throat just as she sunk down exhausted upon a great heap of dried leaves that came in her way in the forest. She then went on to say that in the agony of her dream she actually awoke at that moment and saw a human face close to her, and that a man had his mouth close to her neck and was sucking her blood. It was then that she uttered the two screams which had so alarmed the whole house, and then she stated that the vampire, for such she named the apparition, left her and she fainted away. Now this story, so far as it went, might all be very well accounted for by being called a dream, and the change from a wolf to a man might be but one of those fantastic changes that are sleeping visions so frequently undergo. But, and in this case this was a serious but, but she showed upon her neck the marks of two teeth, and there was a small wound on which even in the morning was a little portion of coagulated blood. This staggered everybody as well it might, and the whole hotel was in a state of confusion. Mr. Blue kept his room. Mr. Black got up and declared that he was much better than the day before, attributing his indisposition to bodily fatigue, and the lakes were in a state of consternation difficult to describe. The landlord, too, was nearly out of his senses at the idea of a vampire being in his house, and a grand consultation was held in the bar parlour between him, Mr. and Mrs. Lake, and Mr. Black, who was asked if he would step down and give his opinion, which compliment was paid to him on account of his being such a gentlemanly and quiet man. They took it in turns to speak, and the landlord had the first say. "'Gentlemen,' he said, and you, madam, you can easily conceive how grieved I am about what has taken place, and I can only say that anything in the world that I can do to find out all about it I will do with the greatest possible pleasure. Command me in any way, but, but, if I have a suspicion of anybody in this house, it is of that Mr. Blue.' "'And I, too,' said Mrs. Lake. "'I don't know what to say further,' remarked Mr. Lake, then that my suspicions of some foul play on the part of Mr. Blue are so strong that if he is not turned out of the hotel we will leave tonight.' "'That's conclusive,' said the landlord, but if you, Mr. Black, would favour us with your opinion, I'm sure, sir, we would all be much obliged.' "'I am afraid,' said Mr. Black, in his quiet, gentlemanly way, that my opinion will be of very little importance as I know nothing of the whole affair, but just what I have heard from one another. I slept all the while, it appears. But there is one circumstance that certainly, to me, is an unpleasant and a suspicious one, and that is, that Mr. Blue, as he calls himself, was up and dressed, and that, with the exception of your night-watchman, he was the only person in the hotel who was so. "'That's a fact,' said the landlord, I met him.' "'Then that settles the business,' said Mr. Lake, send him away. God knows if there be such things as vampires or not, but at all events the suspicion is horrid, so you would better get rid of him at once.' "'I will.' "'I will.' "'Stop,' said Mr. Black. "'Before you do so, is it not worthwhile to make some effort to commit the precise truth, and that, in my opinion, would be very desirable indeed?' "'It would, it would,' said Mr. Lake. "'You must understand, sir, that the young lady is especially under my care, and in fact I esteem her greatly, very greatly, I may say, for a variety of reasons, and therefore anything that I can do which may have the effect of securing her peace of mind and happiness will be to me a sacred purpose.' "'Then I should recommend,' said Mr. Black, that this lady and your wife, landlord, keep watch in the young lady's chamber to-night.' "'Oh, I couldn't. I couldn't,' said the landlady. "'Nor I,' replied Mrs. Lake, nor I, I'm sure. I cannot think of such a thing. I could not do it. I should faint away in terror. "'And so should I,' cried the landlady. I feel quite ill even now at the thought of the thing. "'Then I can say no more, ladies. Of course, gentlemen cannot very well, unless they are very near relatives, undertake such a job. "'I tell you what we can do, though. Suppose we watch in the corridor, you and I, Mr. Lake, and leaving the door of the young lady's chamber just closed, we shall hear if there be any alarm given from within, and effectually secure her from intrusion without. What say you to this, as a plan of proceedings? There is your son, too, might keep watch with us.' "'I'm afraid he's too nervous.' "'Yes,' said the landlord, and he might pop into my bed again, as he did last night, in his fright. "'Oh, don't have him, gentlemen. I beg you. I would go myself, but I am so sleepy always, that I never can keep my eyes open after twelve o'clock. Not that I am at all afraid of anything, but it's downright sleepiness, you see, gentlemen. I am on my feet all day, and so you see I'd rather not on the whole.' "'I am willing,' said Mr. Black. "'Sir,' said Mr. Lake, I am quite ashamed of giving you so much trouble, but I can only say that I shall be very much obliged indeed by your company, and I do hope that we shall have the pleasure of catching Mr. Blue, if he be guilty.' Or acquitting him, if innocent, added Mr. Black. Let us be just, even in the midst of our suspicions. It would be a terrible thing to stigmatize this gentleman as a vampire, when perhaps he may have as great a horror of such gentry as we possibly can.' At this moment young Lake made his appearance. He looked rather pale as he apologized to the landlord for his unintentional intrusion into his room overnight. "'The fact is,' said he, I am as constitutionally brave as a lion, and so whenever anything occurs, I run away.' "'Indeed, sir, an odd way of showing courage,' said Mr. Black. "'Why do you run away?' "'For fear, sir, of doing something rash.' "'Well, I certainly never heard a better excuse for an undignified retreat in one shirt before in my life. But you will not be called upon to do anything tonight. You would better shut yourself up, and let you hear what you will. You need not come out of your room, you know.' "'Well, do you know, sir, I think that it would be the best way. For if I came out I might do something rash, such as kill somebody, which I should afterwards be sorry for, you know.' "'Certainly.' "'Then that's understood, father. Then let what will happen, I won't come out. I have been speaking to Annetta, but I can't somehow or another get her to be pleasant.' "'Hush!' said old Lake, and he bent his brows upon his son reprovingly, as if he fancy that he was letting out more of the family secrets than he ought to have done. The young man was silent accordingly, for he seemed to be in great dread of his father, who certainly, if not a better man, was a man of much more intellect and courage than the son, who was but a very few degrees removed from absolute silliness. He was fool enough to be wicked, and the father was cunning enough to be so. How strange that vice should usually belong to the two extremes of intellect, that folly and talent should lead to similar results, a disregard of the ordinary moral obligations. But it is so. We may pass over the rest of the day, and we do so the more willingly, because we are anxious that the reader should be possessed of some particulars which George and Francis, the servants of Lord Lake, communicated without any reserve at all to slop the waiter. Indeed, far from having anything like a wish to conceal anything, they seemed to glory in saying as much as they could with respect to those matters that were uppermost in their mind. This was just the frame of mind that Slopp would have wished in his prayers had he prayed it all upon the subject to find the men. For although Slopp was quite remarkable for neglecting his own affairs, he never neglected anybody else's, and curiosity had been the bane of his existence. Upon arriving at the king's head in Chisell Street, he found that the servants of Lord Lake were there, according as they had said they should be, and glasses of something uncommonly hot and strong having been ordered, they and Slopp soon grew quite happy and familiar together. First though, before they would commence a history of anything they had to tell of the Lake family, they resolved upon hearing from Slopp all that had passed at the London Hotel, and you may be quite sure that it lost nothing in the telling, but was duly made as much of as the circumstances would permit. No doubt the fumes of the something hot materially assisted Mr. Slopp's invention and general talents upon the interesting occasion. The Coachment and Groom evidently listened with great interest to what Slopp had to relate, for a wonder they were completely silent while he spoke, and when he had concluded they looked at each other and nodded as much to say, ah, we can draw some conclusion from all that, that you, Mr. Slopp, really know nothing at all about. Is that all, said George? Yes, said the waiter, and sufficient, I think. More, a great deal, remarked Francis. But, house and ever, as you seem a proper sort of fellow, we don't mind telling you what we think of the matter. No, no, it deposed George, not exactly that. And why not? Because you see, Francis, we have never known yet, my boy, what to think about it. Well, there's some truth in that at all events, but we will tell Mr. Slopp what happened, once before, that wasn't much unlike what has taken place at the London Hotel. Well, but first tell him who she is, said George, then he'll understand all the rest better, as well as taking more interest in it. Very good, then listen, Mr. Slopp. With all my ears, said Slopp. At this moment a bell rung sharply, and Slopp, on the impulse of the moment, sprung up. Coming, coming, coming! Both George and Francis burst into a great laugh, and Slopp was quite disconcerted. Really, gentlemen, he said, I'm sorry, very sorry, but I'm so used to cry coming when a bell rings that, for the moment, I forgot there was no sort of occasion to do so here. I begs you, won't think no more of it, but tell me all as you have got to tell. Don't mention