 Preface. The Unprecedented Success of the Romance of Varni the Vampire leaves the author but little to say further, than that he accepts that success in its results as gratefully as it is possible for anyone to do popular favours. A belief in the existence of vampires first took its rise in Norway and Sweden, from whence it rapidly spread to more southern regions, taking a firm hold of the imaginations of the more credulous portion of mankind. The following romances collected from seemingly the most authentic sources, and the author must leave the question of credibility entirely to his readers, not even thinking that he is peculiarly called upon to express his own opinion upon the subject. Nothing has been omitted in the life of the unhappy Varni which could tend to throw a light upon his most extraordinary career, and the fact of his death, just as it is here related, made a great noise at the time through Europe, and is to be found in the public prints for the year 1913. With these few observations, the author and publisher are well content to leave the work in the hands of a public which has stamped it with an approbation far exceeding their most sanguine expectations, and which is calculated to act as the strongest possible incentive to the production of other works, which in a like, or per chance a still further degree, may be deserving of public patronage and support. To the whole of the metropolitan press, for their laudatory notices, the author is peculiarly obliged. CHAPTER 1. How Graves Give Up Their Dead, and How the Night-Air Hideous Grows With Shrieks Midnight. The Hail-Storm. The Dreadful Visitor. The Vampire. The solemn tones of an old cathedral-clock have announced midnight, the air is thick and heavy. A strange, death-like stillness pervades all nature. Like the ominous calm which precedes some more than usually terrific outbreak off the elements, they seem to have paused even in their ordinary fluctuations, together a terrific strength for the great effort. A faint peel of thunder now comes from far off. Like a signal gun for the battle of the winds to begin, it appeared to awaken them from their lesergy, and one awful, roaring hurricane swept over a whole city, producing more devastation in the four or five minutes it lasted than would a half-century of ordinary phenomena. It was as if some giant had blown up some toy-town, and scattered many of the buildings before the hot blast of his terrific breath, for as suddenly as that blast of wind had come did it cease, and all was as still and calm as before. Others awakened, and thought that what they had heard must be the confused chimera of a dream. They trembled, and turned to sleep again. All is still, still as a very grave. Not a sound breaks the magic of repose. What is that? A strange, pattering noise as of a million fairy feet. It is hail. Yes, a hail-storm has burst over the city. Leaves are dashed by trees, mingled with small bows. Windows that lie most opposed to the direct fury of the pelting particles of ice are broken, and the rapt repose that before was so remarkable in its intensity is exchanged for a noise which in its accumulation drowns every cry of surprise or consternation which here and there arose from persons who found their houses invaded by the storm. Now and then too there would come a gust of wind that in its strength as it blew laterally would for a moment hold millions of the hail-stones suspended in mid-air, but it was only to dash them with redoubled force in some new direction where more mischief was to be done. Oh, how the storm raged! Hail, rain, wind! It was, in very truth, an awful night. There was an antique chamber in an ancient house. Curious and quaint carvings adorned the walls, and the large chimney-piece is a curiosity of itself. The ceiling is low, and the large bay window from roof to floor looks to the west. The window is latticed and filled with curiously painted glass and rich stained pieces which send a strange yet beautiful light when sun or moon shines into the apartment. There is but one portrait in that room, although the walls seem panelled for the express purpose of containing a series of pictures. That portrait is of a young man with a pale face, a stately brow, and a strange expression about the eyes, which no one care to look on twice. There is a stately bed in that chamber of carved walnut wood as it made, rich in design and elaborate in execution. One of those works which owe their existence to the Elizabethan era. It is hung with heavy silken and damask furnishing. Nodding feathers are at its corners. Covered with dust, are they, and they lend a funereal aspect to the room. The floor is of polished oak. God! How the hail dashes on the old bay window! Like an occasional discharge of mimic musketry it comes clashing, beating, and cracking upon the small panes. But they resist it. Their small size saves them. The wind, the hail, the rain, expend their fury in vain. The bed in that old chamber is occupied. A creature formed in all fashions of loveliness lies in a half-sleep upon that ancient couch. A girl young and beautiful as a spring morning. Her long hair has escaped from its confinement and streams over the blackened coverings of the bedstead. She has been restless in her sleep, for the closing of the bed is in much confusion. One arm is over her head. The other hangs nearly off the side of the bed near to which she lies. A neck and bosom that would have formed a study for the rarest sculptor that her providence gave genius to were half-disclosed. She moans slightly in her sleep, and once or twice the lips moved as if in prayer. At least one might judge so, for the name of him who suffered for all came once faintly from them. She had endured much fatigue, and the storm does not awaken her. But it can disturb the slumpus. It does not possess the power to destroy entirely. The turmoil of the elements awakens the senses, although it cannot entirely break the repose they have lapsed into. Oh! what a world of witchery was in that mouth, slightly parted, and exhibiting within the pearly teeth that glistened even in the faint light that came from that bay window. How sweetly the long silken eyelashes lay upon the cheek. Now she moves, and one shoulder is entirely visible. Whiter, fairer than the spotless clothing of the bed on which she lies, is the smooth skin of that fair creature just budding into womanhood, and in that transition state which presents to us all the charms of the girl, almost of the child, with a more matured beauty and gentleness of advancing years. Was that lightning? Yes. An awful, vivid, terrifying flash. Then a roaring peel of thunder, as if a thousand mountains were rolling one over the other in that blue vault of heaven. Who sleeps now in that ancient city? Not one living soul. The dread trumpet of eternity could not more effectually have awakened any one. The hail continues, the wind continues, the uproar of the elements seems at its height. Now she awakens, that beautiful girl on the antique bed. She opens those eyes of celestial blue, and a faint cry of alarm busts from her lips. At least it is a cry which, amid the noise and turmoil without, sounds but faint and weak. She sits upon the bed and presses her hands upon her face. Heavens, what a wild torrent of wind and rain and hail! The thunder likewise seems intent upon awakening sufficient echoes to last until the next flash of forked and lightning should again produce the wild concussion of the air. She murmurs a prayer. A prayer for those she loves best. The names of those dear to her gentle heart come from her lips. She weeps and prays. She thinks then of what devastation the storm must surely produce, and to the great God of Heaven she prays for all living things. Another flash, a wild, blue, bewildering flash of lightning, streams across that bay window, for an instant bringing out every colour in it with terrible distinctness. A shriek bursts from the lips of the young girl, and then with eyes fixed upon that window, which in another moment is all darkness, and with such an expression of terror upon her face as it had never before known, she trembled, and the perspiration of intense fear stood upon her brow. What, what was it? she gasped, real or delusion. Oh, God, what was it? A figure tall and gaunt, endeavouring from the outside to unclasp the window. I saw it. That flash of lightning revealed it to me. It stood the whole length of the window. There was a lull of the wind. The hail was not falling so thickly. Moreover, it now fell, but there was a bit straight. And yet a strange clattering sound came upon the glass of that long window. It could not be a delusion. She is awake, and she hears it. What can produce it? Another flash of lightning, another shriek. There could be now no delusion. A tall figure standing on the ledge immediately outside the long window. It is its fingernails upon the glass that produces that sound, so like the hail, now that the hail has seized. Intense fear paralysed the limbs of the beautiful girl. That one shriek is all she can utter. With hands clasped, a face of marble, a heart beating so wildly in her bosom that each moment it seems as if it would break its confines. Eyes distended and fixed upon the window, she waits, froze with horror. The pattering and clattering of the nails continue. No word is spoken, and now she fancies she can trace the darker form with that figure against the window, and she can see the long arms moving to and fro, feeling for some mode of entrance. What strange light is that which now gradually creeps up into the air? Red and terrible, brighter and brighter it grows. The lightning has set fire to a mill, and the reflection of the rapidly consuming building falls upon that long window. There can be no mistake. The figure is there, still feeling for an entrance and clattering against the glass with its long nails that appear as if the growth of many years had been untouched. She tries to scream again, but a choking sensation comes over her, and she cannot. It is too dreadful. She tries to move. Each limb seems weighed down by tons of lead. She can but in a horse faint whisper cry, Help! Help! Help! Help! And that one word she repeats like a person in a dream. The red glare of the fire continues. It throws up the tall, gaunt figure in hideous relief against the long window. It shows, too, upon the worn portrait that is in the chamber, and the portrait appears to fix its eyes upon the attempting intruder, while the flickering light from the fire makes it look fearfully lifelike. A small pain of glass is broken, and the form from without introduces long, gaunt hand which seems utterly destitute to flesh. The fastening is removed, and one half of the window, which opens like a folding door, is swung wide open upon its hinges. And yet now she could not scream. She could not move. Help! Help! Help! Was all she could say. But, oh, that look of terror that sat upon her face, it was dreadful. A look to haunt the memory of a lifetime. A look to obtrude itself upon the happiest moments and turn them to bitterness. The figure turns half round, and the light falls upon its face. It is perfectly white, perfectly bloodless. The eyes look like polished tin. The lips are drawn back, and the principal feature next to those dreadful eyes is the teeth, the fearful looking teeth, projecting like those of some wild animal hideously, glaringly white and fang-like. It approaches the bed with a strange, gliding movement. It clashes together the long nails that literally appear to hang from the finger ends. No sound comes from its lips. Is she going mad? That young and beautiful girl exposed to so much terror? She has drawn up all her limbs. She cannot even now say help. The power of articulation is gone, but the power of movement has returned to her. She can draw herself slowly along to the other side of