"Seeing my distress, he said, "Well, then, inquire after the name of the friend who has taken so much care of you."
"That was the very question which I was most eager to ask. I had wished to propose, but I would not venture to do it for fear of offending the stranger; with great joy I replied that is what I wish to know.
"Well then," replied he, "you shall get personally acquainted with that friend of yours."--"Then I do not know him yet personally?" resumed I, "I thought it was you, sir." The stranger shook his head. "I am only his deputy," was his answer, "and," added he, after a short pause, "only through the third hand."
"I gazed at him with amazement, but he seemed to take no notice of it, and began to make preparations for introducing my friend in a most mysterious manner. He strewed sand on the floor, and drew two circles with an ebony wand, placing me in one and himself in the other.
"How will this end? thought I.
"The stranger was now standing opposite to me, in a solemn posture; he folded his hand upon his breast, his looks being lifted up to heaven. Silent and motionless like a statue was he standing there. A chilly sensation of horror penetrated me, I did not dare fetch breath.
"The stranger remained in that posture for a quarter of an hour, my fear was swallowed up in dumb amazement, and my heart began soon to fail me from fear and awful expectations. At length my conductor broke his mysterious silence; I heard his voice, but I could not understand what he said, the words he pronounced seemed to belong to a foreign language. The lamp afforded but a faint light, and I could not well distinguish the objects around me. All was silent as the grave. My conductor whispered only now and then some mysterious words, drawing figures in the sand with his ebony wand.
"Now I heard the clock strike twelve, with the last stroke the stranger began to turn himself round about, within the circle, with an astonishing velocity, pronouncing the christian and surname of my deceased mother. I staggered back thrilled with chilly horror. On a sudden I heard a noise under ground, like the distant rolling of thunder. The stranger pronounced the name of my mother a second time, and in a more solemn and tremendous voice than at first. A flash of lightning hissed through the room, and the voice of thunder grew louder and louder beneath my feet. Now he pronounced the name of my mother a third time, still louder and more tremendous. At once the whole pleasure-house appeared to be surrounded with fire. The ground began to shake under me, and I sank suddenly down. The ghost of my mother hovered before my eyes, with a grim, ghastly look; a chilly sweat bedewed my face and my senses forsook me.
"A violent shaking roused me at length from my stupefaction.
"The shaking did not cease, and I felt as if I was tossed to and fro: at the same time I heard a terrible creaking and whizzing not far off. As soon as I had recovered my recollection, I perceived that I was sitting in a coach, driving onward with an incredible velocity, and found myself closely confined. Something was snoring by my side, but I could not distinguish what it was, being surrounded with impenetrable darkness.
"You cannot imagine what I suffered in that terrible situation. I was seized with anxiety and apprehension, creating the most tormenting sensations, which cannot be described.
"The road my human or supernatural coachman had taken seemed to be very uneven, or, perhaps, he did not know the road, for I felt every moment the most violent jolts, which increased my anxiety still more, by the additional apprehension of being overturned. My bones, which already had been hurt very much by my falling down in the pleasure-house, seemed to be quite dislocated. I had been in that state of agony about half an hour, when a most violent jolt overturned the coach. A voice roared, "Jesu Maria!" Methought I felt the freezing hand of death upon my heart, and lost the power of recollection.
"At length I was roused from that state of insensibility, by the most excruciating pains. I opened my eyes; two men, each of them holding a horse by the bridle, were standing by me; a countryman, with a lantern, was in their company, and the broken coach was lying on the ground at a small distance. They wanted to raise me up, but being pierced by terrible pains, I entreated them, for God's sake, not to touch me. My leg was fractured in two places: the horsemen promised to ride to a neighbouring town for assistance, and disappeared; the countryman remained with me and endeavoured to comfort me.
