"I had not, as yet, got an opportunity of getting more nearly acquainted with that wonderful man, and I must confess I was not very desirous of being introduced to him, for I always treated with scorn such supernatural events, yet I never liked to make those matters a subject for ridicule.
"Some of my comrades were frequently inclined to have a fun, as they used to call it, and to request the sorcerer, Volkert, to raise up the ghost of one of their companions who had died suddenly in order to ask his departed spirit whether he had found pretty girls and good wine in the other world; but I always dissuaded them from it, endeavouring to direct them to some other amusement. Meanwhile the rumour of Volkert's exploits increased from day to day, and some people would swear solemnly, that they had seen and conversed with their departed relations, through his assistance.
"Among those who related such strange things of Volkert, was a woman, whose husband had died suddenly some months ago, and entreated her, before he expired, not to give her daughter in marriage to a certain tradesman who had courted her. The girl doted on the young man, and he likewise was exceedingly fond of her; the distress this young couple felt at that sad and cruel prohibition, cannot be expressed by words; their grief was unspeakable when they were thus unexpectedly removed for ever from the happiness of being united by the bonds of holy wedlock, just when they flattered themselves to have reached the aim of their fondest wishes.
"Volkert was quartered in the same street where the unhappy girl's mother lived. She requested him to find out, by means of his supernatural skill, what reason might have induced her departed husband to forbid his daughter, on his death-bed, to marry the man of her choice, though he had not only never the least objection against the union, but also had always looked upon it with the greatest satisfaction. Volkert promised to take the matter into consideration and answered, some days after, that the deceased himself must be applied to.
"The poor girl was very much frightened at this declaration, however, the hope of being at last united to the darling of her love-sick heart, revived her spirits, and she consented at length to suffer the rest of her parent to be disturbed. The mother refused for a considerable time to consent to it, however, at last she agreed to Volkert's proposal, and the day, or rather the night, for the execution of the conjuration was fixed.--"The mother," added the Austrian, "has related to me the whole transaction, and I will let her speak herself."
"It was on a Saturday," said the good old woman, "when we were assembled in a back room, the same wherein my late husband had breathed his last, myself, my daughter, her lover, and two of my neighbours being present. At eleven o'clock we began to sing, as Volkert had ordered us, penitential hymns and psalms till the clock struck twelve, when we left off singing, and Volkert entered the room, clad in a white garment, barefoot, and with a pale and disordered countenance; under his arm he carried a black carpet, a naked sword, and a crucifix, and in each hand a lighted taper. As soon as he entered the room, he beckoned us to rise, and made a sign not to utter a word; then he placed a table in the middle of the room, covered it with the black carpet, and put the crucifix and the tapers upon it, holding the sword in his hand: This done, he took out of his pocket a bottle with consecrated water, and sprinkled us and the floor with it. After we had pulled off our shoes and stockings, he burned perfumes in a chaffing-dish, and began the conjuration, mumbling many mysterious words, and brandishing his sword as if fighting with an invisible enemy; at once the combat seemed to cease, he grew quiet, and turning towards us who had been standing around him, exclaimed, "I have succeeded, he is coming!"
"A thick smoke overdarkened suddenly the room, the lights were extinguished, and a shiny figure, resembling in a most striking manner my deceased husband appeared.
"Ask him," said the Necromancer, "ask him before he vanishes."
"I shuddered, seized with horror, and was unable to utter a single word: my daughter was in the same situation; the phantom gave us a ghastly look, shaking his head, as if denying something. The Necromancer exhorted us once more to ask the spectre, and one of my neighbours took courage to question him. "Who art thou?" asked he with a faltering voice. "Godfried Burgher," answered the phantom, in a hollow woeful accent.
"May thy daughter marry Anthony Smith?"
"No! no!" replied the apparition, gave a deep hollow groan and shook his head in a ghastly manner.
"Why not?" resumed my neighbour.