it, said Francis. And then, after taking another draft of the Something Strong, and settling himself into his seat, commenced. Lord Lake, you know, is our master, and a very good sort of man he is. Only he's a, what did the doctor call him, George? Oh, I know, what was it, Frank? Well, I asked you. It was a Wally-Toddy-Harry-han, I think. Something like it. Odd, wasn't it? Worry. I beg your pardon, gentlemen, said a gentlemanly looking man who was seated in an obscure corner of the room, and who was desperately ugly, at least so much as could be seen of his face, for it was much muffled up. I beg your pardon, but the word you mean, I suppose, is valitudinarian. That's it. That's it. I know that when I hear it, that's it. Well, they say that in consequence of being that heir, he was rather cross-grained a little when there wasn't no sort of occasion for it. And barring that, which poor man I suppose he could not help, he was about as decent a master as ever stepped in shoe leather, wasn't he, George? I believe you, my boy. Well, the countess of Backbite was his mother-in-law, you see, a vicious old woman has ever lived. And when Lady Lake died, it was she who brought the news to Lord Lake that his wife was dead, and the virtuous baby, as she had just brought into the world, was dead, too. Wasn't that it, George? I believe you, my boy, rather. Well, Lord Lake was inconsolitable, as they says, for ever so long, and he made friends with his brother, who would come next into the property. They all went abroad together. All who, said Slopp? Very good, I'll tell you. Lord Lake, his brother, his brother's wife, and son. Them is his now at the London Hotel. Now you know, don't you? Go on, I know. Well, they hadn't been there above a matter of fourteen years when the old countess of Backbite dies, and then there comes a letter to my Lord, it says that the precious baby as his wife had brought into the world just before she went out of it herself wasn't dead at all, but had been smugged away by the old countess. Nobody knows what for. And that she was alive and kicking then, and ready to come to her papa whenever he said the word. And so come she did, you see. And that's our young Lady Annetta, you see, as is in the London Hotel. Well, but I don't understand, said Slopp. Of course you don't. Oh! But you will, if you goes on a listening. You can't expect to understand all at once, you know. Just attend to the remainder, and you'll soon know all about it. But George is the man to tell you that he is. Oh, no, no, no, said George. Why, you heard it, and told it to me. Come, don't be foolish, but tell it at once, old fellow. Well, if I must, I must, said George. So here goes. Though when I has to tell anything, I always feel as if I was being dropped with a curb, half a dozen links too tight. But here goes. I am very much amused, said Slopp, and should certainly like to hear it all. Pray, go on. Well, you must know, we was in an old tumble-down place in Italy, as they call Rome. Horribly out of repair, but that's neither here nor there. In course we had stables and riding out, and there was a nice sort of terrace where Lord Lake used to walk sometimes, as well as his brother, while the carriage was being got out, so that I could hear what they said if I chose to do so. Well, one day the brother, Mr. Lake, or the honorable Dick Lake, as he was sometimes called, was walking there alone, and I see it as he was all of a tremble-like, you understand? But I could not have any idea what it was about. Once or twice I heard him say, it will do, and it will do. Presently, then, out comes Lord Lake, and he says, giving the other a letter, could God read that, give us a trifle more sugar? What? What do you mean, said Francis? Is that the way to tell a story, to run into what people says, what you happens to want yourself? Here's the sugar, now go on. Well, the brother reads it, and then he says, gracious Providence, says he. This here says, as the Lady Annetta ain't your daughter, but a hymn-poster. Yes, says Lord Lake, oh, what will become of me now? Calm yourself, says the brother, and leave this affair to me. Let her go with me to England, and we will clear up the mystery. I love her as I would a child of my own, but still this here letter, says he, seems to contain such a statement, says he. Well? Well? That's all. After that, they walked off the terrace, and I didn't hear no more. After that, in a day or two, Lord Lake's comes to me, and says, George, my brother and his family, with Lady Annetta, are going to England. I wish you and Francis to accompany them, and to attend upon them, just the same as you would on myself, says he. And in course, I didn't like to say anything, and so we came. But as our idea of the brother is that he's a humbug, we wouldn't have no more to do with him after we got to London, you see, and so off we went, as you heard. Well, but, said Slopp, there was a something else you was to tell me. So there was, said Francis, and this was it. While we were staying at a place called Florence, and sleeping all of us in an old palace, there was an alarm in the middle of the night, and we found it came from the chamber of the Lady Annetta, who said that a man had got in by the window, and she just woke in time to see him. And when she screamed out, away he went again, but nothing could be seen of him. The oddest thing was that the window was so high from the ground, that it seemed to be quite out of the question that he could have got at it without a ladder, yet the deuce of a ladder was there to be seen. And who was it? Nobody ever knew. But the night after it was said that a vampire had visited a cottage near at hand, and had fastened on the throat of a little girl of about seven, and sucked half the blood out of her, so that she was lying at the point of death, and the description the child gave of him was so like what the Lady Annetta had said of the man that had got in at the window of her bedroom, that my lord got very uneasy about it, and moved away from Florence as quick as he could, and no wonder either, you'll say. It was odd. It was, and what you have told me of last night put me in mind, but you see, no doubt. Lord, I'm all of a Twitter myself. Why, what need you care? Those who know about vampires say there are two sorts. One sort always attacks its own relations as was and nobody else, and the other always selects the most charming young girls and nobody else, and if they can't get either, they starve to death, waste away, and die, for they take no food or drink of any sort, unless they are downright forced. But who told you? Oh, an old Italian priest who spoke English. CHAPTER 184 THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER THE NIGHTWATCH At this moment the stranger who had put the coachmen in groom-right about the word valetudinarian rose from the seat he had occupied in the corner of the room, and uttering a deep hollow groan walked toward the door. The party looked at him with awe and astonishment. He was of great height but frightfully thin, and the slight glance they could get of his face showed how perfectly ugly he was. In another moment he had left the place, and there was a silence of several minutes duration after he had done so. But it was at length broken by the coachmen, who said, I say, Frank, my boy, Here you is, said Francis. Don't you think if you never cede anybody as looked like a vampire before, you have cede one now? The devil, said Francis, you don't mean that. Yes I do, and it strikes me wonderful as we have been a-telling all we had to tell for the very individual of all others as we oughten to have told it to. That's a vampire. If a horse is a horse, that's a vampire, Frank. I know it. I feel it. Frank looked aghast. Why—why? Then he said, We have just told him where to find the Lady Lake if he wants her. Lord! What? Suppose it's the same one as God in at the window at Florence. I'll have him. He can't have got far, I should say, by this time, and hang me if I don't stop him and know what he is before he goes any further. I shan't sleep if I don't. Without waiting for any reply, although the coachmen and Mr. Slopp both seemed to be upon the point of saying something, outrushed the valorous Francis into the street. But in about three minutes he came back and sat down with a disappointed look. He's off, he said. In course, said the coachman, through the air like a skyrocket, you might a-node that, but out or all, Frank, he made and be a vampire. Do vampires come into public houses, hey? Answer me that, will you? I rather think that's a settler, Frank. Do you, said Frank? It might be, old fellow, if you could prove it. It would be an odd thing for a vampire to come into a public house and drink. But I don't see if he has anything again by it, anything to prevent him coming and ordering and paying for something, and then leaving it. Look there. Frank pointed to the brimming glass of something which was on the table just where the mysterious man had sat, and this, to the coachmen and to Slopp, was such proof positive that they both looked at each other with the most rueful expression on their countenances. I think you are rather convinced now, you old hump, added Frank. Rather. Rather. I'm all over of a cold inspiration, said Slopp. Well, added Frank, it's not never of no use, you know, putting yourself out of the way about it, and that's the fact, and all I've got to say is that I've got nothing to say. Very good. Very good. But if you, Mr. Slopp, will give us a call tomorrow and let us know if anything wrong has took place at the London Hotel, we shall be very much obliged to you, for it's natural for us that we feel an interest in what's going on there on a kind of our young lady, who we won't, and don't think is anything else but our young lady, and if she was not she ought to be. And I tell you what, just keep an eye on the spoony young lake. I will. He wants to be quite sweet with the lady Annetta, but she can't abide him. But you tell us if he tries to pitch it too strong and we shall perhaps hit on some scheme of operations. All this Slopp promised faithfully, and with his own