The Complete Northanger Horrid Novel Collection (9 Books of Gothic Romance and Horror)

by Eliza Parsons

  "With that intention I took my lamp to see whether the bed was fastened, lest I might sink down with it into the cellar. Though this apprehension was groundless, I made another discovery which filled my soul with horror. Perceiving traces of blood on the pillow, I was seized with a sudden terror, my hands trembled violently, the lamp fell on the floor, and I was in the dark.

  "As soon as I had recovered a little from my fright, I searched for my pistols, groping about a good while before I could find them in the dark. My fear abated a little when I found them at last, after a long and fruitless search, and I sat myself down on a little stool by the bed-side, listening whether anybody was coming. All was quiet at first, but after a quarter of an hour I heard somebody entering the adjacent room, and approaching the door of my chamber, which was gently opened, and the voice of my host called, "Are you asleep?" I uttered not a word, and after a short pause the same voice resounded once more, "Have you extinguished the lamp?" I still gave no answer, and the host retired.

  "All was hushed again in profound silence, but it lasted not long, my ears being suddenly assailed by the sound of many voices, the tinkling of spurs, and humming noise, as if a number of people were discoursing; I could understand nothing, the discourse being held in so low an accent, that I was unable to distinguish the sound of their words. At once I saw, through the crevices in the door, somebody striking a light, which gave me some comfort. The discourse was still carried on in that secret mysterious manner. At last, it seemed as if the company were sitting down, and I could now better distinguish the different sounds. The voices of those that spoke were rough, and the words seemed to belong to a foreign language.

  "I sat near an hour on my stool, like a poor culprit who awaits his doom, but was determined to defend myself to the last drop of blood. I intended several times to rush into the room, and to force my escape through the company with cocked pistols, but something within my breast admonished me to stay where I was, and patiently to wait till they should think it proper to pay me a visit.

  "My situation was exceedingly painful, and at the least noise which seemed to approach my chamber I started up, putting myself in a posture of defence. My fears not having been realized as yet, my apprehensions began to vanish a little, and I thought Mr. Max might be an honest man, and his company the sportsmen he had been speaking of, although their language seemed to contradict that opinion. Hope soothed my terrors for some time, till at length I recollected the traces of blood I had seen on the pillow, which recalled all my apprehensions with redoubled anxiety.

  "Sleep, whom till now I had carefully kept at a distance, began, by degrees, to steal upon me, and shut at last, with his leaden wand, my heavy eyes. But I was scarce fallen asleep, when one of my pistols dropped on the floor, and went off. I started up, seized by the chilly fangs of terror, and in the same moment the other pistol slipped out of my hand. I had scarcely picked it up when the door suddenly flew open, and three fellows, of a gigantic size, entered my room with naked swords. Sleep, the report of my pistol, and the sudden appearance of those terrible men, had stunned me so much, that I, without knowing what I was doing, discharged my pistol, at which one of the villains dropped on the floor with a roaring yelp. A numerous crew, armed with guns, cutlasses, and daggers, rushed like lightning into my chamber, and before I could unsheath my sword, I felt myself in their clutches, bereft of all power of self-defence.

  "A tremendous voice roared like thunder from the adjoining room, "Hither with the rascal."

  "Before I could recover my recollection, I felt myself dragged out of my chamber, and beheld in an instant a man of the most terrible forbidding aspect, who, with a rough thundering voice, menacing looks, and sparkling eyes, asked me "If I could not have patiently waited my doom."

  "Tie the daring wretch," added he in a rage, "and throw him into the cellar, until sentence shall be pronounced against him." His commands were obeyed, and Mr. Max himself assisted; I was seized with a despairing stupor, and uttered not a word. I was shut up in a damp cellar; how long I remained in my dungeon I cannot tell, having been in a situation which suspended all my powers of reflection.

  "After a long interval of the most desponding agony, I was at length dragged forth, and brought before the tribunal of the terrible looking man. The villain whom I had wounded was stretched on the bed, his head tied up, and his associates standing round him, bemoaning his hapless fate, and amongst them a venerable old man, whom I at first had not observed.

