Thenhewenton。Ihavenopeaceorrestforit。Itcallstome,formanyminutestogether,inanagonisedmanner,’Belowthere!
Lookout!Lookout!’Itstandswavingtome。Itringsmylittlebell——
Icaughtatthat。DiditringyourbellyesterdayeveningwhenI
washere,andyouwenttothedoor?
Twice。
Why,see,saidI,howyourimaginationmisleadsyou。Myeyeswereonthebell,andmyearswereopentothebell,andifIamalivingman,itdidNOTringatthosetimes。No,noratanyothertime,exceptwhenitwasrunginthenaturalcourseofphysicalthingsbythestationcommunicatingwithyou。
Heshookhishead。Ihavenevermadeamistakeastothatyet,sir。Ihaveneverconfusedthespectre’sringwiththeman’s。Theghost’sringisastrangevibrationinthebellthatitderivesfromnothingelse,andIhavenotassertedthatthebellstirstotheeye。Idon’twonderthatyoufailedtohearit。ButIheardit。
Anddidthespectreseemtobethere,whenyoulookedout?
ItWASthere。
Bothtimes?
Herepeatedfirmly:Bothtimes。
Willyoucometothedoorwithme,andlookforitnow?
Hebithisunderlipasthoughheweresomewhatunwilling,butarose。Iopenedthedoor,andstoodonthestep,whilehestoodinthedoorway。TherewastheDanger-light。Therewasthedismalmouthofthetunnel。Therewerethehigh,wetstonewallsofthecutting。Therewerethestarsabovethem。
Doyouseeit?Iaskedhim,takingparticularnoteofhisface。
Hiseyeswereprominentandstrained,butnotverymuchmoreso,perhaps,thanmyownhadbeenwhenIhaddirectedthemearnestlytowardsthesamespot。
No,heanswered。Itisnotthere。
Agreed,saidI。
Wewentinagain,shutthedoor,andresumedourseats。Iwasthinkinghowbesttoimprovethisadvantage,ifitmightbecalledone,whenhetookuptheconversationinsuchamatter-of-courseway,soassumingthattherecouldbenoseriousquestionoffactbetweenus,thatIfeltmyselfplacedintheweakestofpositions。
Bythistimeyouwillfullyunderstand,sir,hesaid,thatwhattroublesmesodreadfullyisthequestion,Whatdoesthespectremean?
Iwasnotsure,Itoldhim,thatIdidfullyunderstand。
Whatisitswarningagainst?hesaid,ruminating,withhiseyesonthefire,andonlybytimesturningthemonme。Whatisthedanger?Whereisthedanger?ThereisdangeroverhangingsomewhereontheLine。Somedreadfulcalamitywillhappen。Itisnottobedoubtedthisthirdtime,afterwhathasgonebefore。ButsurelythisisacruelhauntingofME。WhatcanIdo?
Hepulledouthishandkerchief,andwipedthedropsfromhisheatedforehead。
IfItelegraphDanger,oneithersideofme,oronboth,Icangivenoreasonforit,hewenton,wipingthepalmsofhishands。
Ishouldgetintotrouble,anddonogood。TheywouldthinkIwasmad。Thisisthewayitwouldwork,——Message:’Danger!Takecare!’Answer:’WhatDanger?Where?’Message:’Don’tknow。
But,forGod’ssake,takecare!’Theywoulddisplaceme。Whatelsecouldtheydo?
Hispainofmindwasmostpitiabletosee。Itwasthementaltortureofaconscientiousman,oppressedbeyondendurancebyanunintelligibleresponsibilityinvolvinglife。
WhenitfirststoodundertheDanger-light,hewenton,puttinghisdarkhairbackfromhishead,anddrawinghishandsoutwardacrossandacrosshistemplesinanextremityoffeverishdistress,whynottellmewherethataccidentwastohappen,——ifitmusthappen?Whynottellmehowitcouldbeaverted,——ifitcouldhavebeenaverted?Whenonitssecondcomingithiditsface,whynottellme,instead,’Sheisgoingtodie。Letthemkeepherathome’?Ifitcame,onthosetwooccasions,onlytoshowmethatitswarningsweretrue,andsotopreparemeforthethird,whynotwarnmeplainlynow?AndI,Lordhelpme!Amerepoorsignal-manonthissolitarystation!Whynotgotosomebodywithcredittobebelieved,andpowertoact?
WhenIsawhiminthisstate,Isawthatforthepoorman’ssake,aswellasforthepublicsafety,whatIhadtodoforthetimewastocomposehismind。Therefore,settingasideallquestionofrealityorunrealitybetweenus,Irepresentedtohimthatwhoeverthoroughlydischargedhisdutymustdowell,andthatatleastitwashiscomfortthatheunderstoodhisduty,thoughhedidnotunderstandtheseconfoundingAppearances。InthiseffortI
succeededfarbetterthanintheattempttoreasonhimoutofhisconviction。Hebecamecalm。theoccupationsincidentaltohispostasthenightadvancedbegantomakelargerdemandsonhisattention:andIlefthimattwointhemorning。Ihadofferedtostaythroughthenight,buthewouldnothearofit。
ThatImorethanoncelookedbackattheredlightasIascendedthepathway,thatIdidnotliketheredlight,andthatIshouldhavesleptbutpoorlyifmybedhadbeenunderit,Iseenoreasontoconceal。NordidIlikethetwosequencesoftheaccidentandthedeadgirl。Iseenoreasontoconcealthateither。
ButwhatranmostinmythoughtswastheconsiderationhowoughtI
toact,havingbecometherecipientofthisdisclosure?Ihadprovedthemantobeintelligent,vigilant,painstaking,andexact。
buthowlongmightheremainso,inhisstateofmind?Thoughinasubordinateposition,stillheheldamostimportanttrust,andwouldIforinstanceliketostakemyownlifeonthechancesofhiscontinuingtoexecuteitwithprecision?
UnabletoovercomeafeelingthattherewouldbesomethingtreacherousinmycommunicatingwhathehadtoldmetohissuperiorsintheCompany,withoutfirstbeingplainwithhimselfandproposingamiddlecoursetohim,Iultimatelyresolvedtooffertoaccompanyhimotherwisekeepinghissecretforthepresenttothewisestmedicalpractitionerwecouldhearofinthoseparts,andtotakehisopinion。Achangeinhistimeofdutywouldcomeroundnextnight,hehadapprisedme,andhewouldbeoffanhourortwoaftersunrise,andonagainsoonaftersunset。
Ihadappointedtoreturnaccordingly。
Nexteveningwasalovelyevening,andIwalkedoutearlytoenjoyit。ThesunwasnotyetquitedownwhenItraversedthefield-pathnearthetopofthedeepcutting。Iwouldextendmywalkforanhour,Isaidtomyself,halfanhouronandhalfanhourback,anditwouldthenbetimetogotomysignal-man’sbox。
Beforepursuingmystroll,Isteppedtothebrink,andmechanicallylookeddown,fromthepointfromwhichIhadfirstseenhim。I
cannotdescribethethrillthatseizeduponme,when,closeatthemouthofthetunnel,Isawtheappearanceofaman,withhisleftsleeveacrosshiseyes,passionatelywavinghisrightarm。
Thenamelesshorrorthatoppressedmepassedinamoment,forinamomentIsawthatthisappearanceofamanwasamanindeed,andthattherewasalittlegroupofothermen,standingatashortdistance,towhomheseemedtoberehearsingthegesturehemade。
TheDanger-lightwasnotyetlighted。Againstitsshaft,alittlelowhut,entirelynewtome,hadbeenmadeofsomewoodensupportsandtarpaulin。Itlookednobiggerthanabed。
Withanirresistiblesensethatsomethingwaswrong,——withaflashingself-reproachfulfearthatfatalmischiefhadcomeofmyleavingthemanthere,andcausingnoonetobesenttooverlookorcorrectwhathedid,——IdescendedthenotchedpathwithallthespeedIcouldmake。
Whatisthematter?Iaskedthemen。
Signal-mankilledthismorning,sir。
Notthemanbelongingtothatbox?
Yes,sir。
NotthemanIknow?
Youwillrecognisehim,sir,ifyouknewhim,saidthemanwhospokefortheothers,solemnlyuncoveringhisownhead,andraisinganendofthetarpaulin,forhisfaceisquitecomposed。
Oh,howdidthishappen,howdidthishappen?Iasked,turningfromonetoanotherasthehutclosedinagain。
Hewascutdownbyanengine,sir。NomaninEnglandknewhisworkbetter。Butsomehowhewasnotclearoftheouterrail。Itwasjustatbroadday。Hehadstruckthelight,andhadthelampinhishand。Astheenginecameoutofthetunnel,hisbackwastowardsher,andshecuthimdown。Thatmandroveher,andwasshowinghowithappened。Showthegentleman,Tom。
Theman,whoworearoughdarkdress,steppedbacktohisformerplaceatthemouthofthetunnel。
Comingroundthecurveinthetunnel,sir,hesaid,Isawhimattheend,likeasifIsawhimdownaperspective-glass。Therewasnotimetocheckspeed,andIknewhimtobeverycareful。Ashedidn’tseemtotakeheedofthewhistle,Ishutitoffwhenwewererunningdownuponhim,andcalledtohimasloudasIcouldcall。
Whatdidyousay?