"I waited half an hour and nobody appeared; the night was cold: I waited an hour and no assistance came; one fainting fit followed the other. At length I heard the rolling of a coach, the countryman went with his lantern into the middle of the road, and saw a coach and four; the honest man begged the driver to stop, and related my misfortune. An old reverend man got out of the vehicle, lifted me, with the assistance of the good peasant, into the coach, and ordered the coachman to drive slowly onward.
"With the dawn of the morning we came to a village. My kind deliverer was the lord of it. Having been carried to the castle, a surgeon was sent for, meanwhile the old nobleman endeavoured, by his kind conversation, to make me forget part of my pains.
"The surgeon arrived a little while after, my wounds were dressed, and I was carried to bed. At first my deliverer would not leave me, and visited me afterwards three times a day. May heaven reward him for his generous and humane behaviour.
"As soon as I had related to him all that had happened to me, he sent some of his people to look after the coach; but it could be found no where.
"After nine weeks" confinement I was recovered so far that I could return to F----, the benevolent nobleman accompanied me thither, and my landlord was rejoiced to see me. Inquiring after the mysterious stranger I was told, that he had been seen no more since I had left the inn. My deliverer stayed three days with me, and then we parted in a most affectionate manner. The next day I set out for my own country, where I happily arrived without any farther accident."
Here Elfrid concluded his wonderful tale, which he, as he added, never had been able to unfold, though he had taken the greatest pains to come at the bottom of it. He looked at his friend, eager to hear what he would say to those extraordinary adventures; but Herman was lost in profound meditation for many minutes, at length he began: "Brother, thy tale is very wonderful, so wonderful, that I should not have believed it, if I had not met, on my travels, with adventures, which seem to have some connexion with thine."
Elfrid had apprehended that Herman would laugh at his story, as many of his friends had done; he was therefore very much astonished at Herman's words, and besought him to give a short account of the adventures he had hinted at. Herman promised to give a full account of whatever had happened to him, partly by way of narration and partly in writing; however, he begged him to wait till to-morrow, that he might be able to arrange the necessary papers. Elfrid very readily consented to it.
The next morning was uncommonly fine, yet Herman's guest had no inclination for a hunting party. As soon as breakfast was over he reminded his friend of his promise, asking whether he had found the papers he had been mentioning. Herman said he had, telling his friend at the same time, that he intended to relate only that part of those adventures in which he had been personally concerned, the remainder he would give him in writing, but not before his departure, lest ghosts and necromancers might deprive him of the pleasure of making his dear visitor as comfortable and happy as possible. Elfrid having consented to it, the two friends took their places by the fireside, lighted their pipes, and Herman began as follows:
"Thou knowest, brother, that I, having finished my studies, was appointed governor to the young Baron de R----, to conduct him on his travels. On our return from Italy we took our way through Switzerland and Germany, and met, on this last tour, with the most remarkable adventure of our whole journey.
"Being arrived at the skirts of the Black Forest, our postilion missed his way, as it began to grow dark, and at length, did not know what direction he should take. Our fright was not little, when he apprised us of his distress, being desirous to get out of that dreadful forest as soon as possible, on account of the man
y instances of robberies and murders committed within its precincts, which the postilion had enlarged upon on the road; we therefore exhorted the fellow to go on, whatever might be the consequence. He did so, and after half an hour we came to an open spot.
"Now we are safe!" exclaimed the postilion joyfully, "and, if I am not mistaken, not far from a village."
"He was right. We soon heard the welcome barking of dogs not far off, and a little while after we saw lights.
"We entered a large village, but the inn was very indifferent, and the landlord was amazed at the uncommon sight of gentlemen. His whole stock of eatables consisted in some smoked puddings, and a coarse sort of bread; he told us that neither wine nor beer could be got within the distance of many leagues and even our postilion could not drink his brandy. We asked him where the lord of the village resided; he answered that he never lived there, because the castle had not been habitable for many years. I enquired the reason of it.
"At present," replied the host, "I dare not give you an account of it, to-morrow you shall know everything; but, very likely, this night will make you guess the reason."
