CHAPTER V.
THE NIGHT WATCH.--THE PROPOSAL.--THE MOONLIGHT.--THE FEARFUL ADVENTURE.
A kind of stupefaction came over Henry Bannerworth, and he sat for abouta quarter of an hour scarcely conscious of where he was, and almostincapable of anything in the shape of rational thought. It was hisbrother, George, who roused him by saying, as he laid his hand upon hisshoulder,--
"Henry, are you asleep?"
Henry had not been aware of his presence, and he started up as if he hadbeen shot.
"Oh, George, is it you?" he said.
"Yes, Henry, are you unwell?"
"No, no; I was in a deep reverie."
"Alas! I need not ask upon what subject," said George, sadly. "I soughtyou to bring you this letter."
"A letter to me?"
"Yes, you see it is addressed to you, and the seal looks as if it camefrom 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 Henryto 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 neighbour 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 the estate ofRatford Abbey."
"Oh, yes, yes. Have you seen him?"
"I have not."
"I do not wish to make any new acquaintance, George. We are verypoor--much poorer indeed than the general appearance of this place,which, I fear, we shall soon have to part with, would warrant any onebelieving. I must, of course, return a civil answer to this gentleman,but it must be such as one as shall repress familiarity."
"That will be difficult to do while we remain here, when we come toconsider the very close proximity of the two properties, Henry."
"Oh, no, not at all. He will easily perceive that we do not want to makeacquaintance 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 newacquaintance with any one, and more particularly under our presentcircumstances of depression. And now, Henry, you must permit me, as Ihave had some repose, to share with you your night watch in Flora'sroom."
"I would advise you not, George; your health, you know, is very far fromgood."
"Nay, allow me. If not, then the anxiety I shall suffer will do me moreharm than the watchfulness I shall keep up in her chamber."
This was an argument which Henry felt himself the force of too stronglynot to admit it in the case of George, and he therefore made no furtheropposition to his wish to make one in the night watch.
"There will be an advantage," said George, "you see, in three of usbeing engaged in this matter, because, should anything occur, two canact 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 thepreceding evening were still felt in the clearness of the air, the raysappeared to be more lustrous and full of beauty than they commonly were.
Each moment the night grew lighter, and by the time the brothers wereready to take their places in the chamber of Flora, the moon had risenconsiderably.
Although neither Henry nor George had any objection to the company ofMr. Marchdale, yet they gave him the option, and rather in fact urgedhim not to destroy his night's repose by sitting up with them; but hesaid,--
"Allow me to do so; I am older, and have calmer judgment than you canhave. Should anything again appear, I am quite resolved that it shallnot escape me."
"What would you do?"
"With the name of God upon my lips," said Mr. Marchdale, solemnly, "Iwould grapple with it."
"You laid hands upon it last night."
"I did, and have forgotten to show you what I tore from it. Lookhere,--what should you say this was?"
He produced a piece of cloth, on which was an old-fashioned piece oflace, and two buttons. Upon a close inspection, this appeared to be aportion of the lapel of a coat of ancient times, and 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 anyrough usage."
"What a strange unearthly smell it has!"
"Now you mention it yourself," added Mr. Marchdale, "I must confess itsmells 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 any one'smind proofs of that which I would fain, very fain refute."
Mr. Marchdale replaced the portion of the coat which the figure had wornin his pocket, and then the whole three proceeded to the chamber ofFlora.
* * * * *
It was within a very few minutes of midnight, the moon had climbed highin the heavens, and a night of such brightness and beauty had seldomshown 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 muchfeared to break the light slumber into which she had fallen.
Occasionally they had conversed in whispers, which could not have theeffect of rousing her, for the room, although smaller than the one shehad before occupied, was still sufficiently spacious to enable them toget some distance from the bed.
Until the hour of midnight now actually struck, they were silent, andwhen the last echo of the sounds had died away, a feeling of uneasinesscame over them, which prompted some conversation to get rid of it.
"How bright the moon is now," said Henry, in a low tone.
"I never saw it brighter," replied Marchdale. "I feel as if I wereassured that we shall not to-night be interrupted."
"It was later than this," said Henry.
"It was--it was."
"Do not then yet congratulate us upon no visit."