Isaid,’Belowthere!Lookout!Lookout!ForGod’ssake,cleartheway!’
Istarted。
Ah!itwasadreadfultime,sir。Ineverleftoffcallingtohim。
Iputthisarmbeforemyeyesnottosee,andIwavedthisarmtothelast。butitwasnouse。
Withoutprolongingthenarrativetodwellonanyoneofitscuriouscircumstancesmorethanonanyother,Imay,inclosingit,pointoutthecoincidencethatthewarningoftheEngine-Driverincluded,notonlythewordswhichtheunfortunateSignal-manhadrepeatedtomeashauntinghim,butalsothewordswhichImyself——nothe——hadattached,andthatonlyinmyownmind,tothegesticulationhehadimitated。
BulwerLyttonTheHauntedandtheHaunters。
Or,TheHouseandtheBrainAfriendofmine,whoisamanoflettersandaphilosopher,saidtomeoneday,asifbetweenjestandearnest,Fancy!sincewelastmetIhavediscoveredahauntedhouseinthemidstofLondon。
Reallyhaunted,——andbywhat?——ghosts?
Well,Ican’tanswerthatquestion。allIknowisthis:sixweeksagomywifeandIwereinsearchofafurnishedapartment。Passingaquietstreet,wesawonthewindowofoneofthehousesabill,’Apartments,Furnished。’Thesituationsuitedus。weenteredthehouse,likedtherooms,engagedthembytheweek,——andleftthemthethirdday。Nopoweronearthcouldhavereconciledmywifetostaylonger。andIdon’twonderatit。
Whatdidyousee?
Excuseme。Ihavenodesiretoberidiculedasasuperstitiousdreamer,——nor,ontheotherhand,couldIaskyoutoacceptonmyaffirmationwhatyouwouldholdtobeincrediblewithouttheevidenceofyourownsenses。Letmeonlysaythis,itwasnotsomuchwhatwesaworheardinwhichyoumightfairlysupposethatwewerethedupesofourownexcitedfancy,orthevictimsofimpostureinothersthatdroveusaway,asitwasanindefinableterrorwhichseizedbothofuswheneverwepassedbythedoorofacertainunfurnishedroom,inwhichweneithersawnorheardanything。Andthestrangestmarvelofallwas,thatforonceinmylifeIagreedwithmywife,sillywomanthoughshebe,——andallowed,afterthethirdnight,thatitwasimpossibletostayafourthinthathouse。Accordingly,onthefourthmorningI
summonedthewomanwhokeptthehouseandattendedonus,andtoldherthattheroomsdidnotquitesuitus,andwewouldnotstayoutourweek。Shesaiddryly,’Iknowwhy。youhavestayedlongerthananyotherlodger。Feweverstayedasecondnight。nonebeforeyouathird。ButItakeittheyhavebeenverykindtoyou。’
’They,——who?’Iasked,affectingtosmile。
’Why,theywhohauntthehouse,whoevertheyare。Idon’tmindthem。Irememberthemmanyyearsago,whenIlivedinthishouse,notasaservant。butIknowtheywillbethedeathofmesomeday。
Idon’tcare,——I’mold,andmustdiesoonanyhow。andthenIshallbewiththem,andinthishousestill。’Thewomanspokewithsodrearyacalmnessthatreallyitwasasortofawethatpreventedmyconversingwithherfurther。Ipaidformyweek,andtoohappyweremywifeandItogetoffsocheaply。
Youexcitemycuriosity,saidI。nothingIshouldlikebetterthantosleepinahauntedhouse。Praygivemetheaddressoftheonewhichyouleftsoignominiously。
Myfriendgavemetheaddress。andwhenweparted,Iwalkedstraighttowardthehousethusindicated。
ItissituatedonthenorthsideofOxfordStreet,inadullbutrespectablethoroughfare。Ifoundthehouseshutup,——nobillatthewindow,andnoresponsetomyknock。AsIwasturningaway,abeer-boy,collectingpewterpotsattheneighboringareas,saidtome,Doyouwantanyoneatthathouse,sir?
Yes,Ihearditwastobelet。
Let!——why,thewomanwhokeptitisdead,——hasbeendeadthesethreeweeks,andnoonecanbefoundtostaythere,thoughMr。J——
offeredeversomuch。Heofferedmother,whocharsforhim,onepoundaweekjusttoopenandshutthewindows,andshewouldnot。
Wouldnot!——andwhy?
Thehouseishaunted。andtheoldwomanwhokeptitwasfounddeadinherbed,withhereyeswideopen。Theysaythedevilstrangledher。
Pooh!YouspeakofMr。J。Ishetheownerofthehouse?
Yes。
Wheredoeshelive?
InG——Street,No。
Whatishe?Inanybusiness?
No,sir,——nothingparticular。asinglegentleman。
Igavethepotboythegratuityearnedbyhisliberalinformation,andproceededtoMr。J——,inG——Street,whichwasclosebythestreetthatboastedthehauntedhouse。IwasluckyenoughtofindMr。J——athome,——anelderlymanwithintelligentcountenanceandprepossessingmanners。
Icommunicatedmynameandmybusinessfrankly。IsaidIheardthehousewasconsideredtobehaunted,thatIhadastrongdesiretoexamineahousewithsoequivocalareputation。thatIshouldbegreatlyobligedifhewouldallowmetohireit,thoughonlyforanight。Iwaswillingtopayforthatprivilegewhateverhemightbeinclinedtoask。Sir,saidMr。J——,withgreatcourtesy,thehouseisatyourservice,forasshortoraslongatimeasyouplease。Rentisoutofthequestion,——theobligationwillbeonmysideshouldyoubeabletodiscoverthecauseofthestrangephenomenawhichatpresentdepriveitofallvalue。Icannotletit,forIcannotevengetaservanttokeepitinorderoranswerthedoor。Unluckilythehouseishaunted,ifImayusethatexpression,notonlybynight,butbyday。thoughatnightthedisturbancesareofamoreunpleasantandsometimesofamorealarmingcharacter。ThepooroldwomanwhodiedinitthreeweeksagowasapauperwhomItookoutofaworkhouse。forinherchildhoodshehadbeenknowntosomeofmyfamily,andhadoncebeeninsuchgoodcircumstancesthatshehadrentedthathouseofmyuncle。Shewasawomanofsuperioreducationandstrongmind,andwastheonlypersonIcouldeverinducetoremaininthehouse。
Indeed,sinceherdeath,whichwassudden,andthecoroner’sinquest,whichgaveitanotorietyintheneighborhood,Ihavesodespairedoffindinganypersontotakechargeofthehouse,muchmoreatenant,thatIwouldwillinglyletitrentfreeforayeartoanyonewhowouldpayitsratesandtaxes。
Howlongisitsincethehouseacquiredthissinistercharacter?
ThatIcanscarcelytellyou,butverymanyyearssince。TheoldwomanIspokeof,saiditwashauntedwhensherenteditbetweenthirtyandfortyyearsago。Thefactis,thatmylifehasbeenspentintheEastIndies,andinthecivilserviceoftheCompany。
IreturnedtoEnglandlastyear,oninheritingthefortuneofanuncle,amongwhosepossessionswasthehouseinquestion。Ifounditshutupanduninhabited。Iwastoldthatitwashaunted,thatnoonewouldinhabitit。Ismiledatwhatseemedtomesoidleastory。Ispentsomemoneyinrepairingit,addedtoitsold-
fashionedfurnitureafewmodernarticles,——advertisedit,andobtainedalodgerforayear。Hewasacolonelonhalfpay。Hecameinwithhisfamily,asonandadaughter,andfourorfiveservants:theyallleftthehousethenextday。and,althougheachofthemdeclaredthathehadseensomethingdifferentfromthatwhichhadscaredtheothers,asomethingstillwasequallyterribletoall。Ireallycouldnotinconsciencesue,norevenblame,thecolonelforbreachofagreement。ThenIputintheoldwomanI
havespokenof,andshewasempoweredtoletthehouseinapartments。Ineverhadonelodgerwhostayedmorethanthreedays。Idonottellyoutheirstories,——tonotwolodgershavetherebeenexactlythesamephenomenarepeated。Itisbetterthatyoushouldjudgeforyourself,thanenterthehousewithanimaginationinfluencedbypreviousnarratives。onlybepreparedtoseeandtohearsomethingorother,andtakewhateverprecautionsyouyourselfplease。
Haveyouneverhadacuriosityyourselftopassanightinthathouse?