the bed from that, towards which the hideous appearance is coming. But her eyes are fascinated. The glance of a serpent could not have produced a greater effect upon her than did the fixed gaze of those awful metallic-looking eyes that were bent down on her face. Crouching down so that the gigantic height was lost and the horrible protruding white face was the most prominent object came on the figure. What was it? What did it want there? What made it look so hideous, so unlike and inhabitant of the earth, and yet beyond it? Now she has got to the verge of the bed, and the figure pauses. It seemed as if when it paused she lost the power to proceed. The clothing of the bed was clutched in her hands with unconscious power. She drew her breath short and thick, her bosom heaves and her limbs tremble, yet she cannot withdraw her eyes from that marble-looking face. He holds her with his glittering eye. The storm has ceased. All is still. The winds are hushed. The church clock proclaims the hour of one. A hissing sound comes from the throat of the hideous being, and he raises his long, gaunt arms. The lips move. He advances. The girl places one small foot onto the floor. She is unconsciously dragging the clothing with her. The door of the room is in that direction. Can she reach it? Has she power to walk? Can she withdraw her eyes from the face of the intruder, and so breaks a hideous charm? God of heaven, is it real, or some dream so like reality as to nearly overturn judgment forever? The figure has paused again, and half on the bed, and half out of it, that young girl lies trembling. Her long hair streams across the entire width of the bed. As she has slowly moved along, she has left it streaming across the pillows. The pause lasted about a minute. Oh, what an age of agony! That minute was, indeed, enough for madness to do its full work in. With a sudden rush that could not be foreseen, with a strange howling cry that was enough to awaken terror in every breast, the figure sees the long tresses of her hair, entwining them round his bony hands, he held her to the bed. Then she screamed. Heaven granted her then power to scream. Shriek followed Shriek in rapid succession. The bed-clothes fell in a heap by the side of the bed. She was dragged by her long, silken hair completely onto it again. Her beautifully rounded limbs quivered with the agony of her soul. The glassy, horrible eyes of the figure ran over that angelic form with a hideous satisfaction, horrible profanation. He drags her head to the bed's edge. He forces it back by the long hair still entwined in his grasp. With a plunge, he seizes her neck in his fang-like teeth, a gush of blood, and a hideous sucking noise follows. The girl has swooned, and the vampire is at his hideous repast. End of chapter one. Chapter two of Varney the Vampire. 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 Roger Maline. Varney the Vampire. Volume one. By Thomas Prescott-Prest. Chapter two. The alarm, the pistol-shot, the pursuit and his consequences. Lights flashed about the building, and various room doors opened. Voices called one to the other. There was an universal stir and commotion among the inhabitants. Did you hear a scream, Harry? Asked a young man, half-dressed, as he walked into the chamber of another about his own age. I did. Where was it? God knows I dressed myself directly. All is still now. Yes, but unless I was dreaming, there was a scream. We could not both dream there was. Where do you think it came from? It burst so suddenly upon my ears that I cannot say. There was a tap now at the door of the room where these young men were, and a female voice said, Get up. We are up. Said both the young men, appearing. Did you hear anything? Yes, a scream. Oh, search the house. Search the house. Where did it come from? Can you tell? Indeed, we cannot, mother. Another person now joined the party. He was a man of middle age, and as he came up to them, he said, Good God, what is the matter? Scarcely had the words past his lips, then such a rapid succession of shrieks upon their ears that they felt absolutely stunned by them. The elderly lady, whom one of the young men had called a mother, fainted and would have fallen to the floor of the corridor in which they all stood, had she not been promptly supported by the last-comer, who himself staggered as those piercing cries came upon the night air. He, however, was the first to recover for the young men seemed paralyzed. Henry, he cried, For God's sake, support your mother. Did you felt that these cries come from Flora's room? The young man mechanically supported his mother, and then the man who had just spoken darted back to his own bedroom from whence he returned in a moment with a pair of pistols, and shouting, Follow me, who can? He bounded across the corridor in the direction of the antique apartment from whence the cries proceeded, but which were now hushed. That house was built for strength, and the doors were all of oak glass. Unhappily, they had fastenings with him, so that when the man reached the chamber of her whoso much required help, he was helpless, for the door was fast. Flora, Flora, he cried, Flora, speak! All was still. Good God, he added, we must force the door. I hear a strange noise within, said the young man who trembled violently. And so do I. What does it sound like? I scarcely know, but it closest resembles some animal eating or sucking some liquid. What on earth can it be? Have you no weapon that will force the door? I shall go mad if I am kept here. I have, said the young man, wait here a moment. He ran down the staircase and presently returned with a small but powerful iron crowbar. This will do, he said. It will, it will, give it to me. Has she not spoken? Not a word. My mind misgives me that something very dreadful must have happened to her and that odd noise still goes on. Somehow it curdles the very blood in my veins to hear it. The man took the crowbar and with some difficulty succeeded in introducing it between the door and the side of the wall. Still it required great strength to move it but it did move with a harsh rattling sound. Push it, cried he who was using the bar. Push the door at the same time. The younger man did so. For a few moments the massive door resisted. Then suddenly something gave way with a loud snap. It was part of the lock and the door at once swung wide open. How true it is that we measure time by the events which happen within a given space of it rather than by its actual duration. The men who were engaged in forcing open the door of the antique chamber were slept the young girl whom they named Flora. Each moment was swelled into an hour of agony but in reality from the first moment of the alarm to that when the loud cracking noise heralded the destruction of the fastening to the door there had elapsed but very few minutes indeed. It opens, cried the young man. Another moment, said the stranger another moment and we shall have free ingress to the chamber. Be patient. This stranger's name was Marchdale and even as he spoke he succeeded in throwing the massive door wide open and clearing the passage to the chamber. To rush in with a light in his hand was the work of a moment to the young man named Henry but the very rapid progress he made into the apartment prevented him from observing accurately what it contained. For the wind that came in from the open window caught the flame of the candle and although it did not actually extinguish it it blew it so much to one side that it was comparatively useless as a light. Flora, Flora he cried. Then with a sudden bound something dashed from off the bed. The concussion against him was so sudden and so utterly unexpected as well as so tremendously violent that he was thrown down and in his fall the light was fairly extinguished. All was darkness save a dull reddish kind of light that now and then from the nearly consumed mill in the immediate vicinity came into the room but by that light dim uncertain and flickering as it was someone was seen to make for the window. Henry although nearly stunned by his fall saw a figure gigantic in height which nearly reached from the floor to the ceiling the other young man George saw it and Mr. Marchdale likewise saw it as did the lady who had spoken to the two young men in the corridor when first the screams of the young girl awakened alarm in the breasts of all the inhabitants of that house. The figure was about to pass out at the window which led to a kind of balcony from whence there was an easy descent to a garden. Before it passed out they each and all caught a glance of the side face and they saw that the lower part of it were dabbled in blood. They saw, too, one of those fearful looking, shining metallic eyes which presented so terrible an appearance of unearthly ferocity. No wonder that for a moment a panic seized them all which paralyzed any exertions they might otherwise have made to detain that hideous form. But Mr. Marchdale was a man of mature years. He had seen much in life both in this and in foreign lands and he, although astonished to the extent of being frightened was much more likely to recover sooner than his younger companions which indeed he did and acted promptly enough. Don't rise Henry, he cried, lie still. Almost at the moment he uttered these words he fired at the figure which then occupied the window as if it were a gigantic figure set in a frame. The report was tremendous in that chamber for the pistol was no toy weapon but one made for actual service and of sufficient length and bore a barrel to carry destruction along with the bullets that came from it. If that has missed its aim, said Mr. Marchdale, I'll never pull trigger again. As he spoke he dashed forward and made a clutch at the figure he felt convinced he had shot. The tall form turned upon him and when he got a full view of the face which he did at that moment from the opportune circumstance of the lady turning at the instant with a light she had been to her own chamber to procure even he, Marchdale, with all his courage and that was great and all his nervous energy recoiled a step or two and uttered the exclamation of great God. That face was one never to be forgotten. It was hideously flushed with color, the color of fresh blood. The eyes had a savage and remarkable luster whereas before they had looked like polished tin they now were ten times brighter aspect and flashes of light seemed to dart from them. The mouth was open as if from the natural formation of the countenance the lips receded much from the large canine looking teeth. A strange howling noise came from the throat of this monstrous figure and it seemed upon the point of rushing upon Mr. Marchdale. Suddenly, then as if some impulse had seized upon it it uttered a wild and terrible shrieking kind of laugh and then turning dashed through the window and in one instant disappeared from before the eyes of those who felt nearly annihilated by its fearful presence. God help us ejaculated Henry. Mr. Marchdale drew a long breath and then giving a stamp on the floor as if to recover himself from the state of agitation into which even he was thrown he cried be it what or who it may I'll follow it. No, no, do not cried the lady. I must, I will let who will come with me I follow that dreadful form as he spoke he took the road it took and dashed through the window into the balcony and we too George exclaimed Henry we will follow Mr. Marchdale this dreadful affair concerns us more nearly than it does him the lady who was the mother of these young men and of the beautiful girl who had been so awfully visited screamed aloud and implored them to stay but the voice of Mr. Marchdale was heard exclaiming aloud I see it, I see it, it makes for the wall they hesitated no longer but it once rushed into the balcony and from then dropped into the garden the mother approached the bedside of the