  "Now the grim judge began to speak, and the whole assembly to dart furious and bloodthirsty looks at me. The old man likewise turned his face towards me, and it cannot be expressed by words what my sensations were when I discerned the features of Volkert. A poor culprit cannot feel greater joy when, under the hangman's merciless fangs, his guardian-angel appears to save him from his impending doom. I did indeed not know whether he could save me or not, however, the sweet soothing voice of hope silenced all my apprehensions; I had saved him once from ignominy, and, perhaps, from death itself; he had promised me to prove his gratitude, how could I therefore doubt that he would save me from destruction. "Volkert!" exclaimed I, in a supplicating accent, "Volkert!" The terrible man staggered back, staring by turns at me and him.

  "Volkert!" exclaimed I, again lifting up my fettered hands; he knew me, and without the least delay took a knife out of his pocket, and cut asunder the cords my hands had been tied with. The whole frightful assembly was fixed to the ground, seized with wonder and astonishment.

  "Thou hast saved me," began my guardian-angel now, in a solemn awful accent, thou hast given me liberty, take back thy gift, and life into the bargain."

  "Friends," said he, addressing the gaping crew, "friends, he is the preserver of my honour and my liberty, what may he expect?"

  "Pardon, pardon," was the unanimous cry, "pardon, pardon, he shall live."

  "Bravo, my boys," said now their formidable Captain, who was sitting in judgment upon me, "bravo, my honest lads, you are noble fellows: farewell Andrew," added he, addressing his dying companion, "farewell, Andrew, thou art avenged, art doubly avenged by the generosity of thy companions!"

  "At the same instant the whole crew hurried out of the room, leaving me alone with Volkert. "farewell, Lieutenant," said he, shaking me by the hand, "you have wisely acted, in leaving F----, like the Austrian; I shall never return to that town. If any similar sinister accident should happen to you, need but to pronounce my name and you will be safe."

  "I was going to embrace, and to assure him of my warmest gratitude, but he tore himself from my arms, and hastened to join his associates. Soon after I heard a confused noise before the door of the cottage, and, ere long, the whole band rode away in full speed. Now I was surrounded by midnight stillness, interrupted only by the groans of the dying robber. Max did not dare to enter the room while I was there.

  "I was no longer able to remain in the house, the roaring of the tempest was hushed in silence, and the dawn of morn peeping through the windows; I found my horse sleeping in a corner behind the cottage, got on his back, and rode away in a slow pace.

  "The morning sun rose in all his dazzling splendour, and still I was bewildered between trees and bushes, straying about two tedious hours without being able to find an outlet, until at length I was so fortunate to meet a countryman, who, for a small reward, directed me to the road leading to N----.

  "Warned by my dangerous adventure, I now inquired at every village for the route I was to take, and thus reached at last the place of my destination without having met with any farther misfortune. Before I arrived at N----, an incident happened, which being connected with my adventure at the Haunted Castle, I cannot omit mentioning.

  "Coming to a village about three miles distant from N----, a great noise struck my ears, proceeding, as I soon could distinguish, from a great number of recruits, carousing and singing at the inn. I alighted and entered the residence of merriment and intoxication, in order to inform myself who the commanding officer was, in hope
s to meet with an old acquaintance, but I was disappointed. Two serjeants, entirely unknown to me, conducted the transport, and, inquiring after their officer's name, I found that he was an utter stranger to me.

  "Having surveyed the recruits, I was going to leave the room, when my eyes by accident fell on a man standing in a musing attitude by the fireside, his looks fixed on the floor. Thinking to recollect his features I advanced nearer to him; he started up from his reverie, and, seeing me standing before him, staggered back with evident marks of astonishment; however, his terror soon gave way to rapturous joy; he ran towards me, caught me by the hand, and exclaimed, flushed with pleasure, --

  "Dear, dear Lieutenant, is it you? God be praised that you are still alive! God be praised that I have once more the happiness of seeing my kind old master!"