Yes。Ipassednotanight,butthreehoursinbroaddaylightaloneinthathouse。Mycuriosityisnotsatisfied,butitisquenched。Ihavenodesiretorenewtheexperiment。Youcannotcomplain,yousee,sir,thatIamnotsufficientlycandid。andunlessyourinterestbeexceedinglyeagerandyournervesunusuallystrong,Ihonestlyadd,thatIadviseyouNOTtopassanightinthathouse。
MyinterestISexceedinglykeen,saidI。andthoughonlyacowardwillboastofhisnervesinsituationswhollyunfamiliartohim,yetmynerveshavebeenseasonedinsuchvarietyofdangerthatIhavetherighttorelyonthem,——eveninahauntedhouse。
Mr。J——saidverylittlemore。hetookthekeysofthehouseoutofhisbureau,gavethemtome,——and,thankinghimcordiallyforhisfrankness,andhisurbaneconcessiontomywish,Icarriedoffmyprize。
Impatientfortheexperiment,assoonasIreachedhome,Isummonedmyconfidentialservant,——ayoungmanofgayspirits,fearlesstemper,andasfreefromsuperstitiousprejudiceasanyoneIcouldthinkof。
F——,saidI,yourememberinGermanyhowdisappointedwewereatnotfindingaghostinthatoldcastle,whichwassaidtobehauntedbyaheadlessapparition?Well,IhaveheardofahouseinLondonwhich,Ihavereasontohope,isdecidedlyhaunted。Imeantosleepthereto-night。FromwhatIhear,thereisnodoubtthatsomethingwillallowitselftobeseenortobeheard,——something,perhaps,excessivelyhorrible。DoyouthinkifItakeyouwithme,Imayrelyonyourpresenceofmind,whatevermayhappen?
Oh,sir,praytrustme,answeredF——,grinningwithdelight。
Verywell。thenherearethekeysofthehouse,——thisistheaddress。Gonow,——selectformeanybedroomyouplease。andsincethehousehasnotbeeninhabitedforweeks,makeupagoodfire,airthebedwell,——see,ofcourse,thattherearecandlesaswellasfuel。Takewithyoumyrevolverandmydagger,——somuchformyweapons。armyourselfequallywell。andifwearenotamatchforadozenghosts,weshallbebutasorrycoupleofEnglishmen。
IwasengagedfortherestofthedayonbusinesssourgentthatI
hadnotleisuretothinkmuchonthenocturnaladventuretowhichI
hadplightedmyhonor。Idinedalone,andverylate,andwhiledining,read,asismyhabit。IselectedoneofthevolumesofMacaulay’sEssays。IthoughttomyselfthatIwouldtakethebookwithme。therewassomuchofhealthfulnessinthestyle,andpracticallifeinthesubjects,thatitwouldserveasanantidoteagainsttheinfluencesofsuperstitiousfancy。
Accordingly,abouthalf-pastnine,Iputthebookintomypocket,andstrolledleisurelytowardthehauntedhouse。Itookwithmeafavoritedog:anexceedinglysharp,bold,andvigilantbullterrier,——adogfondofprowlingaboutstrange,ghostlycornersandpassagesatnightinsearchofrats。adogofdogsforaghost。
Ireachedthehouse,knocked,andmyservantopenedwithacheerfulsmile。
Wedidnotstaylonginthedrawing-rooms,——infact,theyfeltsodampandsochillythatIwasgladtogettothefireupstairs。Welockedthedoorsofthedrawing-rooms,——aprecautionwhich,I
shouldobserve,wehadtakenwithalltheroomswehadsearchedbelow。Thebedroommyservanthadselectedformewasthebestonthefloor,——alargeone,withtwowindowsfrontingthestreet。Thefour-postedbed,whichtookupnoinconsiderablespace,wasoppositetothefire,whichburnedclearandbright。adoorinthewalltotheleft,betweenthebedandthewindow,communicatedwiththeroomwhichmyservantappropriatedtohimself。Thislastwasasmallroomwithasofabed,andhadnocommunicationwiththelandingplace,——nootherdoorbutthatwhichconductedtothebedroomIwastooccupy。Oneithersideofmyfireplacewasacupboardwithoutlocks,flushwiththewall,andcoveredwiththesamedull-brownpaper。Weexaminedthesecupboards,——onlyhookstosuspendfemaledresses,nothingelse。wesoundedthewalls,——
evidentlysolid,theouterwallsofthebuilding。Havingfinishedthesurveyoftheseapartments,warmedmyselfafewmoments,andlightedmycigar,Ithen,stillaccompaniedbyF——,wentforthtocompletemyreconnoiter。Inthelandingplacetherewasanotherdoor。itwasclosedfirmly。Sir,saidmyservant,insurprise,IunlockedthisdoorwithalltheotherswhenIfirstcame。itcannothavegotlockedfromtheinside,for——
Beforehehadfinishedhissentence,thedoor,whichneitherofusthenwastouching,openedquietlyofitself。Welookedateachotherasingleinstant。Thesamethoughtseizedboth,——somehumanagencymightbedetectedhere。Irushedinfirst,myservantfollowed。Asmall,blank,drearyroomwithoutfurniture。afewemptyboxesandhampersinacorner。asmallwindow。theshuttersclosed。notevenafireplace。nootherdoorbutthatbywhichwehadentered。nocarpetonthefloor,andthefloorseemedveryold,uneven,worm-eaten,mendedhereandthere,aswasshownbythewhiterpatchesonthewood。butnolivingbeing,andnovisibleplaceinwhichalivingbeingcouldhavehidden。Aswestoodgazinground,thedoorbywhichwehadenteredclosedasquietlyasithadbeforeopened。wewereimprisoned。
ForthefirsttimeIfeltacreepofindefinablehorror。Notsomyservant。Why,theydon’tthinktotrapus,sir。Icouldbreakthattrumperydoorwithakickofmyfoot。
Tryfirstifitwillopentoyourhand,saidI,shakingoffthevagueapprehensionthathadseizedme,whileIunclosetheshuttersandseewhatiswithout。
Iunbarredtheshutters,——thewindowlookedonthelittlebackyardIhavebeforedescribed。therewasnoledgewithout,——nothingtobreakthesheerdescentofthewall。Nomangettingoutofthatwindowwouldhavefoundanyfootingtillhehadfallenonthestonesbelow。
F——,meanwhile,wasvainlyattemptingtoopenthedoor。Henowturnedroundtomeandaskedmypermissiontouseforce。AndI
shouldherestate,injusticetotheservant,that,farfromevincinganysuperstitiousterrors,hisnerve,composure,andevengayetyamidstcircumstancessoextraordinary,compelledmyadmiration,andmademecongratulatemyselfonhavingsecuredacompanionineverywayfittedtotheoccasion。Iwillinglygavehimthepermissionherequired。Butthoughhewasaremarkablystrongman,hisforcewasasidleashismilderefforts。thedoordidnotevenshaketohisstoutestkick。Breathlessandpanting,hedesisted。Ithentriedthedoormyself,equallyinvain。AsI
ceasedfromtheeffort,againthatcreepofhorrorcameoverme。
butthistimeitwasmorecoldandstubborn。Ifeltasifsomestrangeandghastlyexhalationwererisingupfromthechinksofthatruggedfloor,andfillingtheatmospherewithavenomousinfluencehostiletohumanlife。Thedoornowveryslowlyandquietlyopenedasofitsownaccord。Weprecipitatedourselvesintothelandingplace。Webothsawalarge,palelight——aslargeasthehumanfigure,butshapelessandunsubstantial——movebeforeus,andascendthestairsthatledfromthelandingintotheattics。Ifollowedthelight,andmyservantfollowedme。Itentered,totherightofthelanding,asmallgarret,ofwhichthedoorstoodopen。Ienteredinthesameinstant。Thelightthencollapsedintoasmallglobule,exceedinglybrilliantandvivid,restedamomentonabedinthecorner,quivered,andvanished。Weapproachedthebedandexaminedit,——ahalf-tester,suchasiscommonlyfoundinatticsdevotedtoservants。Onthedrawersthatstoodnearitweperceivedanoldfadedsilkkerchief,withtheneedlestillleftinarenthalfrepaired。Thekerchiefwascoveredwithdust。probablyithadbelongedtotheoldwomanwhohadlastdiedinthathouse,andthismighthavebeenhersleepingroom。Ihadsufficientcuriositytoopenthedrawers:therewereafewoddsandendsoffemaledress,andtwoletterstiedroundwithanarrowribbonoffadedyellow。Itookthelibertytopossessmyselfoftheletters。Wefoundnothingelseintheroomworthnoticing,——nordidthelightreappear。butwedistinctlyheard,asweturnedtogo,apatteringfootfallonthefloor,justbeforeus。
Wewentthroughtheotheratticsinallfour,thefootfallstillprecedingus。Nothingtobeseen,——nothingbutthefootfallheard。
Ihadthelettersinmyhand。justasIwasdescendingthestairsI