insensible perhaps murdered girl she saw her to all appearance weltering in blood and overcome by her emotions she fainted on the floor of the room when the two young men reached the garden they found it much lighter than might have been fairly expected for not only was the morning rapidly approaching but the mill was still burning and those mingled lights made almost every object plainly visible except when deep shadows were thrown from gigantic trees that had stood for centuries in that sweetly wooded spot they heard the voice of Mr. Marchdale as he cried there, there, towards the wall there, there God how it bounds along the young men hastily dashed through a thicket in the direction from whence his voice sounded and then they found him looking wild and terrified and with something in his hand which looked like a portion of clothing which way, which way they both cried in a breath he lent heavily on the arm of George as he pointed along a vista of trees and said in a low voice God help us all it is not human look there look there do you not see it they looked in the direction he indicated at the end of this vista was the wall of the garden at that point it was full 12 feet in height and as they looked they saw the hideous monstrous form they had traced from the chamber of their sister making frantic efforts to clear the obstacle they saw it bound from the ground to the top of the wall which had very nearly reached and then each time it fell back again into the garden with such a dull heavy sound that the earth seemed to shake again with the concussion they trembled well indeed they might and for some minutes they watched the figure making its fruitless efforts to leave the place what what is it whispered Henry and horse accents God what can it possibly be I know not replied Mr. Marchdale I did seize it it was cold and clammy like a corpse it cannot be human not human look at it now it will surely escape now no no we will not be terrified thus there is heaven above us come on and for dear floor is sake let us make an effort yet to seize this bold intruder take this pistol said Marchdale it is the fellow of the one I fired try its efficacy he will be gone exclaimed Henry as at this moment after many repeated attempts and fearful falls the figure reached the top of the wall and then hung by its long arms a moment or two previous to dragging itself completely up the idea of the appearance be it what it might entirely escaping seemed to nerve again Mr. Marchdale and he as well as the two young men ran forward towards the wall they got so close to the figure before it sprang down on the outer side of the wall that to miss killing it with the bullet from the pistol was a matter of utter impossibility unless willfully Henry had the weapon and he pointed it full at the tall form with steady aim he pulled the trigger the explosion followed and that bullet did its office there could be no matter of doubt for the figure gave howling shriek and fell headlong from the wall on the outside I have shot him cried Henry I have shot him end of chapter 2 recording by Roger Maline Chapter 3 of Varney the Vampire 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 Scott Jones Varney the Vampire Volume 1 by Thomas Prescott Prest the disappearance of the body floor's recovery and madness the offer of assistance from Sir Francis Varney he is human cried Henry I have surely killed him it would seem so said Mr. Marchdale let us now hurry round to the outside of the wall and see where he lies this was at once agreed to and the whole three of them made what expedition they could towards a gate which led into a paddock cross which they hurried and soon found themselves clear of the garden wall so that they could make way towards where they fully expected to find the body of him who had warned so unearthly an aspect but who it would be an excessive relief to find was human so hurried was the progress they made that it was scarcely possible to change many words as they went a kind of breathless anxiety was upon them and in the speed they disregarded every obstacle which would at any other time have probably prevented them from taking the direct road they sought it was difficult on the outside of the wall to say exactly which was the precise spot which it might be supposed the body had fallen on but by following the wall its entire length did so but to their surprise they got from its commencement to its further extremity without finding any dead body or even any symptoms of one having lain there at some parts close to the wall there grew a kind of heath and consequently the traces of blood would be lost among it if it so happened that at the precise spot at which the strange being had seemed to topple over such vegetation had existed this was to be ascertained but now after traversing the whole length of the wall twice they came to a halt and looked wanderingly in each other's faces there is nothing here said Henry nothing added his brother it could not have been a delusion at length said Mr. Marchdale with a shudder a delusion explained the brothers that is not possible we all saw it and we give by heavens I know not explained Henry this adventure surpasses all belief and but for the great interest we have in it I should regard it with a world of curiosity it is too dreadful said George for God's sake Henry let us return to ascertain if poor flora is killed my senses said Henry were all so much absorbed in gazing at that horrible form her once looked towards her further than to see that she was to appearance dead God help her poor poor beautiful flora this is indeed a sad sad fate for you to come to flora flora do not we Henry said George rather let us now hasten home where we may find that tears are premature she may yet be living and restored to us and said Mr. Marchdale we may be able to give us some account of this dreadful visitation true true exclaimed Henry we will hasten home they now turn their steps home words and as they went they much blame themselves for all leaving home together and with terror pictured what might occur in their absence to those who are now totally unprotected it was a rash impulse of all of us to come in pursuit of this dreadful figure remarked Mr. Marchdale but do not torment yourself Henry there may be no reason for your fears at the pace they went they very soon reached the ancient house and when they came inside of it they saw lights flashing from the windows and the shadows of faces moving to and fro indicating that the whole household was up and in a state of alarm Henry after some trouble got the hall door open by a terrified servant who was trembling so much that she could scarcely hold the light she had with her speak at once Martha said Henry is Flora living yes but enough enough thank God she lives where is she now in her own room master Henry oh dear oh dear what will become of us all Henry rushed up the staircase followed by George and Mr. Marchdale nor paused he once the room of his sister mother he said before he crossed the threshold are you here I am my dear I am come in pray come in and speak to Flora come in Mr. Marchdale said Henry come in we will make no stranger of you they all entered the room several lights had been now brought into the antique chamber and in addition to the mother of the beautiful girl who had been so fearfully visited there were two female domestics who appeared to be in the greatest possible fright for they could render no assistance whatever to anybody the tears were streaming down the mother's face and the moment she saw Mr. Marchdale she clung to his arm evidently unconscious of what she was about and exclaimed oh what is this that has happened what is this tell me Marchdale Robert Marchdale you whom I have known even for my childhood you will not deceive me tell me the meaning of all of this I cannot he said in a tone of much emotion as God as my judge I am as much puzzled and amazed at the scene that has taken place here tonight as you can be the mother rung her hands and wept it was the storm that first awakened me added Marchdale and then I heard a scream the brothers tremblingly approached the bed flora was placed in a sitting half reclining posture propped up by pillows she was quite insensible and her face was fearfully pale while that she breathed at all could be but very faintly seen on some of her clothing about the neck were spots of blood and she looked more like one who had suffered some long and grievous illness than a young girl in the prime of life and in the most health as she had been on the day previous to the strange scene we have recorded does she sleep said Henry as a tear fell from his eyes upon her palate cheek no replied Mr. Marchdale this is a swoon from which we must recover her active measures were now adopted to restore the language circulation and after preserving in them for some time they had the satisfaction of seeing her open her eyes her first act upon consciousness returning however was to utter a loud shriek and it was not until Henry implored her to look around her and see that she was surrounded by none but friendly faces that she would venture again to open her eyes and look timidly from one to the other then she shuttered and burst into tears as she said oh heaven have mercy upon me heaven have mercy upon me and save me from that dreadful form there is no one here floris said Mr. Marchdale but those who love you and who in defense of you if needs were would lay down their lives oh god oh god you have been terrified but tell us distinctly what has happened you are quite safe now she trembled so violently that Mr. Marchdale recommended that some stimulants should be given to her and she was persuaded although not without considerable difficulty to swallow a portion of some wine from a cup there could be no doubt but that the stimulating effect of the wine was beneficial for a slight accession of color visited her cheeks and she spoke in a firmer tone as she said do not leave me oh do not leave me any of you I shall die if left alone now oh save me save me that horrible form that fearful face tell us how it happened dear flora said Henry no no no she said I don't think I shall ever sleep again say not so you will be more composed in a few hours and then you can tell us what has occurred I will tell you now I will tell you now she placed her hands over her face for a moment as if to collect her scattered thoughts and then she added she was awakened by the storm and I saw the terrible apparition at the window I think I screamed but I could not fly oh god I could not fly it came and seized me by the hair I know no more I know no more she passed her hand across her neck several times and Mr. Marshdale said in an anxious voice you seem flora to have hurt your neck there is a wound a wound said the mother and she brought to light close to the bed where all saw on the side of flora's neck a small punctured wound or rather two for there was one a little distance from the other it was from these wounds the blood had come which was observable upon her night clothing how came these wounds said Henry I do not know she replied I feel very faint and weak as if I had almost bled to death you cannot have done so dear flora for there are not above half a dozen spots of blood to be seen at all Mr. Marshdale leaned against the carved head of the bed for support and he uttered a deep groan all eyes were turned upon him and Henry said in a voice of the most anxious inquiry have you something to say Mr. Marshdale which will throw some light upon this affair no no no nothing cried Mr. Marshdale causing himself at once from the appearance of depression that had come over him I have nothing to say but that I think flora had better get some sleep if she can no sleep no sleep for me again screamed flora dare I be alone to sleep but you shall not be alone dear flora said Henry I will sit