"The Baron and I entreated him to satisfy our curiosity, but he shook his head and left the room.
"Pinched by hunger we took up with our scanty supper, and then asked the landlord to show us to our beds, but, alas! there was not one bed unoccupied in the whole house, and we were obliged to rest our weary limbs upon a bed of clean straw in the middle of the room.
"The Baron soon began to snore, but I could not get a wink of sleep. Now the watchman announced the hour of midnight with a hoarse voice, and on a sudden I heard the trampling of horses and the sound of horns. The noise came nearer, and methought I heard a number of horsemen rushing by, and sounding their horns as if a large hunting party were passing through the village; the troop darted like lightning through the street close by the windows of the inn. The Baron started up, asking me with a fearful voice, "What is this?"--"I don't know," replied I abruptly. I listened attentively, and the troop had not been far from our inn, when on a sudden all was again as silent as the grave; the Baron began to snore as before, and I to muse on that strange incident.
"I could not think it possible that any body would go a hunting in so large a company, at that unseasonable hour, and was much inclined to think all had been a deluding dream, when I suddenly recollected the mysterious words of our landlord, I cannot but confess that I was seized with horror. I was just falling asleep when the voice of the watchman, crying one o'clock, roused me from my slumber. No sooner had he finished his round than the former noise was heard again at a small distance. I started up and ran to the window, but before I could open it the whole troop had rushed by like a hurricane. A little while after all was silent again, yet in vain did I beseech the god of slumber to take me in his arms.
"The Baron had heard nothing the second time, snoring quietly by my side whilst I was ardently wishing for the morning, in order to satisfy my curiosity. I was too impatient to await the landlord's account of the castle, and when the watchman was crying two o'clock I hastened to the window, and began to converse with him.
"Watchman," exclaimed I, "what did that noise at twelve and one o'clock mean?" "Your honour," replied he, "is certainly a stranger, for there's not a child in our village that does not know what that noise means; it is sometimes heard every night for several weeks, afterwards every thing is quiet again for a considerable time."
"But," said I, "who is that person that goes a hunting at night?"
"That I can't tell you at present," answered the watchman, "ask your landlord, he will tell you all the particulars, I am here on my duty, and under the protection of Providence, but I dare not speak of what I hear and see."
"With these words he went away:--I wrapped myself up in my cloak, and sitting down by the window on a chair, expected, with anxious impatience, the rising of the sun. At length the eastern sky began to be embroidered with purple streaks, the crowing of the cocks sounded through the village, and the watchman announced the approach of day. The Baron awoke.
"You are very early," said he, rubbing his eyes, "pray tell me, what noise was it I heard in the night?"
"I myself am impatient to know it," replied I, "I wish the landlord would rise and unfold that mystery; the troop has rushed by again at one o'clock with the same terrible noise."
"While I was talking thus, I heard the trampling of horses, and looking out of the window, saw an officer with a servant. They alighted at the inn, knocked at the door, and entered the room. The officer, a lively young man, wore a Danish uniform, and was on the recruiting business; he had missed his way like ourselves, and we soon got acquainted with him. When the Baron related the nightly adventure, the officer at first thought he was joking, but when I most seriously affirmed every circumstance, he showed an ardent desire to get acquainted with those nocturnal sportsmen.
"That honour you can easily have," said the Baron, "if you will stay here the ensuing night, we will give you company."
"Bravo!" exclaimed the officer, "perhaps the gentlemen will be so polite to invite us to their sport, and then we may be so fortunate as to get a haunch of venison."
"Now the landlord entered the room. "Well," said he, bidding us a good morning, "have you heard anything to night, gentlemen?"
"More than I liked," answered I; "who are those sportsmen that go a hunting at midnight."
"Why," replied he, "we don't talk of it: I would not tell you anything about it last night, for fear your curiosity might expose you to some misfortune; yet, having promised you yesterday to tell you as much of it as I know, I will be as good as my word."