distinctlyfeltmywristseized,andafaint,softeffortmadetodrawthelettersfrommyclasp。Ionlyheldthemthemoretightly,andtheeffortceased。
Weregainedthebedchamberappropriatedtomyself,andIthenremarkedthatmydoghadnotfolloweduswhenwehadleftit。Hewasthrustinghimselfclosetothefire,andtrembling。Iwasimpatienttoexaminetheletters。andwhileIreadthem,myservantopenedalittleboxinwhichhehaddepositedtheweaponsIhadorderedhimtobring,tookthemout,placedthemonatablecloseatmybedhead,andthenoccupiedhimselfinsoothingthedog,who,however,seemedtoheedhimverylittle。
Theletterswereshort,——theyweredated。thedatesexactlythirty-
fiveyearsago。Theywereevidentlyfromalovertohismistress,orahusbandtosomeyoungwife。Notonlythetermsofexpression,butadistinctreferencetoaformervoyage,indicatedthewritertohavebeenaseafarer。Thespellingandhandwritingwerethoseofamanimperfectlyeducated,butstillthelanguageitselfwasforcible。Intheexpressionsofendearmenttherewasakindofrough,wildlove。buthereandthereweredarkunintelligiblehintsatsomesecretnotoflove,——somesecretthatseemedofcrime。Weoughttoloveeachother,wasoneofthesentencesIremember,forhoweveryoneelsewouldexecrateusifallwasknown。Again:
Don’tletanyonebeinthesameroomwithyouatnight,——youtalkinyoursleep。Andagain:What’sdonecan’tbeundone。andI
tellyouthere’snothingagainstusunlessthedeadcouldcometolife。Heretherewasunderlinedinabetterhandwritingafemale’s,Theydo!Attheendoftheletterlatestindatethesamefemalehandhadwrittenthesewords:Lostatseathe4thofJune,thesamedayas——
Iputdowntheletters,andbegantomuseovertheircontents。
Fearing,however,thatthetrainofthoughtintowhichIfellmightunsteadymynerves,Ifullydeterminedtokeepmymindinafitstatetocopewithwhateverofmarveloustheadvancingnightmightbringforth。Irousedmyself。laidthelettersonthetable。
stirredupthefire,whichwasstillbrightandcheering。andopenedmyvolumeofMacaulay。Ireadquietlyenoughtillabouthalfpasteleven。Ithenthrewmyselfdresseduponthebed,andtoldmyservanthemightretiretohisownroom,butmustkeephimselfawake。Ibadehimleaveopenthedoorbetweenthetworooms。Thusalone,Ikepttwocandlesburningonthetablebymybedhead。Iplacedmywatchbesidetheweapons,andcalmlyresumedmyMacaulay。Oppositetomethefireburnedclear。andonthehearthrug,seeminglyasleep,laythedog。InabouttwentyminutesIfeltanexceedinglycoldairpassbymycheek,likeasuddendraught。Ifanciedthedoortomyright,communicatingwiththelandingplace,musthavegotopen。butno,——itwasclosed。Ithenturnedmyglancetomyleft,andsawtheflameofthecandlesviolentlyswayedasbyawind。Atthesamemomentthewatchbesidetherevolversoftlyslidfromthetable,——softly,softly。novisiblehand,——itwasgone。Isprangup,seizingtherevolverwiththeonehand,thedaggerwiththeother。Iwasnotwillingthatmyweaponsshouldsharethefateofthewatch。Thusarmed,Ilookedroundthefloor,——nosignofthewatch。Threeslow,loud,distinctknockswerenowheardatthebedhead。myservantcalledout,Isthatyou,sir?
No。beonyourguard。
Thedognowrousedhimselfandsatonhishaunches,hisearsmovingquicklybackwardandforward。Hekepthiseyesfixedonmewithalooksostrangethatheconcenteredallmyattentiononhimself。
Slowlyheroseup,allhishairbristling,andstoodperfectlyrigid,andwiththesamewildstare。Ihadnotime,however,toexaminethedog。Presentlymyservantemergedfromhisroom。andifeverIsawhorrorinthehumanface,itwasthen。Ishouldnothaverecognizedhimhadwemetinthestreet,soalteredwaseverylineament。Hepassedbymequickly,saying,inawhisperthatseemedscarcelytocomefromhislips,Run,run!itisafterme!
Hegainedthedoortothelanding,pulleditopen,andrushedforth。Ifollowedhimintothelandinginvoluntarily,callinghimtostop。but,withoutheedingme,heboundeddownthestairs,clingingtothebalusters,andtakingseveralstepsatatime。I
heard,whereIstood,thestreetdooropen,——hearditagainclapto。Iwasleftaloneinthehauntedhouse。
ItwasbutforamomentthatIremainedundecidedwhetherornottofollowmyservant。prideandcuriosityalikeforbadesodastardlyaflight。Ire-enteredmyroom,closingthedoorafterme,andproceededcautiouslyintotheinteriorchamber。Iencounterednothingtojustifymyservant’sterror。Iagaincarefullyexaminedthewalls,toseeiftherewereanyconcealeddoor。Icouldfindnotraceofone,——notevenaseaminthedull-brownpaperwithwhichtheroomwashung。How,then,hadtheTHING,whateveritwas,whichhadsoscaredhim,obtainedingressexceptthoughmyownchamber?
Ireturnedtomyroom,shutandlockedthedoorthatopenedupontheinteriorone,andstoodonthehearth,expectantandprepared。
Inowperceivedthatthedoghadslunkintoanangleofthewall,andwaspressinghimselfcloseagainstit,asifliterallystrivingtoforcehiswayintoit。Iapproachedtheanimalandspoketoit。
thepoorbrutewasevidentlybesideitselfwithterror。Itshowedallitsteeth,theslaverdroppingfromitsjaws,andwouldcertainlyhavebittenmeifIhadtouchedit。Itdidnotseemtorecognizeme。WhoeverhasseenattheZoologicalGardensarabbit,fascinatedbyaserpent,coweringinacorner,mayformsomeideaoftheanguishwhichthedogexhibited。Findingalleffortstosoothetheanimalinvain,andfearingthathisbitemightbeasvenomousinthatstateasinthemadnessofhydrophobia,Ilefthimalone,placedmyweaponsonthetablebesidethefire,seatedmyself,andrecommencedmyMacaulay。
Perhaps,inordernottoappearseekingcreditforacourage,orratheracoolness,whichthereadermayconceiveIexaggerate,I
maybepardonedifIpausetoindulgeinoneortwoegotisticalremarks。
AsIholdpresenceofmind,orwhatiscalledcourage,tobepreciselyproportionedtofamiliaritywiththecircumstancesthatleadtoit,soIshouldsaythatIhadbeenlongsufficientlyfamiliarwithallexperimentsthatappertaintothemarvelous。I
hadwitnessedmanyveryextraordinaryphenomenainvariouspartsoftheworld,——phenomenathatwouldbeeithertotallydisbelievedifI
statedthem,orascribedtosupernaturalagencies。Now,mytheoryisthatthesupernaturalistheimpossible,andthatwhatiscalledsupernaturalisonlyasomethinginthelawsofNatureofwhichwehavebeenhithertoignorant。Therefore,ifaghostrisebeforeme,Ihavenottherighttosay,So,then,thesupernaturalispossible。butrather,So,then,theapparitionofaghostis,contrarytoreceivedopinion,withinthelawsofNature,——thatis,notsupernatural。
Now,inallthatIhadhithertowitnessed,andindeedinallthewonderswhichtheamateursofmysteryinouragerecordasfacts,amateriallivingagencyisalwaysrequired。OntheContinentyouwillfindstillmagicianswhoassertthattheycanraisespirits。
Assumeforthemomentthattheyasserttruly,stillthelivingmaterialformofthemagicianispresent。andheisthematerialagencybywhich,fromsomeconstitutionalpeculiarities,certainstrangephenomenaarerepresentedtoyournaturalsenses。
Accept,again,astruthful,thetalesofspiritmanifestationinAmerica,——musicalorothersounds。writingsonpaper,producedbynodiscerniblehand。articlesoffurnituremovedwithoutapparenthumanagency。ortheactualsightandtouchofhands,towhichnobodiesseemtobelong,——stilltheremustbefoundtheMEDIUM,orlivingbeing,withconstitutionalpeculiaritiescapableofobtainingthesesigns。Infine,inallsuchmarvels,supposingeventhatthereisnoimposture,theremustbeahumanbeinglikeourselvesbywhom,orthroughwhom,theeffectspresentedtohumanbeingsareproduced。Itissowiththenowfamiliarphenomenaofmesmerismorelectro-biology。themindofthepersonoperatedonisaffectedthroughamateriallivingagent。Nor,supposingittruethatamesmerizedpatientcanrespondtothewillorpassesofamesmerizerahundredmilesdistant,istheresponselessoccasionedbyamaterialbeing。itmaybethroughamaterialfluid——callitElectric,callitOdic,callitwhatyouwill——whichhasthepoweroftraversingspaceandpassingobstacles,thatthematerialeffectiscommunicatedfromonetotheother。Hence,allthatIhadhithertowitnessed,orexpectedtowitness,inthisstrangehouse,Ibelievedtobeoccasionedthroughsomeagencyormediumasmortalasmyself。andthisideanecessarilypreventedtheawewithwhichthosewhoregardassupernaturalthingsthatarenotwithintheordinaryoperationsofNature,mighthavebeenimpressedbytheadventuresofthatmemorablenight。