by your bedside and watch you she took his hand in hers and while the tears chased each other down her cheeks she said promise me Henry by all your hopes of heaven you will not leave me I promise she gently laid herself down with a deep sigh and closed her eyes she is weak and will sleep long said Mr. Marshdale you sigh said Henry some fearful thoughts I feel certain oppressed your heart hush hush said Mr. Marshdale as he pointed to flora I understand said Henry let her sleep there was a silence of some few minutes duration flora had dropped into a deep slumber that silence was first broken by George she said Mr. Marshdale look at the portrait he pointed to the portrait in the frame which we have eluded and the moment Marshdale looked at it he sunk into a chair as he exclaimed gracious heaven how alike it is it is said Henry those eyes and see the contour of the countenance and the strange shape of the mouth exact exact that picture shall be moved from here the sight of it is at once sufficient to awaken all her former terrors in poor flora's brain if she should chance to awaken and cast her eyes suddenly upon it and is it so like him who came here said the mother it is the very man himself said Mr. Marshdale I have not been in this house long enough to ask any of you whose portrait that may be it is said Henry the portrait of Sir Runagate Bannerworth an ancestor of ours who first by his vices gave the great blow to the family prosperity indeed how long ago about 90 years 90 years tis a long while 90 years you muse upon it no no I do wish and yet I dread what? to say something to you all but not here not here we will hold a consultation on this matter tomorrow not now not now the daylight is coming quickly on said Henry I shall keep my sacred promise of not moving from this room until flora awakens but there can be no occasion for the detention of any of you one is sufficient here an endeavor to procure what rest you can I will fetch you my powder flask and bullets said Mr. Marshdale and you can if you please reload the pistols in about two hours more it will be broad daylight this arrangement was adopted Henry did reload the pistols and place them on a table by the side of the bed ready for immediate action and then as flora was sleeping soundly all left the room but himself Mrs. Bannerworth was last to do so she would have remained but for the earnest solicitation of Henry that she would endeavor to get some sleep to make up for her broken night's repose and she was indeed so broken down by her alarm on flora's account that she had not power to resist but with tears flowing from her eyes she sought her own chamber and now the calmness of night resumed its sway in that evil faded mansion and although no one really slept but flora all were still busy thought kept everyone else wakeful it was a mockery to lie down at all and Henry full of strange and painful feeling as he was preferred his present position to the anxiety and apprehension on flora's account which he knew he should feel if she were not within the sphere of his own observation and she slept soundly as some gentle infant tired of its playmates sports End of Chapter 3 Recording by Scott Jones San Clemente, California Chapter 4 of Varney the Vampire 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 Jody Crangle Varney the Vampire Volume 1 by Thomas Prescott Pressed Chapter 4 The Morning, The Consultation The Fearful Suggestion What wonderfully different impressions and feelings with regard to the same circumstances come across the mind in the broad clear and beautiful light of day to what haunt the imagination and often render the judgment almost incapable of action when the heavy shadow of night is upon all things just be a downright physical reason for this effect it is so remarkable and so universal it seems that the sun's rays so completely alter and modify the constitution of the atmosphere that it produces, as we inhale it a wonderfully different effect upon the nerves of the human subject we can account for this phenomenon in no other way perhaps never in his life had he Henry Bannerworth felt so strongly the condition of feeling as he now felt it when the beautiful daylight gradually dawned upon him as he kept his lonely watch by the bedside of his slumbering sister the watch had been a perfectly undisturbed one not the least sight or sound or any intrusion had reached his senses all had been as still as the very grave and yet while the light lasted and he was more indebted to the rays of the candle which he had placed upon a shelf of the anguish objects than to light of the morning a thousand uneasy and strange sensations had found a home in his agitated bosom he looked so many times at the portrait which was in the panel that at length he felt an undefined sensation of terror creep over him whenever he took his eyes off it he tried to keep himself from looking at it but he found it vain so he adopted what perhaps was certainly the wisest best plan namely to look at it continually he shifted his chair so that he could gaze upon it without any effort and he placed the candle so that a faint light was thrown upon it and there he sat a prey to many conflicting and uncomfortable feelings until the daylight began to make the candle flame look dull and sickly solution for the events of the night he could find none he racked his imagination in vain to find some means however vague he was endeavouring to account for what occurred and still he was at fault all was to him wrapped in the gloom of the most profound mystery and how strangely too the eyes of that portrait appeared to look upon him as if instinct with life and as if the head to which they belonged was busy in endeavouring to find out the secret communings of his soul it was wonderfully well executed that portrait so life-like that the very features seemed to move as you gazed upon them it shall be removed said Henry I would remove it now but it seems absolutely painted on the panel and I should awake Flora in any attempt to do so he arose and ascertained that such was the case and that it would require a workman with proper tools adapted to the job to remove the portrait true he said I might now destroy it but it is pity to obscure a work of such rare art as this is should blame myself if I were it shall be removed to some other room of the house however then all of a sudden it struck Henry how foolish it would be to remove the portrait from the wall of a room which in all likelihood after that night would be uninhabited for it was not probable that Flora would choose again to inhabit a chamber in which she had gone through so much terror it can be left where it is he said and we can fasten up if we please even the very door of this room so that no one need trouble themselves any further about it the morning was now coming fast and just as Henry thought he would partially draw a blind across the window in order to shield from the direct rays of the sun the eyes of Flora she awoke help help she cried and Henry was by her side in a moment you are safe Flora you are safe he said where is it now she said what what dear Flora the dreadful apparition to be made thus perpetually miserable think no more of it Flora I must think my brain is on fire a million of strange eyes seem to be gazing on me great heaven she raves said Henry hark hark hark he comes on the wings of the storm oh it is most horrible horrible Henry rang the bell but not sufficiently loudly to create any alarm the sound reached the waking ear of the mother a few moments was in the room she is awakened said Henry and has spoken but she seems to me to wander in her discourse for God's sake soothe her and try to bring her mind round to its usual state I will Henry I will and I think mother if you were to get her out of this room and into some other chamber as far removed from this one as possible it would tend to withdraw her mind from what has occurred yes it shall be done oh Henry what was it what do you think it was I am lost in a sea of wild conjecture I can form no conclusion where is Mr. Marchdale I believe in his chamber then I will go and consult with him Henry proceeded at once to the chamber which was as he knew occupied by Mr. Marchdale and as he crossed the corridor he could not but pause a moment to glance from a window at the face of nature as is often the case the terrific storm of the proceeding evening had cleared the air and rendered it deliciously invigorating and lifelike the weather had been dull and there had been for some days a certain heaviness in the atmosphere which was now entirely removed the morning sun was shining with uncommon brilliancy birds were singing in every tree and on every bush so pleasant so spirit stirring health giving a morning seldom had he seen and the effect upon his spirits was great although not altogether what it might have been had all gone on as it usually was in the habit of doing at that house the ordinary little casualties of evil fortune had certainly from time to time in the shape of illness and one thing or another attack the family of the Bannerworths in common with every other family but here suddenly had arisen a something at once terrible and inexplicable he found Mr. Marchdale up and dressed and apparently in deep and anxious thought the moment he saw Henry he said he was awake I presume yes but her mind appears to be much disturbed from bodily weakness I daresay but why should she be bodily weak she was strong and well I as well as she could ever be in all her life the glow of youth and health was on her cheeks it is possible that in the course of one night she should become bodily weak to such an extent Henry said Mr. Marchdale sadly sit down I am not as you know a superstitious man you certainly are not and yet I never in all my life was so absolutely staggered as I have been by the occurrences of tonight say on there is a frightful a hideous solution for them one which every consideration will tend to add strength to one which I tremble to name now although yesterday at this hour I should have laughed it to scorn indeed yes it is so tell no one that which I am about to say to you let the dreadful suggestion remain with ourselves alone Henry Benworth I I am lost in wonder you promise me what what that you will not repeat my opinion to anyone I do on your honor on my honor I promise Mr. Marchdale rose and proceeding to the door he looked out to see that there were no listeners near having us retained then that they were quite alone he returned and drawing a chair close to that on which Henry sat he said Henry have you never heard of a strange and dreadful superstition which in some countries is extremely rife by which is it supposed that there are beings who never die never die never in a word Henry have you never heard of of I dread to pronounce the word speak it God of heaven let me hear it a vampire Henry sprang to his feet his whole frame quivered with emotion the drops of perspiration stood upon his brow as in a strange horse voice he repeated the words a vampire even so one who has to renew a dreadful existence by human blood one who eats not and drinks not as other men a vampire Henry dropped into his seat and uttered a deep groan of the most exquisite anguish I could echo that groan said marchdale but that I am so thoroughly bewildered I know not what to think good God good God do not too readily yield to belief in so dreadful a supposition I pray you yield belief exclaimed Henry as he rose and lifted up one of his hands above his head no by heaven and the great God of all who their rules I will not easily believe are so awful and so monstrous I applaud your sentiment Henry not willingly would I deliver up myself to so frightful a belief it is too horrible I merely have told you that which you saw was on my mind you have surely before heard of such things I have I have I much marvel then