"The phantom shuddered, lifting up his hands in a menacing manner, staggered back, and, when disappearing, added in a most rueful accent,
"He is her brother!"
"Night surrounded us, the Necromancer pushed the window open, and the tapers began again to burn. Now I could breathe again, and looking anxiously around, beheld my poor child stretched on the floor in a fainting fit. The unhappy girl recovered soon, but alas! her reason was gone. We were seized by the chilly hand of horror when we beheld her roving like a frantic person, wringing her hands, in a grisly manner, tearing her dishevelled hair, and beating her breast in an agony of despair. A burning fever had disordered her mind, and, alas! after three days she was no more! Wild despair drove her lover into the wide world, and heaven knows whether he is still alive or has fallen a victim of his wretched fate. I am a poor disconsolate mother, and haunted by the agonizing pangs of a tormenting conscience, can find neither rest nor comfort here below; the spirit of my poor child, murdered, by my consent to that wicked infernal transaction, hovers constantly before my bewildered fancy; my peace is gone for ever; I dare not to pray to the supreme ruler of the world, for comfort and mercy, though he who dwelleth in heaven knows that I reluctantly consented to that wicked transaction, for no other reason but to promote the happiness of my murdered child, murdered by her own mother, who ought to have been her guardian angel! Oh! God of mercy, what! what will become of me, when I shall be called to the tribunal of the All-seeing! when I shall behold her standing before the Supreme Judge, and hear her accuse me in the face of heaven as her murderer? How shall I, how can I answer the stern questions of him who has entrusted her to my care, to watch with a mother's tenderness, over her life and happiness? I tremble, seized with chilly horror when my frantic mind anticipates that awful moment, when he who sitteth on the throne of majesty shall, with the voice of thunder, say unto me, Wretch! who hast cruelly murdered thy child, depart from me into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels!--Alas! I feel already within my breast, the worm that shall never die, and the fire that shall not be quenched."
"Having thus given vent to her grief, she tore her hair in wild agony, beating her breast, and the tears of sorrow trickled down her cheeks--she appeared a grisly, ghastly figure.
"Her narrative, though incredible in the highest degree, made an unspeakable impression on me. I beheld the poor disconsolate mother standing before me in an agony of unutterable grief; saw the briny tears of her who had with her own eyes witnessed the apparition, and heard her bemoan her unhappy child.
"Having mused awhile on these dreadful events, I felt an ardent desire to unfold the mystery hanging over that wonderful transaction; or, if I should not succeed, to convince myself by my own experience of Volkert's supernatural skill.
"I interrogated the woman about several circumstances, which had appeared to me rather suspicious; and asking her, at last, whether she had any reason to think that the lover of her daughter had really been a son of her deceased husband, she was prevented, by her tears and sobs, from answering that question, I therefore dismissed her, with the firm resolution to make the strictest inquiries at her neighbours, which I did the same day, but all my endeavours to unfold that mysterious transaction proved abortive; they could tell me no more than what I had known already, repeating the unhappy widow's tale without any material alterations; I was left in the dark and found myself necessitated to check my ardent curiosity.
"I now waited with impatience for an opportunity of witnessing Volkert's skill, being determined to be present if he should perform anothe
r transaction of that kind.
"I went to him, requesting him to give me notice if he should happen to make a new experiment, and to admit me as a spectator. He hesitated not to give me his word, but seemed very little inclined to perform his promise, being terrified by the last transaction and its fatal consequences; the whole town talked of it, and the widow was sued at law on account of the death of her daughter. Volkert was prohibited by his General from making any farther experiment of that kind. He had not mentioned to me that interdiction of his commanding officer, yet I perceived that my request gave him some uneasiness, which I took for mistrust when I afterwards came to know that circumstance.
"A few months after my application to him, a new accident happened, which gave him an opportunity to exhibit an astonishing proof of his supernatural skill, and tempted him forcibly to disregard the earnest prohibition of his General.