"How still the house is!" remarked George; "it seems to me as if I hadnever 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 wereall drawn closely round the bed to shield her eyes from the brightmoonlight which streamed into the room so brilliantly. They might haveclosed the shutters of the window, but this they did not like to do, asit would render their watch there of no avail at all, inasmuch as theywould not be able to see if any attempt was made by any one to obtainadmittance.
A quarter of an hour longer might have thus passed when Mr. Marchdalesaid in a whisper,--
"A thought has just struck me that the piece of coat I have, which Idragged from the figure last night, wonderfully resembles in colour andappearance the style of dress of the portrait in the room which Floralately slept in."
"I thought of that," said Henry, "when first I saw it; but, to tell thehonest truth, I dreaded to suggest any new proof connected with lastnight'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 arequite 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 testthe 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 twogo if you like. It is but across the corridor."
Henry immediately rose, saying--
"Come, Mr. Marchdale, come. Let us satisfy ourselves at all events uponthis point at once. As George says it is only across the corridor, andwe 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 cloudlesssky, so that from the house being a detached one, and containingnumerous windows, it was as light as day.
Although the distance from one chamber to the other was only across thecorridor, it was a greater space than these words might occupy, for thecorridor was wide, neither was it directly across, but considerablyslanting. However, it was certainly sufficiently close at hand for anysound of alarm from one chamber to reach another without any difficulty.
A few moments sufficed to place Henry and Mr. Marchdale in that antiqueroom, where, from the effect of the moonlight which was streaming overit, the portrait on the panel looked exceedingly life like.
And this effect was probably the greater because the rest of the roomwas not illuminated by the moon's rays, which came through a window inthe corridor, and then at the open door of that chamber upon theportrait.
Mr. Marchdale held the piece of cloth he had close to the dress of theportrait, and one glance was sufficient to show the wonderful likenessbetween the two.
"Good God!" said Henry, "it is the same."
Mr. Marchdale dropped the piece of cloth and trembled.
"This fact shakes even your scepticism," 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 aresufficiently aware of my family history to know that this one of myancestors, I wish I could say worthy ancestors, committed suicide, andwas buried in his clothes."
"You--you are sure of that?"
"Quite sure."
"I am more and more bewildered as each moment some strange corroborativefact of that dreadful supposition we so much shrink from seems to cometo light and to force itself upon our attention."
There was a silence of a few moments duration, and Henry had turnedtowards Mr. Marchdale to say something, when the cautious tread of afootstep was heard in the garden, immediately beneath that balcony.
A sickening sensation came over Henry, and he was compelled to leanagainst the wall for support, as in scarcely articulate accents hesaid--
"The vampyre--the vampyre! 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 thebalcony.
Henry in a moment recovered himself sufficiently to follow him, and whenhe reached his side in the balcony, Marchdale said, as he pointedbelow,--
"There is some one concealed there."
"Where--where?"
"Among the laurels. I will fire a random shot, and we may do someexecution."
"Hold!" said a voice from below; "don't do any such thing, I beg ofyou."
"Why, that is Mr. Chillingworth's voice," cried Henry.
"Yes, and it's Mr. Chillingworth's person, too," said the doctor, as heemerged from among some laurel bushes.
"How is this?" said Marchdale.
"Simply that I made up my mind to keep watch and ward to-night outsidehere, in the hope of catching the vampyre. I got into here by climbingthe gate."
"But why did you not let me know?" said Henry.
"Because I did not know myself, my young friend, till an hour and a halfago."
"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 ahasty examination of the garden and grounds?"
"I am willing; but first allow me to speak to George, who otherwisemight be surprised at our long absence."
Henry walked rapidly to the bed chamber of Flora, and he said toGeorge,--
"Have you any objection to being left alone here for about 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 asword from my own room."
Henry did so, and when George returned with a sword, which he alwayskept in his bed-room, he said,--
"Now go, Henry. I prefer a weapon of this description to pistols much.Do not be longer gone 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 tothe garden to do so by clambering over the balcony than any other, andthe height was not considerable enough to make it very objectionable, soHenry 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 half made up my mind to come while I was here; but Ihad 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 Marchdale.
"In this stick," said the doctor, "is a sword, the exquisite temper ofwhich I know I can depend upon, and I fully intended to run through anyone whom I saw that looked in the least of the vampyre order."