that the supposition did not occur to you Henry it did not it did not Marchdale it it was too dreadful I suppose to find a home in my heart Flora Flora if this horrible idea should once occur to you reason cannot I am quite sure uphold you against it let no one presume to insinuate it to her Henry I would not have it mentioned to her for worlds nor I nor I good God I shutter the very thought the mere possibility but there is no possibility there can be none I will not believe it nor I no by heaven's justice goodness grace and mercy I will not believe it Tis well sworn Henry and now discarding the supposition that Flora has been visited by a vampire let us seriously set about endeavoring if we can to account for what has happened in this house I I cannot now let us examine the matter if we can find any natural explanation let us cling to it Henry as the sheet anchor of our very souls do you think you are fertile in expedience do you think Marchdale and for heaven's sake and for the sake of our worn peace find out some other way of accounting for what has happened then the hideous one you have suggested and yet my pistol bullets hurt him not and he has left the tokens of his presence on the neck of Flora peace oh peace do not I pray you accumulate reasons why I should receive such a dismal awful superstition oh do not Marchdale as you love me you know my attachment to you said Marchdale is sincere and yet heaven help us his voice was broken by grief as he spoke and he turned aside his head to hide the bursting tears that would despite all his efforts show themselves in his eyes Marchdale added Henry after a pause of some moments duration I will sit up tonight with my sister do do think you there is a chance that may come again I cannot I dare not speculate upon the coming of so dreadful a visitor Henry but I will hold watch with you most willingly you will Marchdale my hand upon it come what dangers may I will share them with you Henry a thousand thanks say nothing then to George of what we have been talking about he is of a highly susceptible nature and the very idea of such a thing would kill him I will be mute remove your sister to some other chamber let me beg of you Henry the one she now inhabits will always be suggestive of horrible thoughts I will and that dreadful looking portrait with its perfect likeness to him who came last night perfect indeed do you intend to remove it I do not I thought of doing so but it is actually on the panel in the wall and I would not willingly destroy it and it may as well remain where it is in that chamber which I can readily now believe will become hence forward a deserted one in this house it may well become such who comes here I hear a step there was a tap at the door at this moment and George made his appearance in answer to the summons to come in he looked pale and ill his face betrayed how much he had mentally suffered during the night and almost directly he got into the bed chamber he said I shall I am sure be censured by you both for what I am going to say but I cannot help saying it nevertheless for to keep it to myself would destroy me good God George what is it said Mr. Marchdale speak it out said Henry I have been thinking of what has occurred here and the result of that thought has been one of the wildest suppositions that ever I thought I should have to entertain have you never heard of a vampire Henry sighed deeply and Marchdale was silent I say a vampire added George with much excitement in his manner it is a fearful a horrid supposition but our poor dear Flora has been visited by a vampire and I shall go completely mad he sat down and covering his face with his hands he wept bitterly and abundantly George said Henry when he saw that the frantic grief had in some measure abated be calm George and endeavor to listen to me I hear Henry well then do not suppose that you are the only one in this house to whom so dreadful a superstition has occurred not the only one no it has occurred to Mr. Marchdale also gracious heaven he mentioned it to me but we have both agreed to repudiate it with horror to repudiate it yes George and yet and yet hush hush I know what you would say you would tell us that our repudiation of it cannot affect the fact of that we are aware but yet will we disbelieve that which a belief in would be enough to drive us mad what do you intend to do to keep this supposition to ourselves in the first place to guard it most zealously from the ears of flora do you think she has never heard of vampires I never heard her mention that in all her reading she had gathered even a hint of such a fearful superstition if she has we must be guided by circumstances and do the best we can pray heaven she may not amen to that prayer George said Henry keep watch over flora tonight may not I join you your health dear George will not permit you to engage in such matters do you seek your natural repose and leave it to us to do the best we can in this most fearful and terrible emergency as you please brother and as you please mr. Marchdale I know I am a frail reed and my belief is that this affair will kill me quite the truth is I am horrified utterly and frightfully horrified like my poor dear sister do not believe I shall ever sleep again do not fancy that George said Marchdale you very much add to the uneasiness which must be your poor mother's portion by allowing the circumstance to so much affect you you will know her affection for you all and let me therefore as a very old friend of hers entreat you to wear as cheerful an aspect as you can in her presence for once in my life said George sadly I will to my dear mother endeavor to play the hypocrite do so said Henry the motive will sanction any such deceit as that George be assured the day war on and poor flora remained in a very precarious situation it was not until midday that Henry made up his mind he would call in a medical gentleman to her and then rode to the neighboring market town where he knew an extremely intelligent practitioner resided this gentlemen Henry resolved upon under a promise of secrecy making a confidant of but long before he reached him he found he might well dispense with the promise of secrecy he had never thought so engaged had he been with other matters that the servants were cognizant of the whole affair and that from them he had no expectation of being able to keep the whole story in all its details of course such an opportunity for tail-bearing and gossiping was not likely to be lost and while Henry was thinking over how he better act in the matter the news that flora Bannerworth had been visited overnight by a vampire for the servants named the visitation such at once was spreading all over the country as he rode along Henry met a gentleman on horseback who belonged to the county and who reigning in his steed said to him good morning Mr. Bannerworth good morning responded Henry and he would have ridden on but the gentleman added excuse me for interrupting you sir but what is the strange story that is in everybody's mouth about a vampire Henry nearly fell off his horse he was so much astonished and wheeling the animal around he said in everybody's mouth yes I have heard it from at least a dozen persons you surprise me is it untrue of course I am not so absurd as really to believe about the vampire but is there no foundation at all to it we generally find that at the bottom of these common reports there is a something around which as a nucleus the whole has formed my sister is unwell ah and that's all it really is too bad now we had a visitor last night a thief I suppose yes yes I believe a thief I do believe it was a thief and she was terrified of course and upon such a thing as grafted a story of a vampire and the marks of his teeth being upon her neck and all the circumstantial particulars yes yes good morning Mr. Bannerworth Henry gentlemen good morning and much vexed at the publicity which the affair had already obtained he set spurs to his horse determined that he would speak to no one else upon so uncomfortable a theme several attempts were made to stop him but he only waved his hand and trotted on nor did he pause in his speed till he reached the door of Mr. Chillingworth the medical man whom he intended to consult Henry knew that at such a time he would be at home which was the case soon closeted with the man of drugs Henry begged his patient hearing which being accorded he related to him at full length what had happened not omitting to the best of his remembrance any one particular when he had concluded his narration the doctor shifted his position several times and then said that's all yes and enough too more than enough I should say my young friend you astonish me can you form any supposition sir on the subject not just now what is your own idea I cannot be said to have one about it it is too absurd to tell you that my brother George is impressed with the belief of vampire has visited the house I never in all my life heard a more circumstantial narrative in favor of so hideous a superstition well but you cannot believe believe what that the dead can come to life again and by such a process keep up vitality do you take me for a fool certainly not then why do you ask me such questions but the glaring facts of the case I don't care if they were ten times more glaring I won't believe it I would rather believe you were all mad the whole family of you that at the full of the moon you all were a little cracked and so would I you go home now and I will call and see your sister in the course of two hours something may turn up yet to throw some new light on this strange subject with this understanding Henry went home and he took care to ride as fast as before in order to avoid questions so that he got back to his old ancestral home without going through the disagreeable ordeal of having to explain to anyone what had disturbed the peace of it when Henry reached his home he found that the evening was rapidly coming on and before he could permit himself to think upon any other subject he inquired how his terrified sister had passed the hours during his absence he found that but little improvement in her and that she had occasionally slept but to awaken and speak incoherently as if the shock she had received had had some serious effect upon her nerves he repaired it once to her room and finding that she was awake he leaned over her and spoke tenderly to her flora he said dear flora you are better now Harry is that you yes dear oh tell me what has happened have you not a recollection flora Henry but what was it they none of them will tell me what it was Henry be calm dear no doubt some attempt to rob the house think you so yes the bay window was particularly adapted for such a purpose but now that you are removed here to this room you will be able to rest in peace I shall die of terror Henry even now those eyes are glaring on me so hideously oh it is fearful it is very fearful Henry do you not pity me I promise to remain with me at night indeed flora you are mistaken for I intend to sit by your bedside armed and so preserve you from all harm she clutched his hand eagerly as she said you will Henry you will and not think it too much trouble dear Henry it can be no trouble flora then I shall rest in peace for I know that the dreadful vampire cannot come to me when you are by the what flora the vampire Henry it was a vampire and who told you so no one I have read of them in the book of travels in Norway which Mr. Marchdale lent us all alas alas grown Henry discard I pray you such a thought from your mind can we discard thoughts what power have we but from the mind which is ourselves true true hark what noise is that I thought I heard a noise Henry when you go ring for someone first was there not a noise some door dear was it that it was then I am relieved Henry I sometimes fancy I am in the tomb and that someone is feasting