nerves rather startled at the idea of having been in the same room for the better part of an hour with a vampire, he walked back to the hotel, and as he had not been enjoined to any secrecy, he gave the landlord a full and particular account of all that had taken place. This was listened to with no small degree of interest, but as mine host of the London Hotel could make nothing of it, he could do nothing with it. Slopp, he said, I don't like the state of things at all, I assure you, Slopp, and I rather shake than otherwise about what's to occur to night. You know there's to be a watch kept in the corridor by the young lady's room, or else, poor thing, no doubt she wouldn't get a wink of sleep, and I'm quite sure that I shant at all events, let what will happen or what won't, I'm all a Twitter now as it is. I've broke nine wine-glasses already, and all I can say is I wish they would all go away. The landlord did not like to give good guests notice to quit his house, but he had a consultation with Mr. Black, whom he considered to be quite his sheet anchor in this affair, for if that gentleman had not offered to sit up and watch for the vampire, he, the landlord, certainly would, despite all profitable considerations, have requested guests who brought with them such questionable connections to leave. The night had now come on, and as hour after hour passed away, the anxiety of all concerned in the affairs that were taking place at the London Hotel increased. But we need not occupy the time and attention of the reader with surmises and reflections, while facts of an interesting and strange nature remain to be detailed. Suffice it that at eleven o'clock the Lady Annetta retired to rest. Two chairs and a table on which burned two candles were placed in the corridor just outside the room in which the fair girl who had the previous night had such a visitor reposed, and there sat Mr. Black and Mr. Lake, both determined to do their utmost to discover the mystery of the vampire's appearance, and to capture him should he again show himself. During the first half-hour's watch Mr. Lake related to his companion the particulars of the affair at Florence, which, as it has already been told by Francis, we need not again recapitulate, suffice it to say that the narration was listened to by Mr. Black with great interest. And did you, he said, make no discovery of who this midnight visitor was? None whatever. Too softly strange. It is, and has given her abundance of uneasiness. And well it may, sir, I shall be very happy if through my means any elucidation of these mysteries and truly terrific visitations should take place. You are very good, sir. What is that? Twelve o'clock, I think, striking by some neighbouring church timekeeper. Hush! Is it not so? Yes, twelve. It is. How still the house is! I was told this was a very quiet hotel, and so indeed I find it. But yet, I suppose upon this occasion there is more stillness than usual. Doubtless. Hush! Hush! What was that? I thought I heard something like a window opening slowly and cautiously. Hark! There it is again. Do you not hear it? Hush! Hush! Listen now. On my life I can hear nothing. Indeed your sense of hearing then is not so sharp as mine. Look there. He pointed as he spoke to the door of Mr. Blue's chamber, which was opened a very short distance, not above a couple of inches, and then he added in a whisper, What do you think of that? By heaven I suspected him before, and I, and be still whatever you do. But yet perhaps it would be better. Go downstairs and bring up the hall-porter. We may as well be in force, you know. The door at the head of the stairs is open. You can depend upon my keeping a good watch while you are gone. Now, now quick, or we may be pounced upon and murdered before we are aware. Thus urged, Mr. Lake ran downstairs for the purpose of rousing up the night-porter, and he found that that individual did indeed require rousing up. Hello, my man! He said, Get up! Eh? Eh? What? Fire! No. No, they want you upstairs, that's all. You are a pretty fellow to consider yourself a night-watch here and to be fast asleep. Why, with the exception that you have your clothes on you, you are no more ready than anybody else in the house. I beg pardon, sir, I always sleep with one eye open. Well, well, come upstairs." A loud scream at this moment came upon their ears, and the night-porter staggered back again into his great leathern chair from whence he had just risen and looked aghast, while Mr. Lake turned pale and trembled fearfully. Good God! he said. What's that? A bell was rung furiously, and then ceased with a sudden jar as if the wire had broken, which was indeed the fact. Then Mr. Lake, mustering all the courage he possessed, ran upstairs again, leaving the night-porter to follow him, or not, as he felt inclined. But when he reached the door at the top of the staircase he found that it was fast, nor could he, with all his strength, force it open. Help! Help! Help! he heard a voice cry. CHAPTER 185 THE VAMPIRE'S FEAST, THE ALARM AND THE PERSUIT A general ringing of bells now ensued in the hotel from all the bedrooms that were occupied, and the din in the house was quite terrific. Mr. Lake hammered away at the door leading to the corridor, and he was soon joined by the hall-porter, who having now recovered from the first shock which the scream had given him, showed more courage and determination than anyone would have given him credit for. He was rather a bulky man, and without any more ado he flung himself bodily against the door with such force that he dashed it open and rolled into the corridor. All was darkness. Lights! Lights! Lights! shuddered Mr. Lake. Lights! Mr. Black! Where are you? Mr. Black! Mr. Black! A door, it was that of Mr. Blue, was now dashed open, and that gentleman appeared with a candle in his hand and a pistol firmly grasped in the other. It was very strange, but he wore an artificial masquerade nose of an enormous size, and had on a red wig. Who locked my door? Mr. Black cried. Who locked my room door on the outside, and forced me to break it open? Who did it? Where is the vampire? said Mr. Lake. Lights! Lights! Lights! shuddered the night watchman. And in another minute the landlord and several waiters, half-dressed but carrying lights, and each armed with the first weapon of offence he could lay his hands on at the moment, made their appearance on the scene of action. What is it? What is it? cried the landlord. Oh, what is it? God knows! cried Mr. Lake. He started into the apartment of the young lady. In another moment he emerged and tottered toward one of the seats. She is covered with blood, he said. Mr. Blue and the landlady of the hotel both made a rush then into the room, and the former came out in a minute, and going to his own apartment shut the door. They thought that they then heard him fall at full length upon the floor. All was mystery. I'm bewildered, said the landlord. What is it all about? And where is Mr. Black? asked Mr. Lake. Here, cried a waiter, as he pointed to an insensible form lying so close to the table that nobody had as yet noticed it. Here he is. He looks as if he was dead. Poor Mr. Black was lifted up. His eyes were closed as well as his mouth, and he seemed to breathe with difficulty. He was placed in a chair and then held, while water was dashed in his face to recover him. And after a time, just as one of the waiters who had been sent for the surgeon again, who had before attended the young lady, made his appearance with that gentleman, he slowly opened his eyes. Oh, mercy, mercy, where am I now? What is all this about? inquired the medical man. Nobody knows, sir, said the landlord. That's the beauty of it. But the young lady is very bad again. Will you, wife, show the doctor into her room? Good God! I shall go out of my wits, and my hotel that has a character forming one of the quietest in all London. Yes, the quietest, I may say. I'm a ruined man. Mr. Black, said Mr. Lake, I implore you, if you can, to tell the meaning of all this. All—all I know, said Mr. Black faintly. All I know. Everybody gathered round him to listen, and with looks of fright and apprehension and a trembling voice he said, I—I was sitting here waiting for Mr. Lake to come back with the night-porter, for we had some cause to wish for further help, when somebody came suddenly up to me, and struck me down. The blow was on the top of my head, and so severe that I fell as if shot. And then, and then? Nothing! I don't know anything else till you recovered me, and then I seemed as if all the place was scouring round me. And then— But Mr. Black, cannot you tell us who struck you? What was he like? Could you identify him again? I fear not—indeed I hardly saw more of him than that he was tall. Well, cried Mr. Lake, all I can say is that I have had my suspicion since last night, and now I am certain, that is to say circumstantially certain. What say you landlord? Is there not one person in the house who may not fairly enough be suspected? He looked toward the door of Mr. Blue's room as he spoke, and indeed all eyes were turned in that direction, and the landlord, mustering up courage, advanced to the door and said as he did so, We will have him out. He shall not stay another hour on my premises. We will have him out, I say. This sort of thing won't do, and it shall not do. We will have him out. I say, gentlemen, we shall have him out." One thing was quite clear, and that was that the landlord wanted somebody to come forward and assist him in having out Mr. Blue. But when he found that nobody stirred, he turned round at the door, and looked rather foolish. Under any circumstances perhaps this conduct might have excited the risible faculties of all who were present. But the affair, take it all and all, was of too mysterious and serious a character to indulge in any laughter about. I, said Mr. Lake, advancing, will have him out, if nobody else will. It would appear as if Mr. Blue had been listening to what was going on, for on the instant he flung open his door and said, Who will have me out, and what for? Vampire! Vampire! Tried a chorus of voices. Idiots! said