"A friend of mine happened to fall out with a foreign officer, who had been visiting his parents, the foreigner challenged my friend, who most readily consented to decide the quarrel by the sword. Business of the greatest consequence obliged the foreigner to depart in the night preceding the morning on which the duel was to be fought--he wrote a note to my friend, promising upon his honour to appear at the appointed place on the ninth day, and my brother officer consented to the delay.
"I and a few more officers of our regiment paid a visit to my friend who had been challenged, two days before the duel was to be fought; we were in high spirits, played, ate and drank amid the cheerful laughter of merriment, not recollecting, that after three days our host, perhaps, might not be more. He himself appeared to have entirely forgotten the quarrel, "till he at last, at the close of our merriment, recollected the duel he was going to fight, telling me who was to be his second, to remind him the following day of his killing business, lest his valiant adversary, Captain T----, might wait in vain for him.
"Upon my soul," added he, heated with wine, "I wish he was here now, d--n me if I would not send him to Paradise, to rest in Abraham's bosom."
"Why, brother," exclaimed one of the visitors, "could you not have him summoned hither by Volkert?"
"That would indeed be excellent fun!" resumed my friend, "but you know Volkert dare not do it, we must of course let him alone; yet, if the rascal does not come the day after to-morrow, Volkert must be applied to, and, even if I should be obliged to ask the General's permission he shall conjure him hither, that I may pierce his cowardly soul."
"A unanimous bravo rewarded this unripe joke of our jovial host; we separated, and I went home, lost in profound meditation. Having some reason to suspect that Baron T---- would let us wait in vain, his departure having been so abrupt, I thought this would prove a fair opportunity of putting Volkert's supernatural power to the test. At last I resolved to wait quietly the issue of that affair; and if T---- should give us the slip, to try whether I should be able to persuade Volkert to give us a sample of his skill.
"Though I had unjustly doubted Baron T----"s courage, as it will appear in the sequel of my narrative, yet what we had suspected happened afterwards.
"The day fixed for the duel came, but no Baron T---- appeared. We waited for him six hours, and still he did not come. Now I hastened to Volkert without telling a syllable of my design to my friends. The mysterious man smiled as I entered the room, and appeared to have a little more confidence in my honesty than when I paid him my first visit. I broke the business to him without circumlocution, and he seemed not unwilling to chastise the foreign officer for his want of courage, yet he endeavoured to make me sensible of the disagreeable consequences which likely would arise, if the transaction should transpire. I summoned up all my little rhetoric, and refuted his objections, by assuring him, that my friends would give him their word of honour never to betray him, and thus screen him from every disagreeable consequence; and that, if an unforeseen accident should unhappily make the transaction known, our joint interference should save him from punishment.
"These arguments, accompanied by golden encouragements, conquered at last all his remaining fear; he promised to serve me at any time; however, he entreated me not to invite too great a number of friends, that the danger of detection might not be increased without need. Having promised to act according to his desire, I left him with the greatest satisfaction, and went directly to my disappointed friend, who was railing with much asperity against the cowardice of his adversary.
"What, brother," exclaimed I, "what will all this anger boot thee? It certainly will not give courage to Baron T----, and thou canst not be blamed on account of his ungentleman-like behaviour, having not challenged him. There are a great many who would be glad to sneak off so cheaply and yet so gloriously; you rather ought to pity the white-livered fellow than to be angry with him, yet, if you like, we may hit him a blow when he least suspects it."
"Not knowing whether my friend would approve my plan or not, I pronounced the last words in a jocose tone to secure a fair retreat, in case he should not relish my proposal.
"How else," resumed I, "could one get at him, than by forcing him to wait on us? Didst thou not lately swear to have him conjured hither by Volkert, if he should give us the slip?"
"My friend seemed at first to be offended, looking upon my proposal as an unseasonable joke; but when I went on talking of Volkert, and his occult arts, he asked me at last, "Seriously, friend, dost thou believe in the secret arts of that fellow?"