on my flesh they do say too that those who in life have been bled by a vampire become themselves vampires and have the same horrible taste for blood as those before them is it not horrible you only vex yourself with such thoughts flora mr. chillingworth is coming to see you can he minister to a mind diseased but yours is not flora your mind is helpful and so although his power extends not so far we will thank heaven dear flora that you need it not she sighed deeply and she said heaven help me I know not Henry the dreadful being held on to my hair I must have it all taken off I tried to get away but it dragged me back a brutal thing it was oh then at that moment Henry I felt as if something strange took place in my brain and that I was going mad I saw those glazed eyes close to mine I felt a hot pastiferous breath upon my face help help hush my flora hush look at me I am calm again it fixed its teeth in my throat did I faint away you did dear but let me pray you to refer all this to imagination or at least the greater part of it but you saw it yes all saw it we all saw some man a housebreaker it must have been some housebreaker what more easy you know dear flora than to assume some such disguise was anything stolen not that I know of but there was an alarm you know flora shook her head as she said in a low voice that which came here was more than mortal oh Henry if it had but killed me now I had been happy but I cannot live I hear it breathing now look of something else dear flora said the much distressed Henry you will make yourself much worse if you indulge yourself in these strange fancies oh that they were but fancies they are believe me there is a strange confusion in my brain and sleep comes over me suddenly when I least expect it Henry Henry what I was I shall never never be again say not so all this will pass away like a dream and leave so faint a trace upon your memory but the time will come when you will wonder it ever made so deep an impression on your mind you utter these words Henry she said but they do not come from your heart ah no no no who comes the door was opened by Mrs. Bannerworth who said it is only me my dear Henry here is Dr. Chillingworth in the dining room Henry turned to flora saying you will see him dear flora you know Mr. Chillingworth well yes Henry yes I will see him or whoever you please shoe Mr. Chillingworth up said Henry to the servant in a few moments the medical man was in the room and he had once approached the bedside to speak to flora upon whose pale countenance he looked with evident interest while at the same time it seemed mingled with a painful feeling at least so his own face indicated well Mrs. Bannerworth he said what is all this I hear about an ugly dream you have had a dream said flora as she fixed her beautiful eyes on his face as I understand she shuttered and was silent was it not a dream then added Mr. Chillingworth she wrung her hands and in a voice of extreme anguish and pathos said would it were a dream would it were a dream oh if anyone could but convince me it was a dream well will you tell me what it was yes sir it was a vampire Mr. Chillingworth glanced at Henry as he said in reply to flora's words I suppose that is after all another name flora for the nightmare no no no do you really then persist in believing anything so absurd Miss Bannerworth what can I say to the evidence of my own senses she replied I saw it Henry saw it George saw Mr. Marchdale my mother all saw it we could not all be at the same time the victims of the same delusion how faintly you speak I am very faint and ill indeed what wound is that on your neck a wild expression came over the face of flora a spasmodic action of the muscles accompanied with a shuttering as if a sudden chill had come over the whole mass of blood took place and she said it is the mark left by the teeth of the vampire the smile was a forced one upon the face of Mr. Chillingworth draw up the blind of the window Mr. Henry said and let me examine this puncture to which your sister attaches so extraordinary a meaning the blind was drawn up and a strong light was thrown into the room for full two minutes Mr. Chillingworth attentively examined the two small wounds in the neck of flora he took a powerful magnifying glass from his pocket and looked at them through it and after his examination was concluded he said they are very trifling wounds indeed but how inflicted said Henry by some insect I should say which probably it being the season for many insects has flown in at the window I know the motive said flora which prompts all these suggestions it is a kind one and I ought to be the last to quarrel with it but what I have seen nothing can make me believe I saw not unless I am as once or twice I've thought myself really mad how do you now feel in general health far from well and a strange drowsiness at times creeps over me even now I feel it she sank back on the pillows as she spoke and closed her eyes with a deep sigh Mr. Chillingworth beckoned Henry to come with him from the room but the latter had promised that he would remain with flora and as Mrs. Bannerworth had left the chamber because she was unable to control her feelings he rang the bell and requested that his mother would come she did so and then Henry went downstairs along with the medical man whose opinion he was certainly eager to be now made acquainted with as soon as they were alone in the old fashioned room which was called the oak closet Mr. Chillingworth and said what now is your candid opinion sir you have seen my sister and those strange indubitable evidences of something wrong I have and to tell you candidly the truth Mr. Henry I am sorely perplexed I thought you would be it is not often that a medical man likes to say so much nor is it indeed often prudent that he should do so but in this case I own I am much puzzled it is contrary to all my notions upon all such subjects those wounds what do you think of them I know not what to think I am completely puzzled as regards them but but do they not really bear the appearance of being bites they really do and so far then they are actually in favor of the dreadful supposition which poor flora entertains so far they certainly are I have no doubt in the world of their being bites but we must not jump to a conclusion that the teeth which inflicted them were human it is a strange case and one which I feel assured must give you all much uneasiness as indeed it gave me but as I said before I will not let my judgment give in to the fearful and degrading superstition which all the circumstances connected with this strange story would seem to justify it is a degrading superstition to my mind your sister seems to be laboring under the effect of some narcotic indeed yes unless she really has lost a quantity of blood which loss has decreased the heart's action sufficiently to produce the languor under which she now evidently labors oh that I could believe the former supposition but I am confident she has taken no narcotic she could not even do so by mistake for there is no drug of the sword in the house besides she is not heedless by any means I am quite convinced that she has not done so fairly puzzled my young friend and I can only say that I would freely have given half of what I am worth to see that figure you saw last night what would you have done I would not have lost sight of it for the world's wealth you would have felt your blood freeze with horror the face was terrible and yet let it lead me where it liked I would have followed I wish you had been here I wish to heaven I had if I thought there was the least chance of another visit I would come and wait with patients every night for a month I cannot say replied Henry I am going to sit up tonight with my sister and I believe our friend Mr. Marchdale will share my watch with me Mr. Chillingworth appeared to be for a few moments lost in thought and then suddenly rousing himself as if he found it either impossible to come to any rational conclusion upon the subject or had arrived at one which he chose to keep to himself he said well well we must leave the matter at present as it stands time may accomplish something rewards its development but at present so palpable a mystery I never came across or a matter in which human calculation was so completely foiled nor I nor I I will send you some medicines such as I think will be a service to Flora and depend upon seeing me by ten o'clock tomorrow morning you have of course heard something said Henry to the doctor as he was pulling on his gloves about vampires I certainly have and I understand that in some countries particularly Norway and Sweden the superstition is a very common one and in the Levant yes the ghouls of the Mahometans are of the same description of beings all that I have heard of the European vampire has made it a being which can be killed but is restored to life again by the rays of a full moon falling on the body yes yes I have heard as much and that the hideous repast of blood has to be taken very frequently and that if the vampire gets it not he wastes away presenting the appearance of one in the last stage of a consumption and visibly so to speak dying that is what I have understood tonight do you know Mr. Bannerworth is the full of the moon Henry started if now you had succeeded in killing Shah what am I saying I believe I am getting foolish and that the horrible superstition is beginning to fasten itself upon me as well as upon all of you how strangely the fancy will wage war with the judgment in such a way as this the full of the moon repeated Henry as he glanced towards the window and the night is near at hand banish these thoughts from your mind said the doctor or else my young friend you will make yourself decidedly ill good evening to you for it is evening I shall see you tomorrow morning Mr. Chillingworth appeared now to be anxious to go and Henry no longer opposed his departure but when he was gone a sense of great loneliness came over him tonight he repeated is the full of the moon how strange that this dreadful adventure should have taken place just the night before it is very strange let me see, let me see he took from the shelves of a bookcase the work which Flora had mentioned entitled Travels in Norway in which work he found some account of the popular belief in vampires he opened the work at random and then some of the leaves turned over of themselves to a particular place as the leaves will frequently do and at that part and the binding stretched there more than anywhere else there was a note at the bottom of one of the pages at this part of the book and Henry read as follows with regard to these vampires it is believed by those who were inclined to give credence to so dreadful a superstition that they always endeavour to make their feast of blood for the revival of their bodily powers on some evening immediately proceeding a full moon which if any accident befall them such as being shot or otherwise killed or wounded they can recover by lying down somewhere where the full moon's rays will fall upon them Henry let the book drop from his hands with a groan and a shutter End of Chapter 4 The Morning, The Consultation The Fearful Suggestion Recording by Jodie Crangle www.voiceoversandvocals.com Chapter 5 A Varni the Vampire This is a LibriVox recording LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Jodie Crangle www.varnithevampire.com Volume 1 by Thomas Prescott-Prest Chapter 5 The Night Watch, The Proposal, The Moonlight The Fearful Adventure A kind of stupefaction came over Henry Bannerworth and he sat for about a quarter of an hour scarcely conscious of where he was and almost incapable of anything in the shape of rational thought It was his brother George who roused him by saying as he laid his hand upon his shoulder Henry are you asleep? Henry had not been aware of his presence and he started up as if