Mr. Blue. Detain him! said Mr. Lake. Detain him! We shall never be satisfied until this affair is thoroughly and judicially inquired into. Detain him, I say. Let him who sets no value on his life, said Mr. Blue, lay but a hand upon me, and he shall have to admire the consequences of his rashness. I am not one to be trifled with. It is my fancy to leave this hotel this moment. Let any one dare to stand in my way. Your name is not Blue, said the landlord. You are not what you seem. Granted. Ah! You admit it, said Lake. Lay hold of him. I will give ten pounds for him dead or alive. I have often heard of vampires, and by heaven I now believe in them. Seize him, I say. Seize him! He dashed forward himself as he spoke, and was on the point of seizing hold of Mr. Blue, when one well-directed blow from that individual sent him sprawling. After this nobody showed any very marked disposition to attack him, but he was allowed to walk calmly and slowly down the staircase of the hotel, while Lake gathered himself up, looking rather confused at the tumble he had had. But his passion was not subdued, for he made a rush still after the supposed vampire, but he was too late. The hotel door was closed with a bang that reverberated through the house, and Mr. Blue was gone, vampire or no vampire. Landlord, I shall leave your house, said Lake. I'm ruined, said the landlord. This affair will get into some Sunday paper. Mr. Black, what is to be done? Really, the top of my head is so hurt, replied Mr. Black, that I can think of nothing else. A plague upon the top of your head, muttered the landlord. The lakes now, that is, Mr. and Mrs. Lake, found their way to the young lady's chamber, when they found her in a state of great alarm. The story she told amounted to this. She was asleep, she said, having perfect confidence that no harm could come to her while the door of her room was watched in the way it was. She had a light burning in her room, but it was one that gave a very faint light, as she had, usually, an objection to sleeping otherwise than in profound darkness. But she had no notion of how long she had been asleep when she was awakened by a hand being placed over her mouth, which prevented her from breathing. She struggled to free herself, but it was in vain. The monster attacked her on the neck with his teeth, and all she remembered was getting sufficiently free to utter one scream, and then she fainted away. "'My dear,' said Mrs. Lake, "'I must have some serious talk with you upon a subject which I have before urged. Go away, Lake.' Lake left the room, and then Mrs. Lake continued, "'This is a very dreadful affair, Annetta. You know that it is fancied you are not the child of Lord Lake, and that we have the care of you. Now we so much love and admire you. "'Stop,' said the young lady, "'I know what you are about to say. You are going to urge me again to marry your son, which I will never do, for I have the greatest aversion to him. You will not. Who will protect you from a vampire better than a husband?' "'Probably no one, but at least I reserve to myself the right to choose to whom I give that task. I am ill now, and weak. I pray you not to worry me further upon a subject concerning which it is quite impossible we can ever agree. I only wish I were dead. And that you may very well soon be if your blood is all sucked away by a vampire. So be it. Heaven help me. Pshh! You may die as soon as you like." End of chapter 185 Chapter 186 of Warny the Vampire, Volume 3 This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Chessie Warny the Vampire, Volume 3 by Thomas Prescott-Prest Chapter 186 The Meeting in St. James Park Another day passed over at the London Hotel, and as Mr. Blue had been kind enough to take his departure, and that departure seemed to be final, for he did not show himself again, Mr. Lake rescinded the resolution he had made to leave. Probably it was much more convenient for him to stay, although he pretended that he did so out of consideration for the landlord, who ought not to be punished for innocently harboring so suspicious a character as Mr. Blue, whether he were a vampire or not. But the day, as we say, has passed away, and it is about half past eight o'clock in the evening, and quite dark, for the moon did not rise for an hour afterwards, when Mr. Lake might have been seen making his way towards St. James Park. He entered it by the narrow moat of Ingress by Spring Gardens, and made his way towards the Palace of St. James. That is to say, the wall of its private gardens that look upon the park. And then, under some shady trees, he paused and looked inquiringly about him. He was to have been here a little before nine, he muttered, hush! The horseguard's clock chimed three quarters past eight. Mr. Lake drew back, as two men came at a slow pace towards where he stood, and then he muttered, it is Miller, but confound him! Who is that he has brought with him? Hang the fellow! I did not give him a leave to make a confident in this ticklish piece of business. One of the men only now advanced, leaving the other about twelve paces from him. Mr. L, I think, he said, yes, Miller, it is I. But who in the name of all that's infernal have you brought with you? Are you mad to trust to anybody but yourself? Oh, don't trouble yourself about that, sir. The fact is, he has been with me for a number of years. He is my managing clerk, and as great a rogue as he would wish him to be. I cannot keep anything holy from him, so the best way I find is to make a confident of him at once. I don't half like it. You may to roughly depend upon Lee, that is his name, and you never knew such a rogue as he is, sir. Besides, somebody, you know, must have been trusted to personate the father, and he will do that, and then, you know likewise, sir, that, hush, hush, speak lower, will you? Bring this accomplished rogue this way, since I must do business, it seems, with him. Call him here, Miller, and we will talk as we walk on, that is always safer than holding a conference in one spot, near which anyone may hide. But it is a much more difficult thing for a spy to follow and overhear you at the same time. You have a genius, Mr. Lake. Bah, I don't want any compliments from you, Miller. We want downright business. By this time Mr. Miller had made a sign to his clerk, Lee, to come up, which that individual did, and had once eluded Mr. Lake, and made some trivial remark about the weather in an offhand way. Mr. Lake made rather a distant reply, and then he said, I presume, sir, that Mr. Miller has made you acquainted with the affair in which, it seems, I am to purchase your kind cooperation? Oh, no, said Miller. I have certainly given him a brief odd line, but I always prefer that the principal himself should give all the directions possible to everyone, and tell his own story. Well, sir, I think you might as well have told him, and not given me the trouble. But however, if I must, I must. So pray, attend to me, sir. I will, said Lee. My brother, then, is Lord Lake. It's a new title, rather, as our father was the first to head it, and he left large estates to my brother, and to his son, if he had one, or his daughter, if he had one. The title descending to air mails, I must have the title without living my brother, if I do, but hang it all, she has a daughter, and she will have the estates. I comprehend. The old countess of Backbite smuggled the child away at its birth, and took care of it for a consideration that used up two-thirds of my income. But the old cat on her death confessed that the child was Lord Lake's. But luckily you see, without discriminating me. Now Mr. Miller was a solicitor, and so between us we have forged a letter supposed to be found among the old countess papers, in which she states that she intends to pawn off a child as the Lord Lake's when she is dying, but that his child really did die, you see? Oh yes. Now this has had an effect upon Lord Lake, who to some extent had repudiated the girl, and what I want is to clinch the matter by providing someone who will actually own her. I understand, said Lee, but it will be an awkward affair if found out. I want to provide against any consequences of a disagreeable nature by getting her to marry my son, but I don't think she will. Absolute distress, to which I am determined to bring her if I can, may move her to that step, and then all's right. The secret is in my hands to play with, as I think proper. A very good plan. You see, there's a lover of hers too, a young officer in the guards, but he will be off as soon as he finds that she's the daughter of a lawyer's clerk instead of a Lord. Well, clear enough, I'll follow her. Thank you, and now about money matters. Miller gets a thousand pounds. What do you want? Be moderate. I also have five hundred pounds to pay me. The dues. Well, I don't want to stint you, but you will bear in mind that debt is very good pay. And now we must get up a first grade story so complete in all its parts that there shall be no sort of doubt about it, you see, a story that will stand the test of examination and criticism. That can be better done in my chambers, said the attorney. I think now we understand each other perfectly well, and that we need hardly say any more just at present. Money matters are settled, and as Mr. Lee has once undertaken the business, I am quite satisfied for one that it will be well done. I am glad to hear you say that, Miller, and I am quite reconciled, which I must own I was not at first, to Mr. Lee having a finger in the pie. Thank you, said Lee. Thank you. We shall manage it all right, no doubt. Indeed, now that you have fully explained it to me, it seems quite an easy and straightforward affair. You think so? I certainly do think so. Then you take off my mind a load of anxiety, for I thought it would be a difficult thing to arrange and require no end of chicanery and trouble, but you quite reassure, you quite reassure me, Mr. Lee. Oh, these things are done every day, my dear sir. They had walked to and fro as they spoke, till now, by the time they had settled their affairs thus far, they stood by the center of the principal mall. The park was