As,then,itwasmyconjecturethatallthatwaspresented,orwouldbepresentedtomysenses,mustoriginateinsomehumanbeinggiftedbyconstitutionwiththepowersotopresentthem,andhavingsomemotivesotodo,Ifeltaninterestinmytheorywhich,initsway,wasratherphilosophicalthansuperstitious。AndIcansincerelysaythatIwasinastranquilatemperforobservationasanypracticalexperimentalistcouldbeinawaitingtheeffectsofsomerare,thoughperhapsperilous,chemicalcombination。Ofcourse,themoreIkeptmyminddetachedfromfancy,themorethetemperfittedforobservationwouldbeobtained。andIthereforerivetedeyeandthoughtonthestrongdaylightsenseinthepageofmyMacaulay。
Inowbecameawarethatsomethinginterposedbetweenthepageandthelight,——thepagewasovershadowed。Ilookedup,andIsawwhatIshallfinditverydifficult,perhapsimpossible,todescribe。
ItwasaDarknessshapingitselfforthfromtheairinveryundefinedoutline。Icannotsayitwasofahumanform,andyetithadmoreresemblancetoahumanform,orrathershadow,thantoanythingelse。Asitstood,whollyapartanddistinctfromtheairandthelightaroundit,itsdimensionsseemedgigantic,thesummitnearlytouchingtheceiling。WhileIgazed,afeelingofintensecoldseizedme。Anicebergbeforemecouldnotmorehavechilledme。norcouldthecoldofaniceberghavebeenmorepurelyphysical。Ifeelconvincedthatitwasnotthecoldcausedbyfear。AsIcontinuedtogaze,Ithought——butthisIcannotsaywithprecision——thatIdistinguishedtwoeyeslookingdownonmefromtheheight。OnemomentIfanciedthatIdistinguishedthemclearly,thenexttheyseemedgone。butstilltworaysofapale-
bluelightfrequentlyshotthroughthedarkness,asfromtheheightonwhichIhalfbelieved,halfdoubted,thatIhadencounteredtheeyes。
Istrovetospeak,——myvoiceutterlyfailedme。Icouldonlythinktomyself,Isthisfear?ItisNOTfear!Istrovetorise,——invain。Ifeltasifweigheddownbyanirresistibleforce。Indeed,myimpressionwasthatofanimmenseandoverwhelmingPoweropposedtomyvolition,——thatsenseofutterinadequacytocopewithaforcebeyondman’s,whichonemayfeelPHYSICALLYinastormatsea,inaconflagration,orwhenconfrontingsometerriblewildbeast,orrather,perhaps,thesharkoftheocean,IfeltMORALLY。
Opposedtomywillwasanotherwill,asfarsuperiortoitsstrengthasstorm,fire,andsharkaresuperiorinmaterialforcetotheforceofman。
Andnow,asthisimpressiongrewonme,——nowcame,atlast,horror,horrortoadegreethatnowordscanconvey。StillIretainedpride,ifnotcourage。andinmyownmindIsaid,Thisishorror。
butitisnotfear。unlessIfearIcannotbeharmed。myreasonrejectsthisthing。itisanillusion,——Idonotfear。WithaviolenteffortIsucceededatlastinstretchingoutmyhandtowardtheweapononthetable。asIdidso,onthearmandshoulderI
receivedastrangeshock,andmyarmfelltomysidepowerless。
Andnow,toaddtomyhorror,thelightbeganslowlytowanefromthecandles,——theywerenot,asitwere,extinguished,buttheirflameseemedverygraduallywithdrawn。itwasthesamewiththefire,——thelightwasextractedfromthefuel。inafewminutestheroomwasinutterdarkness。Thedreadthatcameoverme,tobethusinthedarkwiththatdarkThing,whosepowerwassointenselyfelt,broughtareactionofnerve。Infact,terrorhadreachedthatclimax,thateithermysensesmusthavedesertedme,orImusthaveburstthroughthespell。Ididburstthroughit。Ifoundvoice,thoughthevoicewasashriek。IrememberthatIbrokeforthwithwordslikethese,Idonotfear,mysouldoesnotfear。andatthesametimeIfoundstrengthtorise。StillinthatprofoundgloomIrushedtooneofthewindows。toreasidethecurtain。flungopentheshutters。myfirstthoughtwas——LIGHT。AndwhenIsawthemoonhigh,clear,andcalm,Ifeltajoythatalmostcompensatedforthepreviousterror。Therewasthemoon,therewasalsothelightfromthegaslampsinthedesertedslumberousstreet。Iturnedtolookbackintotheroom。themoonpenetrateditsshadowverypalelyandpartially——butstilltherewaslight。
ThedarkThing,whateveritmightbe,wasgone,——exceptthatI
couldyetseeadimshadow,whichseemedtheshadowofthatshade,againsttheoppositewall。
Myeyenowrestedonthetable,andfromunderthetablewhichwaswithoutclothorcover,——anoldmahoganyroundtablethereroseahand,visibleasfarasthewrist。Itwasahand,seemingly,asmuchoffleshandbloodasmyown,butthehandofanagedperson,lean,wrinkled,smalltoo,——awoman’shand。Thathandverysoftlyclosedonthetwolettersthatlayonthetable。handandlettersbothvanished。Therethencamethesamethreeloud,measuredknocksIhadheardatthebedheadbeforethisextraordinarydramahadcommenced。
Asthosesoundsslowlyceased,Ifeltthewholeroomvibratesensibly。andatthefarendthererose,asfromthefloor,sparksorglobuleslikebubblesoflight,manycolored,——green,yellow,fire-red,azure。Upanddown,toandfro,hither,thitherastinyWill-o’-the-Wisps,thesparksmoved,sloworswift,eachatitsowncaprice。Achairasinthedrawing-roombelowwasnowadvancedfromthewallwithoutapparentagency,andplacedattheoppositesideofthetable。Suddenly,asforthfromthechair,theregrewashape,——awoman’sshape。Itwasdistinctasashapeoflife,——
ghastlyasashapeofdeath。Thefacewasthatofyouth,withastrange,mournfulbeauty。thethroatandshoulderswerebare,therestoftheforminalooserobeofcloudywhite。Itbegansleekingitslong,yellowhair,whichfelloveritsshoulders。itseyeswerenotturnedtowardme,buttothedoor。itseemedlistening,watching,waiting。Theshadowoftheshadeinthebackgroundgrewdarker。andagainIthoughtIbeheldtheeyesgleamingoutfromthesummitoftheshadow,——eyesfixeduponthatshape。
Asiffromthedoor,thoughitdidnotopen,theregrewoutanothershape,equallydistinct,equallyghastly,——aman’sshape,ayoungman’s。Itwasinthedressofthelastcentury,orratherinalikenessofsuchdressforboththemaleshapeandthefemale,thoughdefined,wereevidentlyunsubstantial,impalpable,——
simulacra,phantasms。andtherewassomethingincongruous,grotesque,yetfearful,inthecontrastbetweentheelaboratefinery,thecourtlyprecisionofthatold-fashionedgarb,withitsrufflesandlaceandbuckles,andthecorpselikeaspectandghostlikestillnessoftheflittingwearer。Justasthemaleshapeapproachedthefemale,thedarkShadowstartedfromthewall,allthreeforamomentwrappedindarkness。Whenthepalelightreturned,thetwophantomswereasifinthegraspoftheShadowthattoweredbetweenthem。andtherewasabloodstainonthebreastofthefemale。andthephantommalewasleaningonitsphantomsword,andbloodseemedtricklingfastfromtherufflesfromthelace。andthedarknessoftheintermediateShadowswallowedthemup,——theyweregone。Andagainthebubblesoflightshot,andsailed,andundulated,growingthickerandthickerandmorewildlyconfusedintheirmovements。
Theclosetdoortotherightofthefireplacenowopened,andfromtheaperturetherecametheformofanagedwoman。Inherhandsheheldletters,——theverylettersoverwhichIhadseenTHEHandclose。andbehindherIheardafootstep。Sheturnedroundasiftolisten,andthensheopenedthelettersandseemedtoread。andoverhershoulderIsawalividface,thefaceasofamanlongdrowned,——bloated,bleached,seaweedtangledinitsdrippinghair。
