Varney the Vampire

oss the mind in the broad, clear, and beautiful light of day to what haunt the imagination, and ofte

seems that the sun's rays so completely alter and modify the constitution of the atmosphere, that

rworth, felt so strongly this transition of feeling as he now felt it, when the beautiful dayligh

the least sight or sound of any intrusion had reached

he had placed upon a shelf, for the power to distinguish objects than to the light of th

e panel that at length he felt an undefined sensation o

nd it vain, so he adopted what, perhaps, was certainly

e so that a faint light was thrown upon it, and there he sat, a prey to many conflicting and u

in to find some means, however vague, of endeavouring to account for what occurred, and

he head to which they belonged was busy in endeavouring to find out the secret communings of his soul. It was won

now, but that it seems absolutely painted on the pan

and that it would require a workman, with proper

re a work of such rare art as this is; I should blame myself if I w

l of a room which, in all likelihood, after that night, would be uninhabited; for it was not proba

n up, if we please, even the very door of this room, so

ould partially draw a blind across the window, in order to shie

ed, and Henry was by

Flora-you are

it now?"

at, dear

, what have I done to be mad

more of

on fire! A million of stran

n! she raves

the wings of the storm. Oh, i

create any alarm. The sound reached the waking ear

ems to me to wander in her discourse. For God's sake, sooth

, Henry

nd into some other chamber as far removed from this one as possi

Oh, Henry, what was it-w

njecture. I can form no conclu

e in his

go and cons

upied by Mr. Marchdale; and as he crossed the corridor, he could n

rendered it deliciously invigorating and lifelike. The weather had been dull, and there h

pirits was great, although not altogether what it might have been, had all gone on as it usually was in the habit of doing at that house. The ordinary little casualties of evil fortune had certainly from time

and apparently in deep and anxious thou

awake, I

nd appears to be

y weakness,

ever be in all her life. The glow of youth and health was on her cheeks. Is it possi

adly, "sit down. I am not, as

tainly a

so absolutely staggered as I have b

y o

ideration will tend to add strength to, one which I tremble to name now

dee

ut to say to you. Let the dreadful suggestion r

lost in

promi

t-wh

ot repeat my opi

d

our h

onour, I

re were no listeners near. Having ascertained then that they were quite alone

erstition which, in some countries, is extremely rife, by

er d

ve you never heard of-of-I d

of Heaven! le

ampy

emotion; the drops of perspiration stood upon his brow,

ampy

e who lives on for ever, and must keep up such a fearful existence up

and uttered a deep groan of

hdale, "but that I am so thoroughly

God-go

belief in so dreadful a

hands above his head. "No; by Heaven, and the great God of all, who th

o so frightful a belief-it is too horrible. I merely have told you of that

ve-I

at the supposition did n

find a home in my heart. Oh! Flora, Flora, if this horrible idea should o

it to her, Henry. I would not hav

ught-the mere possibility; but there is no possib

or

goodness, grace, and mer

ora has been visited by a vampyre, let us seriously set about endea

canno

d any natural explanation, let us cling to it,

or Heaven's sake, and for the sake of our own peace, find out some other way

m not; he has left the tokens of h

easons why I should receive such a dismal, awful su

o you," said Marchdale, "is si

ed aside his head to hide the bursting tears that woul

ause of some moments' duration, "I

o-

is a chance it

ming of so dreadful a visitor, Henry; but

ll, Mar

at dangers may, I will sh

we have been talking about. He is of a highly susceptible

amber, let me beg of you, Henry; the one she now inha

g portrait, with its perfect like

. Do you intend

ould not willingly destroy it, and it may as well remain where it is in that chamber,

well bec

here? I h

the summons to come in. He looked pale and ill; his face betrayed how much he had mental

I am going to say; but I cannot help saying it, neve

! what is it?" sa

out!" sa

hat thought has been one of the wildest suppositions that ever I tho

eply, and March

r. "It is a fearful, a horrible supposition; but our poor, dear Fl

is face with his hands, he

rantic grief had in some measure abated-"be

ar, H

e the only one in this house to whom so

he onl

curred to Mr.

ous He

ut we have both agreed to

pudiat

, Ge

et-and

diation of it cannot affect the fact. Of that we are aware; but yet wil

you inten

s, in the first place; to guard it mo

he has ever hea

thered even a hint of such a fearful superstition. If she has

aven she

Henry. "Mr. Marchdale and I intend

t I joi

matters. Do you seek your natural repose, and leave it to us to

belief is that this affair will kill me quite. The truth is, I am horrified-utterly and fr

s portion, by allowing this circumstance to so much affect you. You well know her affection for you all, and let