"You would have done quite right," replied Mr. Marchdale. "I have abrace of pistols here, loaded with ball; will you take one, Henry, ifyou please, and then we shall be all armed."
Thus, then, prepared for any exigency, they made the whole round of thehouse; but found all the fastenings secure, and everything as quiet aspossible.
"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. Marchdalesaid,--
"There is a ladder lying on the wall; would it not be a good plan toplace it against the very spot the supposed vampyre jumped over lastnight, and so, from a more elevated position, take a view of the openmeadows. We could easily drop down on the outer side, if we saw anythingsuspicious."
"Not a bad plan," said the doctor. "Shall we do it?"
"Certainly," said Henry; and they accordingly carried the ladder, whichhad been used for pruning the trees, towards the spot at the end of thelong walk, at which the vampyre had made good, after so many fruitlessefforts, his escape from the premises.
They made haste down the long vista of trees until they reached theexact spot, and then they placed the ladder as near as possible, exactlywhere Henry, in his bewilderment on the evening before, had seen theapparition from the grave spring to.
"We can ascend singly," said Marchdale; "but there is ample space for usall 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 hadtaken up their positions on the wall, and, although the height was buttrifling, they found that they had a much more extensive view than theycould 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 distanceI have."
"And who knows," remarked Marchdale, "we may yet see something which maythrow a light upon our present perplexities God knows that I would giveall I can call mine in the world to relieve you and your sister, HenryBannerworth, from the fearful effect which last night's proceedingscannot fail to have upon you."
"Of that I am well assured, Mr. Marchdale," said Henry. "If thehappiness of myself and family depended upon you, we should be happyindeed."
"You are silent, Mr. Chillingworth," remarked Marchdale, after a slightpause.
"Hush!" said Mr. Chillingworth--"hus
h--hush!"
"Good God, what do 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 in a horizontal line, as near as you can,towards the wood."
Henry did so, and then he uttered a sudden exclamation of surprise, andpointed to a rising spot of ground, which was yet, in consequence of thenumber 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 lyingstretched 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 thisdistance, it seems like the form of him we chased last night."
"The vampyre?"
"Yes--yes. Look, the moonbeams touch him. Now the shadows of the treesgradually recede. God of Heaven! the figure moves."
Henry's eyes were riveted to that fearful object, and now a scenepresented itself which filled them all with wonder and astonishment,mingled with sensations of the greatest awe and alarm.
As the moonbeams, in consequence of the luminary rising higher andhigher in the heavens, came to touch this figure that lay extended onthe rising ground, a perceptible movement took place in it. The limbsappeared to tremble, and although it did not rise up, the whole bodygave signs of vitality.
"The vampyre--the vampyre!" said Mr. Marchdale. "I cannot doubt it now.We must have hit him last night with the pistol bullets, and themoonbeams are now restoring him to a new life."
Henry shuddered, and even Mr. Chillingworth turned pale. But he was thefirst 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 toourselves as much as to society."
"Hold a moment," said Mr. Marchdale, as he produced a pistol. "I am anunerring shot, as you well know, Henry. Before we move from thisposition we now occupy, allow me to try what virtue may be in a bulletto lay that figure low again."
"He is rising!" exclaimed Henry.
Mr. Marchdale levelled the pistol--he took a sure and deliberate aim,and then, just as the figure seemed to be struggling to its feet, hefired, 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 asoften 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 fromthe wall. "Follow me or not, as you please, I will seek the spot wherethis being lies."
"Oh, be not rash," cried Marchdale. "See, it rises again, and its formlooks gigantic."
"I trust in Heaven and a righteous cause," said the doctor, as he drewthe 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 followedhim, 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 theimmediate neighbourhood of the hillock.
"It is conscious of being pursued," cried the doctor. "See how itglances 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 quiteunheeded if it did, by the vampyre, which gained the wood before theycould have a hope of getting sufficiently near it to effect, orendeavour to effect, a capture.
"I cannot follow it there," said Marchdale. "In open country I wouldhave pursued it closely; but I cannot follow it into the intricacies ofa wood."
"Pursuit is useless there," said Henry. "It is enveloped in the deepestgloom."
"I am not so unreasonable," remarked Mr. Chillingworth, "as to wish youto follow into such a place as that. I am confounded utterly by thisaffair."