andatherfeetlayaformasofacorpse。andbesidethecorpsetherecoweredachild,amiserable,squalidchild,withfamineinitscheeksandfearinitseyes。AndasIlookedintheoldwoman’sface,thewrinklesandlinesvanished,anditbecameafaceofyouth,——hard-eyed,stony,butstillyouth。andtheShadowdartedforth,anddarkenedoverthesephantomsasithaddarkenedoverthelast。
NothingnowwasleftbuttheShadow,andonthatmyeyeswereintentlyfixed,tillagaineyesgrewoutoftheShadow,——malignant,serpenteyes。Andthebubblesoflightagainroseandfell,andintheirdisordered,irregular,turbulentmaze,mingledwiththewanmoonlight。Andnowfromtheseglobulesthemselves,asfromtheshellofanegg,monstrousthingsburstout。theairgrewfilledwiththem:larvaesobloodlessandsohideousthatIcaninnowaydescribethemexcepttoremindthereaderoftheswarminglifewhichthesolarmicroscopebringsbeforehiseyesinadropofwater,——thingstransparent,supple,agile,chasingeachother,devouringeachother。formslikenaughteverbeheldbythenakedeye。Astheshapeswerewithoutsymmetry,sotheirmovementswerewithoutorder。Intheirveryvagranciestherewasnosport。theycameroundmeandround,thickerandfasterandswifter,swarmingovermyhead,crawlingovermyrightarm,whichwasoutstretchedininvoluntarycommandagainstallevilbeings。SometimesIfeltmyselftouched,butnotbythem。invisiblehandstouchedme。OnceIfelttheclutchasofcold,softfingersatmythroat。IwasstillequallyconsciousthatifIgavewaytofearIshouldbeinbodilyperil。andIconcenteredallmyfacultiesinthesinglefocusofresistingstubbornwill。AndIturnedmysightfromtheShadow。aboveall,fromthosestrangeserpenteyes,——eyesthathadnowbecomedistinctlyvisible。Forthere,thoughinnaughtelsearoundme,IwasawarethattherewasaWILL,andwillofintense,creative,workingevil,whichmightcrushdownmyown。
Thepaleatmosphereintheroombegannowtoreddenasifintheairofsomenearconflagration。Thelarvaegrewluridasthingsthatliveinfire。Againtheroomvibrated。againwereheardthethreemeasuredknocks。andagainallthingswereswallowedupinthedarknessofthedarkShadow,asifoutofthatdarknessallhadcome,intothatdarknessallreturned。
Asthegloomreceded,theShadowwaswhollygone。Slowly,asithadbeenwithdrawn,theflamegrewagainintothecandlesonthetable,againintothefuelinthegrate。Thewholeroomcameoncemorecalmly,healthfullyintosight。
Thetwodoorswerestillclosed,thedoorcommunicatingwiththeservant’sroomstilllocked。Inthecornerofthewall,intowhichhehadsoconvulsivelynichedhimself,laythedog。Icalledtohim,——nomovement。Iapproached,——theanimalwasdead:hiseyesprotruded。histongueoutofhismouth。thefrothgatheredroundhisjaws。Itookhiminmyarms。Ibroughthimtothefire。I
feltacutegriefforthelossofmypoorfavorite,——acuteself-
reproach。Iaccusedmyselfofhisdeath。Iimaginedhehaddiedoffright。Butwhatwasmysurpriseonfindingthathisneckwasactuallybroken。Hadthisbeendoneinthedark?Mustitnothavebeenbyahandhumanasmine。musttherenothavebeenahumanagencyallthewhileinthatroom?Goodcausetosuspectit。I
cannottell。Icannotdomorethanstatethefactfairly。thereadermaydrawhisowninference。
Anothersurprisingcircumstance,——mywatchwasrestoredtothetablefromwhichithadbeensomysteriouslywithdrawn。butithadstoppedattheverymomentitwassowithdrawn,nor,despitealltheskillofthewatchmaker,hasitevergonesince,——thatis,itwillgoinastrange,erraticwayforafewhours,andthencometoadeadstop。itisworthless。
Nothingmorechancedfortherestofthenight。Nor,indeed,hadI
longtowaitbeforethedawnbroke。NottillitwasbroaddaylightdidIquitthehauntedhouse。BeforeIdidso,Irevisitedthelittleblindroominwhichmyservantandmyselfhadbeenforatimeimprisoned。Ihadastrongimpression——forwhichIcouldnotaccount——thatfromthatroomhadoriginatedthemechanismofthephenomena,ifImayusetheterm,whichhadbeenexperiencedinmychamber。AndthoughIentereditnowintheclearday,withthesunpeeringthroughthefilmywindow,Istillfelt,asIstoodonitsfloors,thecreepofthehorrorwhichIhadfirstthereexperiencedthenightbefore,andwhichhadbeensoaggravatedbywhathadpassedinmyownchamber。Icouldnot,indeed,beartostaymorethanhalfaminutewithinthosewalls。Idescendedthestairs,andagainIheardthefootfallbeforeme。andwhenIopenedthestreetdoor,IthoughtIcoulddistinguishaverylowlaugh。I
gainedmyownhome,expectingtofindmyrunawayservantthere。buthehadnotpresentedhimself,nordidIhearmoreofhimforthreedays,whenIreceivedaletterfromhim,datedfromLiverpooltothiseffect:——
HONOREDSIR,——Ihumblyentreatyourpardon,thoughIcanscarcelyhopethatyouwillthinkthatIdeserveit,unless——whichHeavenforbid!——yousawwhatIdid。IfeelthatitwillbeyearsbeforeI
canrecovermyself。andastobeingfitforservice,itisoutofthequestion。Iamthereforegoingtomybrother-in-lawatMelbourne。Theshipsailsto-morrow。Perhapsthelongvoyagemaysetmeup。Idonothingnowbutstartandtremble,andfancyitisbehindme。Ihumblybegyou,honoredsir,toordermyclothes,andwhateverwagesareduetome,tobesenttomymother’s,atWalworth,——Johnknowsheraddress。
Theletterendedwithadditionalapologies,somewhatincoherent,andexplanatorydetailsastoeffectsthathadbeenunderthewriter’scharge。
ThisflightmayperhapswarrantasuspicionthatthemanwishedtogotoAustralia,andhadbeensomehoworotherfraudulentlymixedupwiththeeventsofthenight。Isaynothinginrefutationofthatconjecture。rather,Isuggestitasonethatwouldseemtomanypersonsthemostprobablesolutionofimprobableoccurrences。
Mybeliefinmyowntheoryremainedunshaken。Ireturnedintheeveningtothehouse,tobringawayinahackcabthethingsIhadleftthere,withmypoordog’sbody。InthistaskIwasnotdisturbed,nordidanyincidentworthnotebefallme,exceptthatstill,onascendinganddescendingthestairs,Iheardthesamefootfallinadvance。Onleavingthehouse,IwenttoMr。J——’s。
Hewasathome。Ireturnedhimthekeys,toldhimthatmycuriositywassufficientlygratified,andwasabouttorelatequicklywhathadpassed,whenhestoppedme,andsaid,thoughwithmuchpoliteness,thathehadnolongeranyinterestinamysterywhichnonehadeversolved。
IdeterminedatleasttotellhimofthetwolettersIhadread,aswellasoftheextraordinarymannerinwhichtheyhaddisappeared。
andItheninquiredifhethoughttheyhadbeenaddressedtothewomanwhohaddiedinthehouse,andiftherewereanythinginherearlyhistorywhichcouldpossiblyconfirmthedarksuspicionstowhichthelettersgaverise。Mr。J——seemedstartled,and,aftermusingafewmoments,answered,Iambutlittleacquaintedwiththewoman’searlierhistory,exceptasIbeforetoldyou,thatherfamilywereknowntomine。Butyourevivesomevaguereminiscencestoherprejudice。Iwillmakeinquiries,andinformyouoftheirresult。Still,evenifwecouldadmitthepopularsuperstitionthatapersonwhohadbeeneithertheperpetratororthevictimofdarkcrimesinlifecouldrevisit,asarestlessspirit,thesceneinwhichthosecrimeshadbeencommitted,Ishouldobservethatthehousewasinfestedbystrangesightsandsoundsbeforetheoldwomandied——yousmile——whatwouldyousay?
Iwouldsaythis,thatIamconvinced,ifwecouldgettothebottomofthesemysteries,weshouldfindalivinghumanagency。
What!youbelieveitisallanimposture?Forwhatobject?
Notanimpostureintheordinarysenseoftheword。IfsuddenlyI
weretosinkintoadeepsleep,fromwhichyoucouldnotawakeme,butinthatsleepcouldanswerquestionswithanaccuracywhichI
couldnotpretendtowhenawake,——tellyouwhatmoneyyouhadinyourpocket,nay,describeyourverythoughts,——itisnotnecessarilyanimposture,anymorethanitisnecessarilysupernatural。Ishouldbe,unconsciouslytomyself,underamesmericinfluence,conveyedtomefromadistancebyahumanbeingwhohadacquiredpowerovermebypreviousrapport。
Butifamesmerizercouldsoaffectanotherlivingbeing,canyousupposethatamesmerizercouldalsoaffectinanimateobjects:movechairs,——openandshutdoors?
