# The Necromancer (Kahlert)/Volume 1/Part 2

THE
NECROMANCER.
PART II.
DEAR FRIEND,
It is with the greatest pleasure I am going to communicate to you a remarkable accident I met with this summer, when at Pyrmont. I would have given you the following account some time ago, if it had not been for some papers which I was obliged to wait ​for; they are arrived at last, and here I send them, beseeching you to remit them to me as soon as you shall have perused them.
I had been three weeks at Pyrmont, when I one time went to the promenade, in a very beautiful evening, there I happened to meet a gentleman whose features interested me very much, though they were unknown to me:—Walking slowly on, I soon saw him come after me; he passed me with hasty steps, and turning suddenly, stared me in the face; I did the same, being surprised that I also had attracted the notice of the stranger: He went on, but soon after turned round once more, directing his steps towards me, and staring again at me. I stopped and did the same. He moved his lips as if he wanted to speak to me, just when I was going to ask him whether he wanted something; however, we both remained silent, pursuing our walk. That pantomime we repeated several times neither of us uttering a word; at length it began to grow dark and I went to my lodgings."
​"The next morning I awoke with the first ray of the sun, and went again to the promenade, to inhale the salubrious breeze of the morning air, and to hail the rising king of the day, under the cannopy of heaven: I was no sooner seated on a bench beneath a majestic beach-tree, admiring the greatness of the Creator, so striking in the beautiful scenes of a fine summer's morning, when I once more beheld the stranger who had interested me so much the preceding evening. He came nearer, saluted me, and took a seat on the bench where I was sitting. We both admired, in profound silence, the beautiful scene around for a quarter of an hour; every object which surrounded us pronounced the greatness of God! Numbers of feathered songsters hailed the rising sun; diamonds and rubies sparkled on the leaves of the trees, loaded with the pearly drops of dew. Now the sun darted his warming cheerful rays all around, and the stranger looked at me with an inquisitive eye, "Sir," he at length began, "you will excuse me if I should be mistaken, I ​think I have had, some years past, the pleasure of being in your company somewhere or other."
"It is possible," replied I, "that I have had that honor, will you favor me with your name?"
"My name is B———, and I am Major in the service of the King of Denmark."
"B———! I think I remember that name; yet I cannot recollect were I have had the honor of seeing you."
"Perhaps I may," replied he, "if you will be so kind to favor me with your name."
"My name is R———."
"Did not you return from your travels to Germany in the year 1750?"
​I replied in the affirmative.
"Then I am not mistaken," said he smiling, "Don't you remember the adventure at the Haunted Castle, on the skirts of the Black Forest, and that villainous Necromancer?"
I was struck with amazement, "How," exclaimed I, "Is it you? Do I not dream?"
"Yes, dear friend, it is I," he replied, "you are not mistaken. How strangely and how unexpectedly do friends meet sometimes in this world! I am at present governor to a young prince who is on his travels: We are here incognito, yet I could not resist the ardent desire of making myself known to you. Did you never wish to get some further intelligence of the mystery of that terrible castle and its strange inhabitants? With the greatest pleasure would I have communicated to you, what came to my knowledge since we parted, had I but known the place of your residence; I travelled on purpose to your native town, ​as soon as I had finished my recruiting business, but I was told you had been sent by your prince to England on affairs of state."
"Your kindness deserves my warmest acknowledgment, and I am very sorry that I had the misfortune of being absent when you intended to do me the honor of seeing me."
"Your absence vexed me very much," he replied, "because it not only deprived me of the pleasure of seeing once more an old friend, but also prevented me from performing the promise I had given you when we parted: This happy meeting affords me, therefore, the greatest pleasure, and if you will favor me with your company, at my apartments, I can give you a satisfactory account of several accidents which happened before and after our adventure at the castle, and which are nearly connected with what we have encountered."
​"I accepted his kind invitation, and went with him to breakfast at his apartments. On the way he enquired after you, and was rejoiced to hear that you are well and happy, blessed with the love of a dear and virtuous wife. He particularly seemed to be pleased with my little narrative of your matrimonial bliss—I forbore to enquire after the reason of it, fearing to renew the pains, which perhaps the recent loss of a dear beloved object might have inflicted upon him, and gave our conversation another turn 'till we arrived at his apartments.