he had been shot Oh George is it you? he said Yes Henry are you unwell? No no I was in deep reverie Alas I need not ask upon what subject said George sadly I sought you to bring you this letter A letter to me? Yes you see it is addressed to you and the seal looks as if it came from someone of consequence Indeed Yes Henry read it and see from whence it comes There was just sufficient light by going to the window to enable Henry to read the letter which he did aloud It ran thus Sir Francis Varney presents his compliments to Mr Beaumont and is much concerned to hear that some domestic affliction has fallen upon him Sir Francis hopes that the genuine and loving sympathy of a neighbor will not be regarded as an intrusion and begs to proffer any assistance or counsel that may be within the compass of his means Ratford Abbey Sir Francis Varney said Henry Who is he? Do you not remember Henry said George We were told a few days ago that a gentleman of that name had become the purchaser of Ratford Abbey Oh yes yes have you seen him I have not I do not wish to make any new acquaintance George We are very poor much poorer indeed than the general appearance of this place which I fear we shall soon have to part with would warrant anyone believing I must of course return a civil answer to this gentleman but it must be such a one as shall repress familiarity That will be difficult to do while we remain here to come to consider the very close proximity of the two properties Henry Oh no not at all he will easily perceive that we do not want to make acquaintance with him and then as a gentleman which doubtless he is he will give up the attempt Let it be so Henry Heaven knows I have no desire to form any new acquaintance with anyone and more particularly under our present circumstances of depression and now Henry you must permit me as I have had some repose to share with you your night watch in the floor's room I would advise you not George your health as you know is far from good nay allow me if not then the anxiety I shall suffer will do me more harm than the watchfulness I shall keep up in her chamber this was an argument which Henry felt himself the force of too strongly not to admit it in the case of George and he therefore made no further opposition to his wish to make one in the night watch There will be an advantage said George you see three of us being engaged in this matter because should anything occur two can act together and yet flora may not be left alone true true that is a great advantage now a soft gentle silvery light began to spread itself over the heavens the moon was rising and as the beneficial effects of the storm of the preceding evening were still felt in the clearness of the air the rays appeared to be more lustrous and full of beauty than they commonly were each moment the night grew lighter and by the time the brothers were ready to take their place in the chamber of flora the moon had risen considerably although neither Henry nor George had any objection to the company of Mr. Marchdale yet they gave him the option and rather in fact urged him not to destroy his night's repose by sitting up with them but he said allow me to do so I am older and have calmer judgment than you can have should anything again appear I am quite resolved that it shall not escape me what would you do with the name of God upon my lips said Marchdale solemnly I would grapple with it you laid hands upon it last night I did and have forgotten to show you what I tore from it look here what should you say this was he produced a piece of cloth on which was an old fashioned piece of lace and two buttons upon a close inspection this appeared to be a portion of the lapel of a coat of ancient times suddenly Henry with a look of intense anxiety said this reminds me of the fashion of garments very many years ago Mr. Marchdale it came away in my grasp as if rotten and incapable of standing any rough usage what a strange unearthly smell it has now that you mention it yourself added Mr. Marchdale I must confess it smells to me as if it had really come from the very grave it does it does say nothing of this relic of last night's work to anyone be assured I shall not I am far from wishing to keep up in anyone's mind proofs of that which I would feign very feign refute Mr. Marchdale replaced the portion of the coat which the figure had worn in his pocket and then the whole three proceeded to the chamber of flora it was within a very few minutes of midnight the moon had climbed high in the heavens and a night of such brightness and beauty had seldom shown itself for a long period of time flora slept and in her chamber sat the two brothers and Mr. Marchdale silently for she had shown symptoms of restlessness and they much feared to break the light slumber into which she had fallen occasionally they had conversed in whispers which could not have the effect of rousing her for the room although smaller than the one she had before occupied was still sufficiently spacious to enable them to get some distance from the bed until the hour of midnight now actually struck they were silent and when the last echo of the sounds had died away a feeling of uneasiness came over them which prompted some conversation to get rid of it how bright the moon is now said Henry in a low voice I never saw it brighter replied Marchdale I feel as if I were assured that we shall not tonight be interrupted it was later than this said Henry do not then yet congratulate us upon no visit how still the house is remarked George it seems to me as if I had never found it so intensely quiet before it is very still hush she moves Flora moaned in her sleep and made a slight movement the curtains were all drawn closely around the bed to shield her eyes from the bright moonlight which streamed into the room so brilliantly they might have closed the shutters of the window but this they did not like to do as it would render their watch there of no avail at all in as much as they would not be able to see if any attempt was made by anyone to obtain admittance a quarter of an hour longer might have thus passed when Mr. Marchdale said in a whisper a thought has just struck me that the piece of coat I have which I dragged from the figure last night wonderfully resembles in color and appearance the style of dress of the portrait in the room which Flora lately slept in I thought of that said Henry when first I saw it but to tell the honest truth I dreaded to suggest any new proof connected with last night's visitation then I ought not to have drawn your attention to it said Mr. Marchdale and regret I have done so nay, do not blame yourself on such an account said Henry you are quite right and it is I who am too foolishly sensitive now however since you have mentioned it I must own I have a great desire to test the accuracy of the observation by a comparison with the portrait that may easily be done I will remain here said George in case Flora awakens while you too go if you like it is but across the corridor Henry immediately rose saying come Mr. Marchdale come let us satisfy ourselves at all events upon this point at once as George says it is only across the corridor and we can return directly I am willing said Mr. Marchdale with a tone of sadness there was no light needed for the moon stood suspended in a cloudless sky so that from the house being a detached one containing numerous windows it was as light as day although the distance from one chamber to the other was only across the corridor it was a greater space than these words might occupy for the corridor was wide neither was it directly across but considerably slanting however it was certainly sufficiently close at hand for any sound of alarm from one chamber to reach the other without any difficulty a few moments suffice to place Henry and Mr. Marchdale in that antique room where from the effect of the moonlight which was streaming over it the portrait on the panel looked exceedingly lifelike and this effect was probably the greater because the rest of the room was not illuminated by the moon's rays which came through a window in the corridor and then at the open door of that chamber upon the portrait Mr. Marchdale held the piece of cloth he had close to the dress of the portrait and one glance was sufficient to show the wonderful likeness between the two good God said Henry it is the same Mr. Marchdale dropped the piece of cloth and trembled this fact shakes even our skepticism said Henry I know not what to make of it I can tell you something which bears upon it I do not know if you are sufficiently aware of my family history to know that this one of my ancestors I wish I could say worthy ancestors committed suicide and was buried in his clothes you, you are sure of that? quite sure I am more and more bewildered as each moment some strange corroborative fact of that dreadful supposition we so much shrink from seems to come to light and to force itself upon our attention there was a silence of a few moments duration and Henry had turned towards Mr. Marchdale to say something when the cautious tread of a footstep was heard in the garden immediately beneath that balcony a sickening sensation came over Henry and he was compelled to lean against the wall for support as in scarcely articulate accents he said the vampire, the vampire, god of heaven it has come once again now heaven inspire us with more than mortal courage cried Mr. Marchdale and he dashed open the window at once and sprang into the balcony Henry in a moment recovered himself sufficiently to follow him and when he reached his side in the balcony Marchdale said as he pointed below there is someone concealed there where, where? I will fire a random shot and we may do some execution hold said a voice from below don't do any such thing I beg of you why that is Mr. Chillingworth's voice cried Henry yes and it's Mr. Chillingworth's person too said the doctor as he emerged from among some laurel bushes how is this said Marchdale simply that I made up my mind to keep watch and ward tonight outside here in the hope of catching the vampire I got into here by climbing the gate but why did you not let us know said Henry because I did not know myself my young friend till an hour and a half ago have you seen anything nothing but I fancied I heard something in the park outside the wall indeed what say you Henry said Mr. Marchdale to descending and taking a hasty examination of the garden and grounds I am willing but first allow me to speak to George who otherwise might be surprised at our long absence Henry walked rapidly to the bedchamber of flora and he said to George have you any objection to being left alone here for about a half an hour George while we make an examination of the garden let me have some weapon and I care not remain here while I fetch a sword from my own room Henry did so and when George returned with a sword which he always kept in his bedroom he said now go Henry I prefer a weapon of this description to pistols much do not be gone longer than necessary I will not George be assured George was then left alone and Henry returned to the balcony where Mr. Marchdale was waiting for him it was a quicker mode of descending to the garden to do so by clambering over the balcony than any other and the height was not considerable enough to make it very objectionable so Henry and Mr. Marchdale chose that way of joining Mr. Chillingworth you are no doubt much surprised at finding me here said the doctor but the fact is I have made up my mind to come while I was here but I had not thoroughly done so therefore I said nothing to you about it we are much indebted to you said Henry for making the attempt I am prompted to it by a feeling of the strongest curiosity are you armed sir said Mr. Marchdale in this stick said the doctor is a sword the exquisite temper of which I know I can depend upon and I fully intended to run