"I believe nothing," replied I, "that I have not seen; let us make a trial how far the common talk of his supernatural arts deserves to be credited."
"He stared at me with astonishment, asking me, after a short pause, "Dost thou expect to prevail on that necromancer to agree with our wishes?"
"What wouldst thou say," replied I, "if he had already consented to give us his assistance?"
"My friend stared again at me, and exclaimed at last with visible satisfaction, "Well then, let us see what honest Volkert can do."
"Everything requisite for the accomplishment of our design was now talked over and settled. Two of our brother officers, whose discretion we could rely upon, were chosen to be of the party, and my friend agreed to win them over to our purpose.
"I returned to Volkert, and was not a little surprised when I found him less willing than ever to assist us in our undertaking. He pretended to have pondered my proposal, but thought it too dangerous to exert his supernatural knowledge in the present case, because the conjuring of a living person could have the most dreadful consequences, which very likely might happen on the present because the Baron seemed not at all to be over-stocked with courage. Though I could not contradict him, yet I endeavoured once more to dispel his apprehensions, by the repeated assurance to screen him, with the assistance of my friends, against every disagreeable consequence. At length he appeared to be easy in respect to that point; yet he did not think it convenient to execute our design in the apartment of my friend, but when I proposed my room, he consented, after many persuasions, to look at it. Having gained his consent, I left him with rapturous joy.
"Volkert came the next day to my lodgings, faithful to his promise, but having looked over my apartments, he raised new objections, telling me that none of my rooms were fit for the undertaking. I could not conceal my displeasure, which he, however, did not seem to notice.
"At last he made me another proposal before he left me, offering to speak to an honest tradesman, who had an empty room, which would exactly fit his purpose, and, as he hoped, be at our service, if we would but make a reasonable acknowledgment to its owner. I consented to that proposal, Volkert went away, and returned after half an hour with the joyful tidings that he had prevailed on the man to let us have the room, fixing, at the same time, the ensuing night, for the execution of our design. He requested me to repair to the place of rendezvous after nine o'clock, describing the street so minutely that I could not miss it. Having reminded me once more of my promise, he left my room, and I went out to tell my friend and our two associates to r
esort in good time, to the place of appointment. At eight o'clock they came to my apartment, burning with impatience to witness the mysterious transaction, and we hastened a quarter before nine o'clock, to the house where our curiosity was to be satisfied.
"I knew the owner of the room which Volkert had chosen, as a worthy, honest man. When we entered his house he accosted us with much good nature, requesting leave to be admitted to the experiment, which we the more readily consented to when he cautioned us to be on our guard against the cunning of Volkert, whom he very much suspected to be an artful impostor.
"I, for my part," added he, "have taken all possible care to prevent the Necromancer from imposing upon us, and I would lay anything that we shall catch him in some foul play or other."
"When we told him that imposition would be impossible, because the gentleman who was to be summoned was still alive, he burst out into a loud laughter, requesting us to wait in his parlour till Volkert should call us upstairs.
"He will not be disturbed in his toilsome labour," added he, smiling, "and has made the whole evening such a tremendous noise, that one should think he had been hunting up and down the whole infernal crew of his satanic Majesty."
"Time had passed quickly on in the company of that queer good-natured man, who fetched two bottles of excellent old wine, bidding us to be of good cheer. The clock struck ten before we were aware of it, and as soon as the last stroke was heard, Volkert entered the parlour, holding a lighted taper in his hand, his looks were wild and ghastly, his face pale, and every muscle of his countenance distorted, as if some horrid accident had filled him with terror. Every smile of merriment took its flight as he entered the room, our jovial mood was checked at once, and our faces grew deadly wan, like his, bearing all the marks of secret awe. He beckoned us to follow him, and we obeyed his solemn command like machines, forgetting where we were.
The Complete Northanger Horrid Novel Collection (9 Books of Gothic Romance and Horror) Page 122