"After having paused awhile, he began thus, in a confidential tone: "Close by our village is a very large building, where formerly the Lord of this village used to reside. One of the former masters of the castle was a very wicked and irreligious man, who found great delight in tormenting the poor peasants; every body trembled when he appeared. He trampled with his feet upon his own children, confined them in dark dungeons, where they were often kept for many days without a morsel of bread. He used to call his tenants dogs, and to treat them as such--in short, he was cruelty itself.
"Hunting was his only amusement, and he always kept a vast number of deer, which were the ruin of the peasants" little property, and reduced them to the utmost poverty; no one dared to drive them from his fields, and if he did, he was confined in a damp dungeon, under ground, for many weeks. When that wicked man wanted to hunt, then the whole village was called together to serve him instead of dogs; if any one was not alert enough, then he would hunt him instead of the deer, till he fell down expiring under the lashes of his whip.
"One time after he had roved about from morning till night, he fell from his horse and broke his neck. He was buried in his garden. But now he was terribly punished for his wickedness, having had no rest in his grave to the present day. At certain times of the year he is doomed to appear in the village, at twelve o'clock at night, and to make his entry into the castle with his infernal crew, but as soon as the clock strikes one he is plunged back again into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. Nobody can inhabit the castle! Many who have been so fool-hardy to attempt it have lost their lives; whoever ventures to look out of the window when the infernal hosts are passing by gets a swollen face as a punishment for his curiosity. We are now used to that nocturnal sport, and do not care for those infernal spirits, but many strangers have fallen ill through fright."
"Here the landlord finished his tale, and seemed to be pleased with our astonishment; however, his pleasure was soon damped when the Lieutenant broke out in a roaring laughter.
"Laugh as long as you please," said he; "stay here till night if you have courage, and then we shall see if you will laugh."
"That I will," replied the officer, "I will not only stay in your house, but I will also spend the coming night at that dreadful castle. I dare say, gentlemen," added he, "you will keep me company."
"The Baron,
being a man of honor, thought it a great disgrace to betray the least want of courage in the presence of the soldier; he therefore promised to accompany him thither: I made several objections, representing to the officer the danger we should run, not knowing who those spirits might be; however, he silenced all my remonstrances: "I am a soldier," said he, "and all ghosts and hobgoblins have ever been kept at a respectful distance by a martial dress."
"At length I was obliged to take a part in the expedition, if I would not desert the Baron. The landlord, who had all that time been staring at us in dumb amazement, lifted up his hands when I had consented to go to the castle, and entreated us, for God's sake, to desist from our undertaking: "If you go," added he, "then all of you will be dead before to-morrow morning: for heaven's sake, dear gentlemen, do not run into the very mouth of the devil thus wantonly!"
"However, the raillery of the Lieutenant put him soon so much out of temper, that he left us in great wrath, swearing in the height of his anger, that the devil would make us smart for our fool-hardiness and unbelief.
"Gentlemen," began now the officer, "pray let us take a walk to that terrible place, where we are going to spend the night, and reconnoitre it before dinner, "--Approving of that proposal, we went all three to that residence of terror.
"We approached and beheld the gothic remains of a half decayed castle, the gate was open and we entered the fabric. The arched walls, overgrown with moss and ivy, echoed to the sound of our footsteps; a long narrow passage led to a spacious court-yard, paved with stones; now we espied a spiral staircase of stone, and ascended it in dumb silence. A second long and narrow passage, which received a faint glimmering of light through several small windows, strongly guarded by iron bars, led us to a back door; the chilly damps of the long confined air rushed from the aperture when the Lieutenant had pushed it open; the apartment to which it led bore the gloomy appearance of a prison--the remains of half-decayed tapestry, covered with cobwebs, gave the room a dark dreary appearance; pieces of broken furniture were scattered about on the floor, a lamp hung in the middle from an iron chain fastened to the arched ceiling.
The Complete Northanger Horrid Novel Collection (9 Books of Gothic Romance and Horror) Page 118