through anyone whom I saw that looked in the least of the vampire order you would have done quite right replied Mr. Marchdale I have abrasive pistols here loaded with ball will you take one Henry if you please and then we shall be all armed thus then prepared for any exigency they made the whole round of the house but found all the fastening secure and everything as quiet as possible suppose now we take a survey of the park outside the garden wall said Mr. Marchdale this was agreed to but before they had proceeded far Mr. Marchdale said there is a ladder lying on the wall would it not be a good plan to place it against the very spot the supposed vampire jumped over last night and so from a more elevated position take a view of the open meadows we could easily drop down on the outer side if we saw anything suspicious not a bad plan said the doctor shall we do it certainly said Henry and they accordingly carried the ladder which had been used for pruning the trees towards the spot at the end of the long walk at which the vampire had made good after so many fruitless efforts his escape from the premises then made haste down the long vista of trees until they reached the exact spot and then they placed the ladder as near as possible exactly where Henry in his bewilderment on the evening before had seen the apparition from the grave spring to we can ascend singly said Marchdale but there is ample space for us all there to sit on the top of the wall and make our observations this was seen to be the case and in about a couple of minutes they had taken up their position on the wall and although the height was but trifling they found that they had a much more extensive view than they could have obtained by any other means to contemplate the beauty of such a night as this said Mr. Chillingworth is amply sufficient compensation for coming the distance I have and who knows remarked Marchdale we may yet see something which may throw a light upon our present perplexities God knows that I would give all I can call mine in the world to relieve you and your sister Henry Bannerworth from the fearful effect which last night's proceedings cannot fail to have upon you of that I am well assured Mr. Marchdale said Henry if the happiness of myself and family depended upon you we should be happy indeed you are silent Mr. Chillingworth remarked Marchdale after a slight pause hush said Mr. Chillingworth hush hush good God what you hear cried Henry the doctor laid his hand upon Henry's arm as he said there is a young lime tree yonder to the right yes yes carry your eye from it on a horizontal line as near as you can towards the wood Henry did so and then he uttered a sudden exclamation of surprise and pointed to a rising spot of ground which was yet in consequence of the number of tall trees in its vicinity partially enveloped in shadow what is that he said I see something said Marchdale by heaven it is a human form lying stretched there it is as if in death what can it be said Chillingworth I dread to say replied Marchdale but to my eyes even at this distance it seems like the form of him we chased last night the vampire yes yes look the moonbeams touch him now the shadows of the trees gradually recede God of heaven the figure moves Henry's eyes were riveted to that fearful object and now a scene presented itself which filled him all with wonder and astonishment mingled with sensations of the greatest awe and alarm as the moonbeams in consequence of the luminary rising higher and higher in the heavens came to touch this figure that lay extended on the rising ground a perceptible movement took place in it the limbs appeared to tremble and although it did not rise up the whole body gave signs of vitality the vampire the vampire said Mr. Marchdale I cannot doubt it now we must have hit him last night with the pistol bullets and the moonbeams are now restoring him to a new life Henry shuttered and even Mr. Chillingworth turned pale but he was the first to recover himself sufficiently to propose some course of action and he said let us descend and go up to this figure it is a duty we owe to ourselves as much as to society hold a moment said Mr. Marchdale as he produced a pistol I am an unerring shot as you well know Henry before we move from this position we now occupy allow me to try what virtue may be in a bullet to lay that figure low again he is rising exclaimed Henry Mr. Marchdale leveled the pistol he took sure and deliberate aim and then just as the figure seemed to be struggling to its feet he fired and with a sudden bound it fell again you have hit it said Henry you have indeed exclaimed the doctor I think we can go now hush said Marchdale hush does it not seem to you that hit it as often as you will the moonbeams will recover it yes yes said Henry they will they will I can endure this no longer said Mr. Chillingworth as he sprung from the wall follow me or not as you please I will seek the spot where this being lies Oh be not rash cried Mr. Marchdale see it rises again and its form looks gigantic I trust in heaven and a righteous cause said the doctor as he drew the sword he had spoken of from the stick and threw away the scabbard come with me if you like or I go alone Henry at once jumped down from the wall and then Marchdale followed him saying come on I will not shrink they ran towards the piece of rising ground but before they got to it the form rose and made rapidly towards a little wood which was in the immediate neighborhood of the hillock it is conscious of being pursued cried the doctor see how it glances back and then increases its speed fire upon it Henry said Marchdale he did so but either his shot did not take effect or it was quite unheeded if it did by the vampire which gained the wood before they could have a hope of getting sufficiently near it to affect or endeavor to affect a capture I cannot follow it there said Marchdale in open country I would have pursued it closely but I cannot follow it into the intricacies of a wood pursuit is useless there said Henry it is enveloped in the deepest gloom I am not so unreasonable remarked Mr. Chillingworth as to wish you to follow into such a place as that I am confounded utterly by this affair and I said Marchdale what on earth is to be done nothing nothing exclaimed Henry vehemently and yet I have beneath the canopy of heaven declared that I will so help me God spare neither time nor trouble in the unraveling of this most fearful piece of business did either of you remark the clothing which this spectral appearance wore they were antique clothes said Mr. Chillingworth such as might have been fashionable a hundred years ago but not now such was my own impression added Marchdale and such my own said Henry excitedly is it at all within the compass of the wildest belief that what we have seen is a vampire and no other than my ancestor who a hundred years ago committed suicide there was so much intense excitement and evidence of mental suffering that Mr. Chillingworth took him by the arm saying come home come home no more of this at present you will make yourself seriously unwell no no no come home come home I pray you you are by far too much excited about this matter to pursue it with the calmness which should be brought to bear upon it take advice Henry said Marchdale take advice and come home at once I will yield to you I feel that I cannot control my own feelings I will yield to you who as you say are cooler on this subject than I can be oh Flora Flora I have no comfort for you now poor Henry Bannerworth appeared to be in a complete state of mental frustration on account of the distressing circumstances that had occurred so rapidly and so suddenly in his family which it had quite enough to contend with without having super added to every other evil the horror of believing that some preternatural agency was at work to destroy every hope of future happiness in this world under any circumstances he suffered himself to be led home by Mr. Chillingworth and Marchdale he no longer attempted to dispute the dreadful fact concerning the supposed vampire he could not contend now against all the corroborating circumstances that seem to collect together for the purpose of proving that which even when proved was contrary to all his notions of heaven and at variance with all that was recorded and established as part and parcel of the system of nature I cannot deny he said when they had reached home that such things are possible but the probability will not bear a moments investigation there are more things said Marchdale in heaven and on earth than are dreamed in our philosophy there are indeed it appears said Mr. Chillingworth are you a convert said Henry turning to him a convert to what to a belief in in these vampires I know indeed if you were to shut me up in a room full of vampires I would tell them all to their teeth that I defied them but after what we have seen tonight what have we seen you are yourself a witness true I saw a man lying down and then I saw a man get up he seemed then to be shot but whether he was or not he only knows and then I saw him walk off in a desperate hurry beyond that I saw nothing yes but taking such circumstances into combination with others have you not a terrible fear of the truth of the dreadful appearance no no on my soul no I will die in my disbelief of such an outrage upon heaven is one of these creatures would most assuredly be oh that I could think like you but the circumstance strikes too nearly to my heart be of better cheer Henry be of better cheer said Marchdale there is one circumstance which we ought to consider it is that from all we have seen there seems to be some things which would favor an opinion Henry that your ancestor whose portrait hangs in the chamber which was occupied by flora is a vampire the dress is the same said Henry I noted it was and I do you not then think it possible that something might be done to set that part of the question at rest what what where is your ancestor buried I understand you now and I said Mr. Chillingworth you would propose a visit to his mansion I would said Marchdale anything that may in any way tend to assist in making this affair clearer and divesting it of its mysterious circumstances will be most desirable Henry appeared to rouse for some moments and then he said he in common with many other members of the family no doubt occupies a place in the vault under the old church in the village would it be possible said Marchdale to get into that vault without exciting general attention it would said Henry the entrance to the vault is in the flooring of the pew which belongs to the family in the old church then it could be done asked Mr. Chillingworth most undoubtedly will you undertake such an adventure said Mr. Chillingworth it may ease your mind he was buried in the vault and in his clothes said Henry musingly I will think of it about such a proposition I would not decide hastily give me leave to think of it until tomorrow most certainly they now made their way to the chamber of flora and they heard from George that nothing of an alarming character had occurred to disturb him on his lonely watch the morning was now again dawning and Henry earnestly and treated Mr. Marchdale to go to bed which he did leaving the two brothers to continue his sentinels by flora's bedside until the morning light should banish all uneasy thoughts Henry related to George what had taken place outside the house and the two brothers held a long and interesting conversation for some hours upon that subject as well as upon others of great importance to their welfare it was not until the sun's early rays came glaring in at the casement that they both rose and thought of awakening flora who had now slept soundly for so many hours End of Chapter 5 The Night Watch The Proposal, The Moonlight, The Fearful Adventure Recording by Jodie Crangle www.voiceoversandvocals.com