Orimpressoursenseswiththebeliefinsucheffects,——weneverhavingbeenenrapportwiththepersonactingonus?No。Whatiscommonlycalledmesmerismcouldnotdothis。buttheremaybeapowerakintomesmerism,andsuperiortoit,——thepowerthatintheolddayswascalledMagic。Thatsuchapowermayextendtoallinanimateobjectsofmatter,Idonotsay。butifso,itwouldnotbeagainstNature,——itwouldbeonlyararepowerinNaturewhichmightbegiventoconstitutionswithcertainpeculiarities,andcultivatedbypracticetoanextraordinarydegree。Thatsuchapowermightextendoverthedead,——thatis,overcertainthoughtsandmemoriesthatthedeadmaystillretain,——andcompel,notthatwhichoughtproperlytobecalledtheSOUL,andwhichisfarbeyondhumanreach,butratheraphantomofwhathasbeenmostearth-
stainedonearth,tomakeitselfapparenttooursenses,isaveryancientthoughobsoletetheoryuponwhichIwillhazardnoopinion。
ButIdonotconceivethepowerwouldbesupernatural。LetmeillustratewhatImeanfromanexperimentwhichParacelsusdescribesasnotdifficult,andwhichtheauthorofthe’CuriositiesofLiterature’citesascredible:Aflowerperishes。
youburnit。Whateverweretheelementsofthatflowerwhileitlivedaregone,dispersed,youknownotwhither。youcanneverdiscovernorre-collectthem。Butyoucan,bychemistry,outoftheburneddustofthatflower,raiseaspectrumoftheflower,justasitseemedinlife。Itmaybethesamewiththehumanbeing。Thesoulhasasmuchescapedyouastheessenceorelementsoftheflower。Stillyoumaymakeaspectrumofit。Andthisphantom,thoughinthepopularsuperstitionitisheldtobethesoulofthedeparted,mustnotbeconfoundedwiththetruesoul。itisbuttheeidolonofthedeadform。Hence,likethebest-attestedstoriesofghostsorspirits,thethingthatmoststrikesusistheabsenceofwhatweholdtobesoul,——thatis,ofsuperioremancipatedintelligence。Theseapparitionscomeforlittleornoobject,——theyseldomspeakwhentheydocome。iftheyspeak,theyutternoideasabovethoseofanordinarypersononearth。
Americanspiritseershavepublishedvolumesofcommunications,inproseandverse,whichtheyasserttobegiveninthenamesofthemostillustriousdead:Shakespeare,Bacon,——Heavenknowswhom。
Thosecommunications,takingthebest,arecertainlynotawhitofhigherorderthanwouldbecommunicationsfromlivingpersonsoffairtalentandeducation。theyarewondrouslyinferiortowhatBacon,Shakespeare,andPlatosaidandwrotewhenonearth。Nor,whatismorenoticeable,dotheyevercontainanideathatwasnotontheearthbefore。Wonderful,therefore,assuchphenomenamaybegrantingthemtobetruthful,Iseemuchthatphilosophymayquestion,nothingthatitisincumbentonphilosophytodeny,——
namely,nothingsupernatural。Theyarebutideasconveyedsomehoworotherwehavenotyetdiscoveredthemeansfromonemortalbraintoanother。Whether,insodoing,tableswalkoftheirownaccord,orfiendlikeshapesappearinamagiccircle,orbodilesshandsriseandremovematerialobjects,oraThingofDarkness,suchaspresenteditselftome,freezeourblood,——stillamI
persuadedthatthesearebutagenciesconveyed,asbyelectricwires,tomyownbrainfromthebrainofanother。Insomeconstitutionsthereisanaturalchemistry,andthoseconstitutionsmayproducechemicwonders,——inothersanaturalfluid,callitelectricity,andthesemayproduceelectricwonders。ButthewondersdifferfromNormalScienceinthis,——theyarealikeobjectless,purposeless,puerile,frivolous。Theyleadontonograndresults。andthereforetheworlddoesnotheed,andtruesageshavenotcultivatedthem。ButsureIam,thatofallIsaworheard,aman,humanasmyself,wastheremoteoriginator。andI
believeunconsciouslytohimselfastotheexacteffectsproduced,forthisreason:notwopersons,yousay,haveevertoldyouthattheyexperiencedexactlythesamething。Well,observe,notwopersonseverexperienceexactlythesamedream。Ifthiswereanordinaryimposture,themachinerywouldbearrangedforresultsthatwouldbutlittlevary。ifitwereasupernaturalagencypermittedbytheAlmighty,itwouldsurelybeforsomedefiniteend。Thesephenomenabelongtoneitherclass。mypersuasionis,thattheyoriginateinsomebrainnowfardistant。thatthatbrainhadnodistinctvolitioninanythingthatoccurred。thatwhatdoesoccurreflectsbutitsdevious,motley,ever-shifting,half-formedthoughts。inshort,thatithasbeenbutthedreamsofsuchabrainputintoactionandinvestedwithasemisubstance。Thatthisbrainisofimmensepower,thatitcansetmatterintomovement,thatitismalignantanddestructive,Ibelieve。somematerialforcemusthavekilledmydog。thesameforcemight,foraughtIknow,havesufficedtokillmyself,hadIbeenassubjugatedbyterrorasthedog,——hadmyintellectormyspiritgivenmenocountervailingresistanceinmywill。
Itkilledyourdog,——thatisfearful!Indeeditisstrangethatnoanimalcanbeinducedtostayinthathouse。notevenacat。
Ratsandmiceareneverfoundinit。
Theinstinctsofthebrutecreationdetectinfluencesdeadlytotheirexistence。Man’sreasonhasasenselesssubtle,becauseithasaresistingpowermoresupreme。Butenough。doyoucomprehendmytheory?
Yes,thoughimperfectly,——andIacceptanycrotchetpardontheword,howeverodd,ratherthanembraceatoncethenotionofghostsandhobgoblinsweimbibedinournurseries。Still,tomyunfortunatehouse,theevilisthesame。WhatonearthcanIdowiththehouse?
IwilltellyouwhatIwoulddo。Iamconvincedfrommyowninternalfeelingsthatthesmall,unfurnishedroomatrightanglestothedoorofthebedroomwhichIoccupied,formsastartingpointorreceptaclefortheinfluenceswhichhauntthehouse。andI
stronglyadviseyoutohavethewallsopened,thefloorremoved,——
nay,thewholeroompulleddown。Iobservethatitisdetachedfromthebodyofthehouse,builtoverthesmallbackyard,andcouldberemovedwithoutinjurytotherestofthebuilding。
Andyouthink,ifIdidthat——
Youwouldcutoffthetelegraphwires。Tryit。IamsopersuadedthatIamright,thatIwillpayhalftheexpenseifyouwillallowmetodirecttheoperations。
Nay,Iamwellabletoaffordthecost。fortherestallowmetowritetoyou。
AbouttendaysafterIreceivedaletterfromMr。J——tellingmethathehadvisitedthehousesinceIhadseenhim。thathehadfoundthetwolettersIhaddescribed,replacedinthedrawerfromwhichIhadtakenthem。thathehadreadthemwithmisgivingslikemyown。thathehadinstitutedacautiousinquiryaboutthewomantowhomIrightlyconjecturedtheyhadbeenwritten。Itseemedthatthirty-sixyearsagoayearbeforethedateoftheletters
shehadmarried,againstthewishofherrelations,anAmericanofverysuspicionscharacter。infact,hewasgenerallybelievedtohavebeenapirate。Sheherselfwasthedaughterofveryrespectabletradespeople,andhadservedinthecapacityofanurserygovernessbeforehermarriage。Shehadabrother,awidower,whowasconsideredwealthy,andwhohadonechildofaboutsixyearsold。AmonthafterthemarriagethebodyofthisbrotherwasfoundintheThames,nearLondonBridge。thereseemedsomemarksofviolenceabouthisthroat,buttheywerenotdeemedsufficienttowarranttheinquestinanyotherverdictthatthatoffounddrowned。
TheAmericanandhiswifetookchargeofthelittleboy,thedeceasedbrotherhavingbyhiswilllefthissistertheguardianofhisonlychild,——andineventofthechild’sdeaththesisterinherited。Thechilddiedaboutsixmonthsafterwards,——itwassupposedtohavebeenneglectedandill-treated。Theneighborsdeposedtohavehearditshriekatnight。Thesurgeonwhohadexamineditafterdeathsaidthatitwasemaciatedasiffromwantofnourishment,andthebodywascoveredwithlividbruises。Itseemedthatonewinternightthechildhadsoughttoescape。creptoutintothebackyard。triedtoscalethewall。fallenbackexhausted。andbeenfoundatmorningonthestonesinadyingstate。Butthoughtherewassomeevidenceofcruelty,therewasnoneofmurder。andtheauntandherhusbandhadsoughttopalliatecrueltybyallegingtheexceedingstubbornnessandperversityofthechild,whowasdeclaredtobehalf-witted。Bethatasitmay,attheorphan’sdeaththeauntinheritedherbrother’sfortune。