very quiet and had quite a deserted aspect. Indeed, it was near the time when there would be more difficulty in traversing it in consequence of the extra vigilance of the night's sentinels. The moon faded gradually away, or seemed to fade away, as the light-fleecy clouds swept over its face and the parties who had held this interesting dialogue separated. Mr. Lake walked hurriedly towards his hotel, and the attorney and his accomplice stood for a few moments, conversing in whispers. They then turned towards the green park, and as they did so, they were crossed by a tall, spectral-looking figure wrapped up in an immense cloak, but who did not seem to observe them, for his eyes were fixed upon the moon, which at that moment again began to emerge from the clouds. He stretched forth his arms as if he would have held a beautiful satellite to his heart. An odd fish whispered to the attorney. Very, said his companion, I should like now to know who he is. The attorney shrugged his shoulders as he said. Some harmless lunatic, most likely, they say that such often wonder all night about the parks. That's strange. Only look at him now. He seems to be worshipping the moon. And now, how he strides along. And, see, there is another man meets him, and they both hold up their arms in that strange way to the moon. What on earth can be the meaning of it? I really don't know. Some religious fanatics, perhaps? Ah, that's as likely as not. We have all sorts of them, jumpers and screamers and terrors, and why not a few who may call themselves Lunarians? For my part I would rather worship the moon than I would, as most church and chapel-going women do, worship some canting evangelical thief of a parson who has, oh dear, such elegant hands and such whiskers and speaks so soft and impressive. Of all the rogues on earth, I do detest those in surpluses. End of Chapter 186 Chapter 187 Of Varni the Vampire Volume 3 This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Chessie Varni the Vampire Volume 3 by Thomas Prescott-Prest Chapter 187 The Churchyard at Hamstead The resuscitation of a vampire. It wants half an hour to midnight. The sky is still cloudy, but glimpses of the moon can be got as occasionally the clouds slip off before her disk. And then, what a glorious flood of silver light spread itself over the landscape. And the landscape in every respect more calculated to look beautiful and romantic under the chased moon's ray than that to which you would now invite attention certainly could not have been found elsewhere within many a mile of London. It is Hamstead Heath, that favoured spot where upon a small scale are collected some of the rarest landscape beauties that the most romantic mountainous counties of England can present to the gratified eye of the tourist. Those who are familiar with London and its environs of course are well acquainted with every nook, glade, tree, and dell in that beautiful heave where at all and every time in season there is much to recommend that semi-wild spot to notice. Indeed, if it were as it ought to be there wested of its donkey-drivers and laundresses a more delightful place of residence could scarcely be found than some one of those sub-urban villas that are dotted around the margin of this picturesque waste. But it is midnight nearly. That time is forthcoming at which popular superstition trembles. That time at which the voice of ignorance and of kent lowers to whispers. And when the poor of heart and timid of spirit imagine worlds of unknown terrors. On this occasion, though, it will be seen that there would have been some excuses if even the most bold had shrunk back appalled at what was taking place. But we will not anticipate. For truly in this instance might we say sufficient for the time are the horrors thereof. If anyone had stood on that portion of the high road which leads right over the heave and so on to Handon or to Highgate according as the left hand or the right hand route is taken and after reaching the castle tavern had looked across the wide expanse of heave to the west they would have seen nothing for a while but the clustering bushes of heave blossom and the picturesque fir trees that there are to be beheld in great luxuriance. But after a time something of a more noticeable character would have presented itself At a quarter to twelve there rose up from a tangled mass of rushwood which had partially concealed a deep cavernous place where sand had been dug a human form and there it stood in the calm still hour of night so motionless that it scarcely seemed to possess life but presently another rose at a short distance and then there was a third so that these free strange looking beings stood like landmarks against the sky and when the moon shone out from some clouds which had for a short time obscured her race they looked strange and tall and superhuman. One spoke "'Tis time,' he said in a deep hollow voice that sounded as if it came from the tomb. "'Yes, time,' said another. "'Time has come,' said a third.' Then they moved and by the gestures they used it seemed as if an animated discussion was taking place among them after which they moved along in perfect silence and in a most stately manner towards the village of Hampstead. Before reaching it however they turned down some narrow shaded walks among garden walls and the back of stables until they emerged close to the old churchyard which stands on high ground and which was not then, at least the western portion of it, overlooked by any buildings. Those villas which are now skirted are of recent elevation. A dense mass of clouds has now been brought up by a south wind and had swept over the face of the moon so that at this juncture and as twelve o'clock might be expected every moment to strike the night was darker than it had yet been since sunset. The circumstance was probably considered by the mysterious beings who sought the churchyard as favourable to them and they got without difficulty with in those sacred precincts devoted to the dead. Scarcely had they found a way a dozen feet among the old tombstones when from behind a large square monument there appeared two more persons and if the attorney Mr. Miller had been there he would probably have thought they bore such a strong resemblance to those whom he had seen in the park he would have had but little hesitation in declaring that they were the same. These two persons joined the other three who manifested no surprise at seeing them and then the whole five stood close to the wall of the church so that they were quite secure from observation and one of them spoke. Brothers, he said, you who pray upon human nature by the law of your being we have work to do tonight. That work which we never leave undone and which we dare not neglect when we know that it is to do. One of our fraternity lies here. Yes, said the others, with the exception of one and he spoke passionately. Why? he said, when there were enough and more than enough to do the work summon me. Not more than enough, there are but five. And why should you not be summoned? said another. You are one of us. You ought to do your part with us in setting a brother free from the clay that presses on his breast. I was engaged in my vocation. If the moon shine out in all her lustre again you will see that I am one and wasted and have need of blood, said one. Blood, blood, blood, repeated the others and then the third speaker said to him who complained. You are one whom we are glad to have with us on a service of danger. You are strong and bold. Your deeds are known. You have lived long and are not yet crushed. I do not know our brother's name, said one of the others with an air of curiosity. I go by many. So do we all. But by what name may we know you best? Slayton, I was named in the reign of the Third Edward. But many have known me as Varni the Vampire. There was a visible sensation among those ratchet beings as these words were uttered and one was about to say something when Varni interrupted him. Come, he said, I have been summoned here and I have come to assist in the exhumation of a brother. It is one of the conditions of our being that we do so. Let the work be proceeded with then at once. I have no time to spare. Let it be done with. Where lies the vampire? Who was he? A man of good repute, Varni, said the first speaker. A smooth, fair-spoken man. A religious man, so far as can't went. A proud, cowardly, haughty, worldly follower of religion. And what made him one of us? He dipped his hands in blood. There was a poor boy, a brother's only child, who was left an orphan. He slew the boy and he is one of us. With a weapon. Yes, and a sharp one. The weapon of unkindness. The child was young and gentle, and harsh words, blows, and revilings placed him in his grave. He is in heaven, while the man will be a vampire. Tis well, dick him up. They each produced from under the dark cloaks they wore, a short, double-edged, broad, flat-bladed weapon, not unlike the souls worn by the Romans, and he who assumed the office of guide led the way to a newly-made grave. And diligently, and with amazing rapidity and power, they commenced removing the earth. It was something amazing to see the systematic manner in which they worked. And in ten minutes one of them struck the blade of his weapon upon the lid of a coffin and said, It is here. The lid was then partially raised in the direction of the moon, which, although now hidden, they could see would in a very short time show itself in some gaps of the clouds that were rapidly approaching at great speed across the heavens. They then desisted from their labor and stood around the grave in silence for a time, until, as the moon was longer showing her fair face, they began to discourse and whispers. What shall become of him? said one, pointing to the grave. Shall we aid him? No, said Vani. I have heard that of him which shall not induce me to lift hand or voice in his behalf. Let him fly, shrieking like a frightened ghost where he lists. Did you not once know some people named Bannerworth? I did. You came to see me, I think, at an inn. They are all dead. Hush, said another. Look, the moon will soon be free