  "His voice, his accent, and his transport, gave me no room to doubt that he was my late servant, whom I had lost in the castle.

  "The honest fellow could find no words to express his joy, at my not having been famished with my companions in the cellar, as it had been the intention of the robbers. He expressed his joy in so noisy a manner, that we were soon surrounded by the recruits. I begged the serjeants to indulge with me with a private conversation with my honest servant, which they granted me with great politeness. I called for the host, requesting him to let us have a room to ourselves, that we might converse without being interrupted by the curiosity of his noisy guests.

  "As soon as we were in private, I requested John to give me a brief account of what had happened to him after we had left him snoring in the great hall of the Castle; he was very willing to satisfy my curiosity, and related as follows:--

  "I was aroused from my sleep by a violent shaking, and, recovering from my drowsiness, saw myself seized by two ill-looking fellows, who were employed to drag me forcibly away. Fear and terror bereft me at first of all power of utterance and resistance. I attempted several times to cry, but I could not pronounce a single word, and, as much as I could observe through the midnight darkness, saw myself carried down the spiral staircase, over the court-yard. When we were arrived at the gate, I was tied upon a horse, and surrounded by a numerous crew, who took me between them and rode away in full speed. My feet being tied together under the horse's belly, it was out of my power to stir, which rendered my situation exceedingly painful.

  "The dawn of morn appeared, but not a single ray of hope cheered my desponding soul, being in the power of those merciless ruffians, who were still sweeping the field with all possible expedition, not caring for the excruciating pains I suffered, and forcing my horse to leap over hedges and ditches.

  "The swiftness of the race and my uncomfortable situation deprived me, at length, of all power of recollection, and threw me into a kind of stupefaction which prevented me from observing how long our journey had lasted. I was seized with a fainting fit, and when my recollection returned, observed that I was shut up in a subterraneous dungeon, an old hag was rubbing me with onions, and, when I recovered from the state of stupefaction, occasioned by the cruelty of my leaders, she fetched a bottle of brandy, admonishing me, in a rough uncouth dialect, to drink plenty of it, which I declined, requesting her to rub my lacerated limbs with it.

  "Having performed my request with great alacrity she left me, and I had full leisure to contemplate the horrors of my dreary abode, the walls of which were blackened by the hand of time, and overgrown with moss; muddy straw spread on the damp ground served me for a couch, and the faint glimmering of a lamp heightened the horrors of my dungeon; the thick corrupted air made it difficult to fetch breath, to which were added most excruciating pains, not in the least alleviated by the use of brandy, but rather increased on account of the sores my poor frame was covered with; only the agony of my tortured mind surpassed the sufferings of my body; futurity stared me grisly in the face, and the consciousness being in the power of a set of villains, who would either sacrifice my life, to their thirst of blood, or force me, by threats and exquisite torments, to commit deeds of the most atrocious nature, filled my mind with dreadful apprehensions.

  "I remained two days in a state of unspeakable despondency; although my bodily pains had abated, and I could move my limbs with more ease, yet the fear of futurity had weakened me so much that I could not stir from my miserable couch; my misery was augmented by the troublesome officiousness of the old hag, who every instant came to torment me. One time she wanted to apply to my sores poultices of roasted flour, and at another she would make me swallow a spoonful of disgusting nauseous drops; now she would force down my throat a soup of a most uninviting appearance, and a few minutes after she brought straw, which was half rotten, to place it under my head; in short, she tormented me so much by plying me with her unwelcome officiousness and kindness, that the gloominess of my mind hourly increased, and my little remaining strength was entirely spent by my efforts to resist her torturing care for my health and ease.

  "On the fourth day of my confinement I was taken out of my dungeon, and my apprehensions were realised. The infernal villains intending to make me one of their associates in wickedness, ordered me to mount a horse, and forced me to follow them in full speed through fields and forests, notwithstanding the weak state of my body. My conductors, at first only three in number, and clad in linen frocks, blackened with coal dust, rode a-head, looking back now and then; their black faces and sooty hands evidently foreboded their dark design.