Beforethefirstweddedyearwasout,theAmericanquittedEnglandabruptly,andneverreturnedtoit。Heobtainedacruisingvessel,whichwaslostintheAtlantictwoyearsafterwards。Thewidowwasleftinaffluence,butreversesofvariouskindshadbefallenher:
abankbroke。aninvestmentfailed。shewentintoasmallbusinessandbecameinsolvent。thensheenteredintoservice,sinkinglowerandlower,fromhousekeeperdowntomaid-of-all-work,——neverlongretainingaplace,thoughnothingdecidedagainsthercharacterwaseveralleged。Shewasconsideredsober,honest,andpeculiarlyquietinherways。stillnothingprosperedwithher。Andsoshehaddroppedintotheworkhouse,fromwhichMr。J——hadtakenher,tobeplacedinchargeoftheveryhousewhichshehadrentedasmistressinthefirstyearofherweddedlife。
Mr。J——addedthathehadpassedanhouraloneintheunfurnishedroomwhichIhadurgedhimtodestroy,andthathisimpressionsofdreadwhilethereweresogreat,thoughhehadneitherheardnorseenanything,thathewaseagertohavethewallsbaredandthefloorsremovedasIhadsuggested。Hehadengagedpersonsforthework,andwouldcommenceanydayIwouldname。
Thedaywasaccordinglyfixed。Irepairedtothehauntedhouse,——
wewentintotheblind,drearyroom,tookuptheskirting,andthenthefloors。Undertherafters,coveredwithrubbish,wasfoundatrapdoor,quitelargeenoughtoadmitaman。Itwascloselynaileddown,withclampsandrivetsofiron。Onremovingthesewedescendedintoaroombelow,theexistenceofwhichhadneverbeensuspected。Inthisroomtherehadbeenawindowandaflue,buttheyhadbeenbrickedover,evidentlyformanyyears。Bythehelpofcandlesweexaminedthisplace。itstillretainedsomemolderingfurniture,——threechairs,anoaksettle,atable,——allofthefashionofabouteightyyearsago。Therewasachestofdrawersagainstthewall,inwhichwefound,halfrottedaway,old-
fashionedarticlesofaman’sdress,suchasmighthavebeenworneightyorahundredyearsagobyagentlemanofsomerank。costlysteelbucklesandbuttons,likethoseyetwornincourtdresses,ahandsomecourtsword。inawaistcoatwhichhadoncebeenrichwithgoldlace,butwhichwasnowblackenedandfoulwithdamp,wefoundfiveguineas,afewsilvercoins,andanivoryticket,probablyforsomeplaceofentertainmentlongsincepassedaway。Butourmaindiscoverywasinakindofironsafefixedtothewall,thelockofwhichitcostusmuchtroubletogetpicked。
Inthissafewerethreeshelvesandtwosmalldrawers。Rangedontheshelveswereseveralsmallbottlesofcrystal,hermeticallystopped。Theycontainedcolorless,volatileessences,ofthenatureofwhichIshallonlysaythattheywerenotpoisons,——
phosphorandammoniaenteredintosomeofthem。Therewerealsosomeverycuriousglasstubes,andasmallpointedrodofiron,withalargelumpofrockcrystal,andanotherofamber,——alsoaloadstoneofgreatpower。
Inoneofthedrawerswefoundaminiatureportraitsetingold,andretainingthefreshnessofitscolorsmostremarkably,consideringthelengthoftimeithadprobablybeenthere。Theportraitwasthatofamanwhomightbesomewhatadvancedinmiddlelife,perhapsforty-sevenorforty-eight。Itwasaremarkableface,——amostimpressiveface。Ifyoucouldfancysomemightyserpenttransformedintoman,preservinginthehumanlineamentstheoldserpenttype,youwouldhaveabetterideaofthatcountenancethanlongdescriptionscanconvey:thewidthandflatnessoffrontal。thetaperingeleganceofcontourdisguisingthestrengthofthedeadlyjaw。thelong,large,terribleeye,glitteringandgreenastheemerald,——andwithalacertainruthlesscalm,asiffromtheconsciousnessofanimmensepower。
MechanicallyIturnedroundtheminiaturetoexaminethebackofit,andonthebackwasengravedapentacle。inthemiddleofthepentaclealadder,andthethirdstepoftheladderwasformedbythedate1765。Examiningstillmoreminutely,Idetectedaspring。
this,onbeingpressed,openedthebackoftheminiatureasalid。
Within-sidethelidwereengraved,Mariannatothee。Befaithfulinlifeandindeathto。HerefollowsanamethatIwillnotmention,butitwasnotunfamiliartome。IhadhearditspokenofbyoldmeninmychildhoodasthenamebornebyadazzlingcharlatanwhohadmadeagreatsensationinLondonforayearorso,andhadfledthecountryonthechargeofadoublemurderwithinhisownhouse,——thatofhismistressandhisrival。IsaidnothingofthistoMr。J——,towhomreluctantlyIresignedtheminiature。
Wehadfoundnodifficultyinopeningthefirstdrawerwithintheironsafe。wefoundgreatdifficultyinopeningthesecond:itwasnotlocked,butitresistedallefforts,tillweinsertedinthechinkstheedgeofachisel。Whenwehadthusdrawnitforth,wefoundaverysingularapparatusinthenicestorder。Uponasmall,thinbook,orrathertablet,wasplacedasaucerofcrystal。thissaucerwasfilledwithaclearliquid,——onthatliquidfloatedakindofcompass,withaneedleshiftingrapidlyround。butinsteadoftheusualpointsofacompassweresevenstrangecharacters,notveryunlikethoseusedbyastrologerstodenotetheplanets。A
peculiarbutnotstrongnordispleasingodorcamefromthisdrawer,whichwaslinedwithawoodthatweafterwardsdiscoveredtobehazel。Whateverthecauseofthisodor,itproducedamaterialeffectonthenerves。Weallfeltit,eventhetwoworkmenwhowereintheroom,——acreeping,tinglingsensationfromthetipsofthefingerstotherootsofthehair。Impatienttoexaminethetablet,Iremovedthesaucer。AsIdidsotheneedleofthecompasswentroundandroundwithexceedingswiftness,andIfeltashockthatranthroughmywholeframe,sothatIdroppedthesauceronthefloor。Theliquidwasspilled。thesaucerwasbroken。thecompassrolledtotheendoftheroom,andatthatinstantthewallsshooktoandfro,asifagianthadswayedandrockedthem。
Thetwoworkmenweresofrightenedthattheyranuptheladderbywhichwehaddescendedfromthetrapdoor。butseeingthatnothingmorehappened,theywereeasilyinducedtoreturn。
MeanwhileIhadopenedthetablet:itwasboundinplainredleather,withasilverclasp。itcontainedbutonesheetofthickvellum,andonthatsheetwereinscribed,withinadoublepentacle,wordsinoldmonkishLatin,whichareliterallytobetranslatedthus:Onallthatitcanreachwithinthesewalls,sentientorinanimate,livingordead,asmovestheneedle,soworksmywill!
Accursedbethehouse,andrestlessbethedwellerstherein。
Wefoundnomore。Mr。J——burnedthetabletanditsanathema。
Herazedtothefoundationsthepartofthebuildingcontainingthesecretroomwiththechamberoverit。Hehadthenthecouragetoinhabitthehousehimselfforamonth,andaquieter,better-
conditionedhousecouldnotbefoundinallLondon。Subsequentlyheletittoadvantage,andhistenanthasmadenocomplaints。
Adrowningmanclutchingatastraw——suchisDr。Fenwick,heroofBulwer-Lytton’sStrangeStorywhenhedeterminestolendhimselftoallegedmagicinthehopeofsavinghissufferingwifefromthephysicaldangerswhichhavesucceededhermentaldisease。ThepropositionhasbeenmadetohimbyMargrave,awandererinmanycountries,whohasfollowedtheFenwicksfromEnglandtoAustralia。
Margravedeclaresthatheneedsanaccomplicetosecureanelixiroflifewhichhisownfailingstrengthdemands。HismysteriousmesmericorhypnoticinfluenceoverMrs。Fenwickhadinformerdaysbeenmarked。andonthebasisofthisundeniablefact,hehasendeavoredtoshowthathisownwelfareandMrs。Fenwick’sare,insomeoccultfashion,knittogether,andthatonlybyaidinghiminsomeextraordinaryexperimentcanthephysiciansnatchhisbelovedLilianfromherimpendingdoom。
Asthefirstchapteropens,Fenwickislearninghiswife’sconditionfromhisfriend,Dr。Faber。
Bulwer-LyttonTheIncantationI
Ibelievethatforatleasttwelvehourstherewillbenochangeinherstate。Ibelievealsothatifsherecoverfromit,calmandrefreshed,asfromasleep,thedangerofdeathwillhavepassedaway。
Andfortwelvehoursmypresencewouldbehurtful?
Rathersayfatal,ifmydiagnosisberight。
Iwrungmyfriend’shand,andweparted。
Oh,tolosehernow。nowthatherloveandherreasonhadbothreturned,eachmorevividthanbefore!Futile,indeed,mightbeMargrave’sboastedsecret。butatleastinthatsecretwashope。