from the vapors that sail between it and the green earth. Behold! She shines out fresh once more. There will be life in the coffin soon, and our work will be done. It was so. The dark clouds passed over the face of the moon, and with a sudden burst of splendor it shone out again as before. End of chapter 187 Chapter 188 of Vani the Vampire Volume 3 This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Vani the Vampire Volume 3 by Thomas Prescott Press, Chapter 188 The Vampire, the Flight, the Watchman in the Vale of Health A death-like stillness now was over the whole scene, and those who had partially exhumed the body stood as still as statues, waiting the event which they looked forward to as certain to ensue. The clear beauty and intensity of the moon-beams increased each moment, and the whole surrounding landscape was lit up with a perfect flood of soft, silvery light. The old church stood out in fine relief, and every tree and every wild flower and every blade of grass in the churchyard could be seen in its finest and most delicate proportions and construction. The lid of the coffin was wrenched up on one side to about six inches in height, and that side faced the moon so that some rays it was quite clearly to be seen found their way into that sad receptacle for the dead. A quarter of an hour, however, passed away and nothing happened. Are you certain he is one of us? whispered Vani. Right, I have known it years past. He had the mark upon him. Enough, behold! A deep and dreadful groan came from the grave, and yet it could hardly be called a groan. It was more like a howl, and the lid which was partially open was visibly agitated. He comes, whispered one. Hush, said another, Hush, our duty will be done when he stands upon the level ground. Hush, let him hear nothing, let him know nothing, since we will not aid him. Behold, behold! They all looked down into the grave, but they betrayed no signs of emotion, and the sight they saw there was such as one would have supposed would have created emotion in the breast of any one at all capable of feeling. But then we must not reason upon these strange frightful existences as we reason upon human nature such as we usually know it. The coffin lid was each moment more and more agitated. The deep frightful groans increased in number and sound, and then the corpse stretched out one ghastly hand from the open crevice and grasped despairingly and frantically at the damp earth that was around. There was still towards one side of the coffin sufficient weight of mold that it would require some strength to turn it off, but as the dead man struggled within his narrow house it kept falling aside in lumps so that his task of exhumation became each moment an easier one. At length he uttered a strange wailing shriek, and by a great effort succeeded in throwing the coffin lid quite open, and then he sat up, looking so horrible and ghastly in the grave-clothes that even the vampires that were around that grave recoiled a little. Is it done? said Barney. Not yet, said he who had summoned them to the fearful right, and so assumed a sort of direction over them. Not yet. We will not assist him, but we may not leave him before telling him who and what he is. Do so now. The corpse stood up in the coffin, and the moonlight fell full upon him. Vampire arise, said he who had just spoken to Barney. Vampire arise and do your work in the world until your doom shall be accomplished. Vampire arise, arise, pursue your victims in the mansion and in the cottage. Be a terror and a desolation, go where you may, and if the hand of death strike you down the cold beams of the moon shall restore you to a new life. Vampire arise, arise. I come, I come, shrieked the corpse. In another moment the five vampires who had dug him from the grave were gone. Moaning, shrieking, and groaning, he made some further attempts to get out of the deep grave. He clutched at it in vain, the earth crumbled beneath him, and it was only at last by dint of reaching up and dragging in the displaced material that lay in a heap at the sides, so that in a few minutes it formed a mound for him to stand upon in the grave, and he was at length able to get out. Then although he sighed, and now and then uttered a wailing shriek as he went about his work, he, with a strange kind of instinct, began to carefully fill up the grave from which he had but just emerged, nor did he cease from his occupation until he had finished it, and so carefully shaped the mound of mold and turf over it that no one would have thought it had been disturbed. When this work was done a kind of madness seemed to seize him, and he walked to the gate of the graveyard which opens upon Church Street, and placing his hands upon the sides of his mouth he produced such an appalling shriek that it must have awakened everybody in Hampstead. Then turning he fled like a hunted hare in the other direction, and taking the first turning to the right ran up a lane called Frognall Lane which is parallel to the town, for a town Hampstead may be fairly calm now, although it was not then. By pursuing this lane he got upon the outskirts of the heath, and then turning to the right again, for with a strange pertenacity he always kept as far as he could his face towards the light of the moon he rushed down a deep hollow where there was a cluster of little cottages, enjoying such repose that one would have thought the flutter of an awakened bird upon a wing would have been heard. It was quite clear that the new vampire had as yet no notion of what he was about or where he was going, and that he was with mere frantic haste speeding along from the first impulse of his frightful nature. The place into which he had now plunged is called the Vale of Health. Now a place of very favorite resort, but then a mere collection of white-faced cottages with a couple of places that might be called villas. A watchman went his nightly rounds in that place, and so it happened that the guardian of the Vale had just roused himself up at this juncture, and made up his mind to make his walk of observation when he saw the terrific figure of a man attired in grave clothes coming along with dreadful speed towards him as if to take the Vale of Health by storm. The watchman was so paralyzed by fear that he could not find strength enough to spring his rattle, although he made the attempt and held it out at arm's length, while his eyes glared with perfect ferocity and his mouth was wide enough open to nourish the idea that after all he had a hope of being able to swallow the specter. Yet nothing heeding him the vampire came wildly on. Fain now would the petrified watchman have got out of the way, but he could not and in another moment he was dashed down to the earth and trodden on by the horrible existence that knew not what it did. A cloud came over the moon and the vampire sunk down exhausted by the garden wall and there lay as if dead, while the watchman, who had fairly fainted away, lay in a picturesque attitude on his back not very far off. Half an hour passed and a slight mist-like rain began to fall. The vampire slowly rose to his feet and commenced ringing his hands and moaning, but his former violence of demeanor had passed away. That was but the first flush of new life and now he seemed to be more fully aware of who and what he was. He shivered as he tottered slowly on until he came to where the watchman lay and then he divested that guardian of the veil of his great coat, his hat, and some other portions of his apparel, all of which he put on himself, still slightly moaning as he did so, and ever in a non-stopping to make a gesture of despair. When this operation was completed he slunk off into a narrow path which led on to the heath again and there he seemed to waver a little, whether he would go towards London or the country. At length it seemed that he decided upon the former course and he walked on at a rapid pace right through Hampstead and down the hill towards London, the lights of which could be seen gleaming in the distance. When the watchman did recover himself, the first thing he did was to be kind enough to rouse everybody up from their sleep in the veil of health by springing his rattle at a prodigious rate, and by the time he had roused up the whole neighborhood he felt almost ready to faint again at the bare recollection of the terrible apparition that had knocked him down. The story in the morning was told all over the place, with many additions to it of course, and it was long afterwards before the inhabitants of the veil could induce another watchman, for that one gave up his post, to run the risk of such a visitation. And the oddest thing of all was that the watchman declared that he caught a glance at the countenance, and that it was like that of a Mr. Brooks, who had only been buried the day previous, that if he had not known that gentleman to be dead and buried, he should have thought that it was he himself gone mad. But there was the grave of Mr. Brooks, with its circular mound of earth all right enough, and then Mr. B was known to have been such a respectable man. He went to the city every day, and used to do so just for the purpose of granting audiences to ladies and gentlemen who might be laboring under any little pecuniary difficulties and accommodating them. Kind Mr. Brooks, he only took one hundred pounds per cent. Why should he be a vampire? Bless him, too severe, really. There were people who called him a bloodsucker while he lived, and now he was one practically, and yet he had his own pew at the church, and subscribed a whole guinea a year to a hospital. He did, although people did say it was an order that he might pack off any of his servants at once to it in case of illness, but then the world is too censorious. To this day the watchman's story of the apparition that visited the Vale of Health is talked of by the old women who make what they call tea for Sunday parties at nine pence ahead, but it is time now that we go back to London and see what is taking place at the hotel where the lakes are staying and how the villainy of the uncle thrives, that villainy of which he actually