  "After half an hour's ride my infernal guides stopped at a lonely public house, alighted, and bade me take care of the horses until they should return.

  "I obeyed their stern command with gloomy silence, tied the horses to a tree, and sat myself down upon a bench before the house. The haunts of my disordered fancy made the time pass quickly on; I revolved in my afflicted mind my former occupation, the happy hours I had spent in the service of a kind, indulgent master, and the horrors of my present situation, the briny drops of sorrow and affliction moistened my pallid cheeks. "What will become of thee?" said I to myself; "a robber, and perhaps a murderer, too." A chilly trembling glided through my veins, I started up, and was resolved to mount one of the horses, and make my escape, but the want of strength reminded me soon of the utter impossibility of the execution of my rash design. I sunk down upon the bench, imploring heaven rather to put an end to my miserable life than to suffer me to become an associate of these hell-born fiends. After I had ejaculated this fervent prayer I felt my despondency abate a little, awaiting with impatience the re-appearance of my fell conductors.

  "A short time after they came, accompanied by three more ruffians of a most frightful aspect, who, with the greatest expedition, fetched their horses from an adjacent stable, mounted them without delay, and rode away like lightning; my conductors did the same, ordered me to follow their example, and galloped over fields as fast as their coursers could run; coming up with our ill-looking companions we pursued our journey with all possible swiftness.

  "Having, by accident, mounted the wrong horse, which was the fleetest of all, I kept always a-head, and could distinctly hear every word they spoke, though I could not understand a syllable of their conversation. After it had grown dark, we alighted again at a solitary public house, the horses being once more committed to my care, and I awaited with patience the end of an adventure that boded no good.

  "I had been standing in the chilly air of night above an hour, musing on my deplorable fate, when the innkeeper brought me a piece of bread and butter and a mug of beer, but I could neither eat nor drink, shaking with cold.

  "The night was dark and the sky overcast, a thick dampish fog had wetted my clothes, and not one friendly star was to be seen in the firmament, which was as gloomy as my mind. After I had been exposed for half an hour longer to the inclemency of the chilly air, my conductors reappeared, their number being increased to twelve, and their sooty dress exchanged for green hunting coats; every one of them was armed with a gun, a brace of pistols, and a cutlass.

  "The feelings which wer
e rushing on my mind at that sight admit of no description; the blood froze in my veins, my soul was harrowed up in dreadful suspense, and I mounted my horse more dead than alive, galloping over the heath with my conductors in senseless stupefaction, like a poor culprit who is dragged along to be delivered to the merciless fangs of the grim fiendly-looking executioner, till I at length was roused from my stupor by the sounds of horns assailing my ears from afar, and the loud clamorous shouts of our troop.

  "The sound of horns drew nearer, and my conductors answered by blowing theirs. Now I perceived a powerful troop of horsemen, sweeping the heath like a hurricane. In an instant I was surrounded by a numerous crew on horseback, and rough dismal voices vibrated in my ear in a confused manner. One of them struck fire, a number of torches were lighted, and I beheld with amazement and dismay, a large troop of terrible beings around me.

  "Whithersoever I turned my eyes, I was frightened almost out of my wits by stern, threatening looks. They soon perceived the workings of my desponding mind, laughed at my fear, and uttered terrible execrations. One of them, who bore a more tremendous aspect than the rest, came forth, the noisy crew was awed in solemn silence, and the terrible man began to address them thus:

  "You know, my brave companions, that this rascal here," pointing at me, "is the servant of the wretch who has dared to watch in our Castle, with armed numbers. The daring scoundrel and his two associates are punished; famine and thirst have seized their victims with merciless fangs, tormenting them with excruciating pains, with agony and black despair; on our next visit nocturnal to the castle we shall see them lifeless on the ground. You know how the daring fools have been vexed, teased, and tormented by Father Francis. It was glorious fun, we have been amused with their foolish credulity, and are now amply avenged on these bold disturbers of our nocturnal assembly.