, sadly, "I will; to my dear mothe

ve will sanction any such dece

gentleman to her, and then he rode to the neighbouring market-town, where he knew an extremely intelligent practitioner resided. This gentleman Henry res

ep the whole story in all its details. Of course such an opportunity for tale-bearing and gossiping was not likely to be lost; and while Henry was thinking over how he had better

n horseback who belonged to the county, a

ing, Mr. B

ry, and he would have ridden

but what is the strange story that is

e was so much astonished, and, whe

rybody'

d it from at leas

urpris

t is there no foundation at all for it? We generally find that at the bottom of these

ter is

all. It really i

visitor la

f, I su

. I do believe it was a thi

y of a vampyre, and the marks of his teeth being in

s,

ing, Mr. B

termined that he would speak to no one else upon so uncomfortable a theme. Several attempts were made to stop him, but he only waved his ha

d his patient hearing, which being accorded, he related to him at full length what had happened, not omitting, to the best of his r

t's

d enoug

hould say, my young fr

supposition, sir

w. What is y

absurd to tell you that my brother George is impre

re circumstantial narrative in fav

you canno

eve w

life again, and by such a

ake me fo

ainly

you ask me su

ring facts o

e it. I would rather believe you were all mad, the whole family o

so wo

in the course of two hours. Something may turn up ye

er to avoid questions, so that he got back to his old ancestral home without going through

on, and before he could permit himself to think upon any other subject, he

ken and speak incoherently, as if the shock she had received had had some serious affect upon her nerves. He

"dear Flora, you

is tha

, de

me what ha

t a recollec

as it? They none of them wil

doubt some attemp

k you

uch a purpose; but now that you are removed here

me so hidiously. Oh, it is fearful-it is very fearful, Henry. Do y

I intend to sit by your bedside arme

is hand eagerl

l, and not think it too m

no troubl

I know that the dreadful vampyre

hat, F

Henry. It wa

, who tol

the book of travels in Norway, w

. "Discard, I pray you, suc

at power have we but from th

e, t

eard a noise. Henry, when you go, ring f

shutting of so

it

wa

my flesh. They do say, too, that those who in life have been bled by a vampyre, become themselv

h thoughts, Flora. Mr. Chilli

ster to a mi

nd so, although his power extends not so far, we wi

deeply, a

ut it dragged me back-a brutal thing it was. Oh, then at that moment, Henry, I felt as if something strange took place in my br

lora, hush!

xed its teeth in my thr

to refer all this to imagination;

you s

es

saw

been some housebreaker. What more easy, you kno

ything

f; but there was a

ead, as she said,

Henry, if it had but killed me, now I had been h

distressed Henry; "you will make yourself much worse

hey were bu

re, bel

comes over me suddenly, when I least expect it. Hen

faint a trace upon your memory, that the time will come when y

said, "but they do not come from you

ed by Mrs. Banner

enry, here is Dr. Chilling

ed to Flor

ar Flora? You know Mr

will see him, or w

worth up," said He

o speak to Flora, upon whose pale countenance he looked with evident interest, while at t

id, "what is all this I hear ab

as she fixed her beau

s I und

red, and w

am, then?" added

in a voice of extreme a

ere a dream! Oh, if any one could

you tell me

, it was

at Henry, as he said, in

er all, another name, F

-no

st in believing anything so

w it, Henry saw it, George saw, Mr. Marchdale, my mother-all saw it.

ntly you

ry faint

wound is that

of the muscles, accompanied with a shuddering, as if a sudden chil

left by the teet

ed one upon the face

said, "and let me examine this puncture to which

worth attentively examined the two small wounds in the neck of Flora. He took a powerful magnifying gl

y trifling wo

nflicted?"

probably-it being the season for many

and I ought to be the last to quarrel with it; but what I have seen, nothing can make

ow feel in ge

e drowsiness at times creeps

ws as she spoke and closed

that he would remain with Flora; and as Mrs. Bannerworth had left the chamber because she w

ong with the medical man, whose opinion he was

ned room which was called the oak closet, H

ou have seen my sister, and those strange

andidly the truth, Mr. Hen

ht you w

ndeed, often prudent that he should do so, but in this case I own I am

what do you t

ink. I am completely p

really bear the appe

real

ly in favour of the dreadful suppo

ere human. It is a strange case, and one which I feel assured must give you all much uneasiness, as, indeed, it gave me; but, as I said before, I will no

grading sup

ms to be labouring under th

dee

ch loss has decreased the heart's action sufficiently to

rcotic; she could not even do so by mistake, for there is no drug of the sort in the hou

n only say that I would freely have given half of wh

ld you ha

ost sight of it for

blood freeze with horror

me where it liked I w

ou had be

the least chance of another visit I would come

up to-night with my sister, and I believe, our f

rousing himself, as if he found it either impossible to come to any rational conclusio

sh something towards its development, but at present so palpable a mystery I nev

I-n

nk will be of service to Flora, and depend upo

" said Henry to the doctor, as he was

some countries, particularly Norway and Sw

n the

hat I have heard of the European vampyre has made it a being which can be kille

I have hear

that if the vampyre gets it not he wastes away, presenting the appearance o

at I have u

, Mr. Bannerworth, is

y st

sh, and that the horrible superstition is beginning to fasten itself upon me as well as upon

nry, as he glanced towards the wind

, my young friend, you will make yourself decidedly ill. Good eve

and Henry no longer opposed his departure; but when

ge that this dreadful adventure should have taken place just

a had mentioned, entitled, "Travels in Norway," in which wo

a book will frequently do when it has been kept open a length of time at that part, and the binding stretched there more t

to make their feast of blood, for the revival of their bodily powers, on some evening immediately preceding a full moon, because if any accident bef

p from his hands with