had to face to give such an exposition to Mr. Lee, the clerk of the attorney. Let us hope that the right will still overcome the injustice that is armed against it and that Lord Lake and his beautiful child may not fall victims to the machinations that are brought into play against them by those who ought to have been their best friends. Miss Lake passes a fearful night, the imposter punished. The landlord of the London Hotel made every possible exertion to keep a profound secret the events of the night, but people will talk even when they have not anything particular to say so that we cannot wonder if they are doing so when they have. In fact the story of the vampire at the London Hotel got known pretty well half over London in the course of the day succeeding that second attempt upon the lifeblood of the young lady who had become the object of attack from the monster. Mr. Lake was in a strange frame of mind as regarded the whole affair. He did not yet know whether to really believe it or not, whether to ascribe it, after all, to a dream, or, as Mrs. Lake hinted, for she was a woman fond of scheming herself so always ready to suggest its existence in others, a mere plan upon the part of the young girl to get rid of the projected alliance with young Master Lake and possibly evoke the sympathy of all who heard her story. This view of the matter, however, although it did not make much impression upon Mr. Lake, suggested something to him that he thought would chime in well with his other plans and projects. If, he said, I could button still a little courage into my son, he might now, at all events, make a favourable impression upon his cousin. Full of this idea, he summoned the young gentleman to a conference with him, and having carefully closed the door, he said in a low confidential tone. Of course you have heard all about this, this vampire business? Yes, Governor, to be sure I have. Who could fail of hearing all about it? Why, nobody in the house will talk of anything else. I'm afraid to go to bed, I can tell you. That is to say, for fear I should do anything rash, you know, that's all. I understand you, and it's no use blinking the fact to me that you are a coward. I am a coward. I. Oh, you are very much mistaken. I'm a long way off that. I'm only always desirous of getting out of the way when anything happens, for fear of doing a rash act. It's excess of courage, you know, that's what alarms me. Well, there are cases in which there would be no harm resulting were you ever so rash. Ah, only show me one and then you'll see. Very well, your cousin, you know, and you know she is your cousin, won't have you. Now, unless you are married to her, all our nicely got up plans are liable to be blasted by any accident or by any breath of treachery that may come across them. But if you were the husband of your cousin, policy, habit, and indeed everything would combine to induce Lord Lake and her to smother up the affair, you comprehend. But what am I to do if she won't have me? I will tell you, you must awaken her gratitude by rescuing her from all these foolish terrors about vampires, and when once a woman feels and knows that a man has done a brave act in her behalf, the principal entrance to her heart is open to him. Oh, but I, I, the vampire, that's rather unpleasant. Come now, you are not such a fool as really to believe that it's, after all, anything but a mere dream. Don't tell me vampires indeed. At all events you can vapor as much as you like upon that subject without any danger occurring. Yes, yes, you may think so. I know so, listen to me. The son did listen and the father added. You must volunteer to watch alone by your cousin's door for this vampire, and of course nothing will think of coming. It's too ridiculous altogether, that is so. So, you see, you run no risk at all. You comprehend that? Well, but if I run no risk, I don't see what's the use of doing it, you know, for if all is quiet, how can she be grateful to me for having rescued her from nothing at all? Very well put, very well indeed, but as there will be nothing really to rescue her from, suppose we make something that will just suit our own purposes. What do you mean? Why, you know my great-great traveling cloak, what is to hinder you having that with you, and whenever you are quite certain that your cousin is fast asleep, you can put that on over your face partially and go into the room and pretend to be the vampire, and when she is in a paroxym of terror do you dash out the light and then in your natural voice cry out, ah, wretch, I have you, I have you, how dare you invade the sanctity of this chamber, and all that sort of thing, you know, and you can knock about the chairs as much as you like so as to induce the belief that you are engaged in a deadly struggle, and then you call for light, and you are there and the vampire gone. Well, I rather like that, and if I were quite sure, of what? That there was no real vampire, you know, why, I wouldn't mind it. Pshaw. Well, well, I'll do it, I'll do it, I tell you, I see all the importance of getting her for my wife. Ahem, and if I do, he added to himself aside, I'll take deuced good care you don't get a hold of the money, for after we are married I shall just tell Lord Lake all about it. During the day Mr. Lake had sought an opportunity of speaking to Mr. Black. My dear sir, he said to him, you don't seem well at all, and I shall insist that you do not trouble yourself to watch tonight by the door of the young lady who has had so disagreeable a visitor. I am certainly not quite well, said Mr. Black. The fact is, my health will not bear anything like a shock. A family occurrence has so shattered my nerves. My dear sir, say no more, you shall have no more trouble about us. My son, who loves his cousin, and is quite jealous of anybody defending her but himself, will watch alone by her door. He has great courage when once his spirit is up, and it is now. I'm glad to hear it, it takes time to get it up. Why, ah, ah, yes, sometimes I must be on the lookout myself tonight, or the cowardly fellow will spoil all, thought Mr. Lake. Any unusual noise in the house, I suppose, will be almost sufficient to induce him to faint away. Khan found his cowardice at Mars all. Mr. Lake was not by any means so clear in his own mind as he pretended to be of the fact of the vampire being only a delusion and a creation of the brain of his niece. So when the evening came, he did all that was in his power to keep the courage of his son to the mark. He even took care that he should have a glass of something strong and hot, for he knew by personal experience that while they lasted, the fumes of hot alcohol did something for a weak heart. But what pleased Mr. Lake most of all was the ease with which he had thus managed matters with Mr. Miller and his clerk, who he had no doubt would fabricate such a story as would convince the single-minded Annetta of his claims to be her father. Then, thought the old lake, we can surely among us badger her into marrying my son. Oh, it will be all right. Let no plot henceforward hope to succeed if this one does not. It must and it shall. It shall and it must. It's all very well of anyone to say that a scheme shall succeed. But how light a breath of air shall chase away the darkly-woven fancies of a thousand plots. Mr. Lake stood upon a precipice which he little saw, or the terrific height of it would have driven him distracted. Miss Lake was in a great state of mental depression. If anything more than another was calculated to thoroughly break down the spirits of a young and innocent girl, it certainly would be such circumstances as those which now surrounded her, and deprived, too, as she was, of that aid in sympathy she would have received at the hands of a father or a mother, it was only a wonder that she did not sink under the affliction most completely. She made no objection to young Lake watching by the outside of her door. Indeed she was weeping and depressed so that she could scarcely know what proposal was made to her. I shall not sleep, she said. God knows what will become of me. Do not despair, all may be well. It was a very sad thing that my brother Lord Lake ever found out that you were not his daughter. I am sure I would have given freely all I possessed to have averted any such news, for it has attacked both his happiness and yours. The young girl made no reply to this, but the look she gave him was quite sufficient to show him how much she doubted the sincerity of the professions of friendship and affection for her that fell from his lips. There was a something in his hollow, heartless character which, young and innocent and unknowing in the ways of the world even as that young girl was, she saw through, and he felt that she did so. This was the most provoking thing of all, that his heartlessness and selfishness should be transparent to one so young as she was. But the night came at last, and with it the fidgety fears of young Lake increased mightily. He was all of a shake, as Slopp the waiter said, like a lot of jelly. It was only by repeated doses of brandy and water that he kept himself from declaring off the adventure altogether, so that by eleven o'clock at night he was in a terrible state between fear and intoxication, and as any two impulses will each do its best to defeat the other, he was prevented from getting entirely drunk by his fears, and from getting entirely afraid by the liquor. But at last he did actually take his place by the door of the chamber occupied by his cousin, and then with a table before him on which were lights, brandy and water, and cigars, he prepared to go through what to him was a terrible ordeal. You, you really think, he whispered to his father, who came to promise him that he would not undress himself, but remain in his room within call. You really think there is no vampire? Tut, tut. Well, but really now, really. Have I not told you before? Come, come, nonsense. There's the old grey traveling cloak, put it under the table, and now I shall leave you. It is about half past eleven, and you have nothing in the world to do but just to enjoy yourself, you