"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 unravelling of this most fearfulpiece of business. Did either of you remark the clothing which thisspectral appearance wore?"
"They were antique clothes," said Mr. Chillingworth, "such as might havebeen fashionable a hundred years ago, but not now."
"Such was my impression," added Marchdale.
"And such my own," said Henry, excitedly. "Is it at all within thecompass of the wildest belief that what we have seen is a vampyre, andno 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 but makeyourself seriously unwell."
"No--no--no."
"Come home now, I pray you; you are by far too much excited about thismatter to pursue it with the calmness which should be brought to bearupon it."
"Take advice, Henry," said Marchdale, "take advice, and come home atonce."
"I will yield to you; I feel that I cannot control my own feelings--Iwill yield to you, who, as you say, are cooler on this subject than Ican be. Oh, Flora, Flora, I have no comfort to bring to you now."
Poor Henry Bannerworth appeared to be in a complete state of mentalprostration, on account of the distressing circumstances that hadoccurred so rapidly and so suddenly in his family, which had had quiteenough to contend with without having superadded to every other evil thehorror of believing that some preternatural agency was at work todestroy every hope of future happiness in this world, under anycircumstances.
He suffered himself to be led home by Mr. Chillingworth and Marchdale;he no longer attempted to dispute the dreadful fact concerning thesupposed vampyre; he could not contend now against all the corroboratingcircumstances that seemed to collect together for the purpose of provingthat which, even when proved, was contrary to all his notions of Heaven,and at variance with all that was recorded and established is part andparcel of the system of nature.
"I cannot deny," he said, when they had reached home, "that such thingsare possible; but the probability will not bear a moment'sinvestigation."
"There are more things," said Marchdale, solemnly, "in Heaven, and onearth, than are dreamed of in our philosophy."
"There are indeed, it appears," said Mr. Chillingworth.
"And are you a convert?" said Henry, turning to him.
"A convert to what?"
"To a belief in--in--these vampyres?"
"I? No, indeed; if you were to shut me up in a room full of vampyres, Iwould tell them all to their teeth that I defied them."
"But after what we have seen to-night?"
"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 seemedthen to be shot, but whether he was or not he only knows; and then I sawhim walk off in a desperate hurry. Beyond that, I saw nothing."
"Yes; but, taking such circumstances into combination with others, haveyou 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 outrageupon Heaven as one of these creatures would most assuredly be."
"Oh! that I could think like you; but the circumstance strikes toonearly to my heart."
"Be of better cheer, Henry--be of better cheer," said Marchdale; "thereis one circumstance which we ought to consider, it is that, from all wehave seen, there seems to be some things which would favour an opinion,Henry, that your ancestor, whose portrait hangs in
the chamber which wasoccupied by Flora, is the vampyre."
"The dress was the same," said Henry.
"I noted it was."
"And I."
"Do you not, then, think it possible that something might be done to setthat part of the question at rest?"
"What--what?"
"Where is your ancestor buried?"
"Ah! I understand you now."
"And I," said Mr. Chillingworth; "you would propose a visit to hismansion?"
"I would," added Marchdale; "anything that may in any way tend to assistin making this affair clearer, and divesting it of its mysteriouscircumstances, 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 occupiesplace in the vault under the old church in the village."
"Would it be possible," asked Marchdale, "to get into that vault withoutexciting general attention?"
"It would," said Henry; "the entrance to the vault is in the flooring ofthe pew which belongs to the family in the old church."
"Then it could be done?" asked Mr. Chillingworth.
"Most undoubtedly."
"Will you under take such an adventure?" said Mr. Chillingworth. "It mayease 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 decidehastily. Give me leave to think of it until to-morrow."
"Most certainly."
They now made their way to the chamber of Flora, and they heard fromGeorge that nothing of an alarming character had occurred to disturb himon his lonely watch. The morning was now again dawning, and Henryearnestly entreated Mr. Marchdale to go to bed, which he did, leavingthe two brothers to continue as sentinels by Flora's bed side, until themorning light should banish all uneasy thoughts.
Henry related to George what had taken place outside the house, and thetwo brothers held a long and interesting conversation for some hoursupon that subject, as well as upon others of great importance to theirwelfare. It was not until the sun's early rays came glaring in at thecasement that they both rose, and thought of awakening Flora, who hadnow slept soundly for so many hours.