know. Good night. This is the LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org. The vampire discovered the escape on the Thames. Enjoy myself, muttered the young lake. Enjoy myself. That may be his idea of staying here vampire-catching, but it ain't mine. What a fool I was to consent to come here to be sure, and all alone too. Hey, what was that? Oh, I'm all of a shake. I thought I heard somebody, but I suppose it was nothing. Oh, dear, what a disagreeable affair this is. What an infernal fool I am to be sure. Eh, eh? The hair on his head nearly stood up as he heard, or fancied he heard, a low groan. He shook so while he arose from his seat that he was glad to sit down again as quickly as he possibly could, for he found his strength evaporating along with the Dutch courage, or rather as it should be called, French courage, that had been instilled into him by the brandy. What shall I do? he gasped. What shall I do? Oh, what will become of me? I'm in for a row. I'm in for it to a certainty. I—I think I'll call the old man. He did not, however, call his father, whom he designated the old man, more familiarly than respectfully, but as all continued now quiet, he thought he would wait until the next alarm at all events, before he made a piece of work and thoroughly exhibited his own pusillanimity. It may be nothing, he said. After all, perhaps only the wind coming through some chink in a door or window. Lord bless us, I've read of such things in romances till my blood had turned to curds and whey. Where was the bloody specter of the tub of blood, or the smashed gore? Eh, eh? I thought somebody spoke. No, no. Oh, it's all what do they call it, imagination, that's what it is. And the sooner I get the job over, the better, so I'll just pop on the cloak and do the business. With trembling hands, Mr. Lake Jr. drew the cloak from under the table and put it on, bringing the collar of it right up to the top of his head, so that but a small portion of his head was at all visible when he was thus equipped. And he certainly might look like a vampire, for he did not look like anything human by any means. Now, I wonder if she's asleep. He muttered as he laid his hand gently on the lock of the door. If she ain't, it would be a pity. But still, I can say, I only wanted to know how she was, so I'll just make the trial at all events. Here goes. He opened at the door of the bedroom a very short distance and said, HIST! HIST! Are you awake, eh? Eh? What did you say? Nothing. Oh, she's asleep. And now here goes. Upon my life, when one comes to think of it, it ain't by any means a bad plan. But just before I begin, I'll have another drain. About two-thirds of a glass of brandy and water were in the tumbler on the table, and that he tossed down at once, and feeling very much fortified by laying in such a stratum of courage, he drew up the cloak to its proper vampire-like position as he considered it, and advanced two steps within the chamber of the sleeping girl. She was sleeping and slightly moaning in her sleep. It was a great satisfaction to young Master Lake to hear her so moaning, for it convinced him that such were the sounds which he previously heard, and which had gone near to terrifying him out of his project. He had no compunction, whatever, regarding the amount of alarm which this dastardly project was likely to give to Miss Lake. No, all he looked to and thought of was himself. A light was burning in the chamber, and that, according to the directions of his father, he blew out, and then groping his ways towards the bed, he laid his hands upon the young girl's face and said, The vampire! The vampire has come! Blood, blood, blood! The vampire! She awoke with a cry of terror, as usual, and then Master Lake moved off to the door and said in his natural voice, I'll protect you. I'm coming. I'll soon clear the room of the vampire. Come on, you wretch. Oh, I'll do for him. Take that, and that, and that! Then he commenced kicking about the chairs, and nearly upset the washing-stand, all by way of making the necessary disturbance, and convincing his cousins what a sanguinary conflict he was having with the vampire. In the midst of this, something laid hold of him by the ears and whiskers on each side of his head, and the door swinging open, his own light that was upon the table in the corridor shone upon a hideous countenance within half an inch of his own. The long thing-like teeth of which, with the lips retracted from them, were horrible to look upon, and a voice like the growl of an enraged hyena said, What want you with the vampire rash fool? He is here. Master Lake was absolutely petrified with horror and astonishment. The hair bristled up upon his head. His eyes opened the width of saucers, and when in a low voice the vampire said again, What want you reptile with the vampire? He let his feet slide from under him, and had he not been upheld by the horrible being who grasped him he would have fallen. Bang went a pistol out of the corridor, and the vampire uttered a cry, and let go his hold of Lake, who then fell and being out of the way, showed his father standing on the threshold of his own door, with a pistol in his hand recently discharged, and another apparently ready. In another moment the vampire kicked the insensible form of young Lake out of the way, and shut himself in the girl's bedroom. The father heard him lock the door, and although he instantly sent another pistol shot through the paneling, he heard no sound indicating it's having done any execution. Help, help, help! he cried. Help here, the vampire, the vampire, the vampire! All this had not taken above two or three minutes, and the whole house was now alarmed by the sound of firearms, and as nobody had completely undressed themselves to go to bed since the first alarm of the vampire, the landlord and several of the waiters, and the night watchman, ran with all speed to the spot, looking full of consternation, and all asking questions together. Force the door, force the door! cried Mr. Lake. A hammer, a hatchet, anything, so that we may get the door forced, the vampire is inside. Oh, Lord! cried one of the waiters, who had gone close to the door, but who now made a precipitate retreat, treading upon the stomach of young Lake as he did so. If you'll pay for the door, sir, said the landlord, I'll soon have it open. Damn it, I'll pay for twenty doors. The landlord took a short run at the door, probably he knew its weakness, and burst it open at once. There was a pause of about a moment, and then Mr. Lake snatching up the candle, the light of which had first revealed the hideous features of the vampire to his son, rushed into the room. In these cases, all that is wanted is a leader, so he was promptly enough followed. The state of affairs was evident at a glance. The young lady had fainted, and the window was wide open, indicating the mode of retreat of the vampire. I thought you told us, said Mr. Lake, that this window was too far from the ground to anticipate any danger from— Yes, so I did, sir, but don't you see he could easily enough jump off the sill onto those leads there? Nobody could get in by the window, but anybody that wasn't afraid could get out. But we have him, sir, we have him now as sure as a gun. Have him, how? Why don't you see, sir, there's nothing but high walls. He must be among our stables, and he can't get out. For I have the keys of the outer doors myself. We shall not lose him now, sir, I'm not a little thankful for it. Come on, everybody, round to the stables, and nothing now can prevent us catching him if he is flesh and blood. Come on, come on! By this time Mrs. Lake had reached the scene of action, and although the first thing she did was to tumble, sprawling over her hopeful son, who lay in the doorway of his cousin's chamber, she gathered herself up again and remained in charge of Annetta and the chamber, while Mr. Lake accompanied the landlord and the waiters to the stables of the hotel, which were surrounded by high walls and only to be approached by a pair of large gates, which were quite satisfactorily fastened, and there was not a chink large enough for a cat to get through. The landlord had the keys, and he opened a small wicket in one of the large gates. Now be careful, he said, for fear he bounces out. At this everybody but Mr. Lake, who to do him but justice, had certainly the quality of courage, looked as alarmed as possible, but he said, I have reloaded my pistols, and he shall not escape me. The wicket was opened, and in an instant outwalked Mr. Black. He appeared at first somewhat agitated, but speedily recovered his self-possession and looking at the group he said, Have you caught him? I have been upon the lookout, notwithstanding my indisposition, and jumped out of the bedroom window after him. I cannot see him anywhere. Have you caught him? Yes, cried Mr. Lake. I saw you in the room when I fired at you. You are the vampire. He made a rush forward as he spoke, but Mr. Black got dexterously out of the way, and seizing the landlord by the hair of the head, he cast him so fairly in Mr. Lake's way that they both fell down together. With amazing rapidity the vampire then fled from the spot. After him, after him, cried Mr. Lake as he scrambled to his feet, don't let him escape. After him, whatever you do, alarm the whole city, rather than let the monster elude you. This way, this way I see him. Follow me, a vampire, a vampire. Help, help, seize him, a vampire. Fire, cried the landlord, and he too ran. But all the running was in vain. The vampire had fairly got the start of them, and he took good care to keep it, for with the most wonderful fleetness he ran on, until, to his great relief, he found his pursuers were distanced. He made his way to the Strand, and diving down one of the narrow streets terminated by the river, and at the end of which was a landing place he called aloud, Boat, boat! An old waterman answered the tale, Where to, Your Honor? Up the river I will tell you where to land me, row quick and row well, and you may name your own fair without a chance of its being questioned. That's the customer for me, said the waterman.