After we had breakfasted we seated ourselves by the window, and he began a tale which took an unexpected and a most wonderful turn, but the accidents were so various and many, that he only could give me a short sketch, which being interspersed with many episodes, was rather confused: He was himself sensible of the defects of his narrative, and promised to send me a written account of ​those wonderful accidents as soon as he should have finished his travels.
I spent five happy days in his company, and then we parted reluctantly. Two months after he sent me the enclosed continuation of his adventures, which will strike you with astonishment.
Major B——— sends you his best wishes, he longs ardently to see you once more.
Farewell, and remember
Your faithful,
R———.
CONTINUATION OF THE ADVENTURES OF LIEUTENANT B———.
I was lost in profound meditation after I had parted with my companions; all the horrid scenes of the adventure at the castle hovered before my imagination; I fancied myself at the inn, in the ruinous hall, and then in the cellar, still beholding the Necromancer and the phantoms, seeing the flashes of lightning, and hearing the roaring of the thunder, and the hollow voices of the spectres. My fancy renewed all the horrors which had rushed upon me when shut up in the cellar, as well as the joy I felt, when we had the good fortune to find an outlet from our infernal dungeon; my restless fancy painted all these ​pictures with the strongest colours, painted them so grisly, that I sent up to heaven the most fervent thanksgiving for my delivery from that infernal abode.
These horrid dreams vanished at length, giving room to contemplations of a more serious cast. I was every moment reminded of the unhappy fate of my faithful John, and felt an ardent desire to get at the bottom of those mysterious events, that I might be enabled to deliver my poor servant from the clutches of the spirits, or, at least, avenge his death: I was however sensible, that I alone should not be equal to it; the peasants of the village I did not think fit for assisting me in my enterprise, and the whole undertaking too hazardous without the assistance and the counsel of an experienced and resolute man: I therefore was determined to search for such a man, and, aided by his counsel and assistance, once more to encounter those nocturnal sportsmen.
​This resolution was the result of my meditations on the first morning after my separation from my companions, and I burned with impatient desire to rid myself of that load of incertitude which lay heavy upon my mind. At length I arrived at the place of my destination, and resumed my recruiting business, assisted by two old serjeants.
I hastened to return to the skirts of the Black Forest, and went to F———, where always a number of recruiting officers reside, on account of the great number of journeymen constantly travelling through that town; there I met with Prussian, Austrian, Hessian, and Swedish recruiting officers, and now and then with an old acquaintance of mine.
Amongst others I got acquainted with an old Austrian officer, who was highly respected by every one; when he said any thing, which happened not often, then every body listened with the greatest attention, and when, now ​and then a quarrel arose, every thing was soon settled by his interference.
A man who thus powerfully could influence a set of people, who admit no law but that of superiority, soon engaged my admiration in the highest degree, and I concluded he would be the fittest person to assist me in the execution of my design, to unfold the mystery of the Haunted Castle, if I could but gain his confidence; yet I was sensible that it would be no easy task to ingratiate myself so far with him, that he should not refuse believing a tale like mine, which bore such glaring marks of fiction: I apprehended an old veteran of so much experience, and so serious a turn of mind would laugh at my narrative, and treat it as a nursery tale.
I was the more inclined to fear this apprehension might prove true, when I learned by experience that his curiosity was always guided by cool and just reasoning: His cheerfulness never exceeded the limits of mode​rated seriousness, and his smile was nothing more than an almost imperceptible unfolding of the wrinkles, which contracted his reverend brow; his mirth bore the resemblance of his carriage, and whoever knew him, trembled at his anger, though none of his acquaintances had ever experienced the least mark of passion in his countenance, and much less had he ever betrayed a symptom of unbridled wrath.
I let slip no opportunity of doing him some little services, and thus endeavoured to gain his favor; however, he appeared to take no notice of my unremitted zeal to please him. I treated him with marks of the highest veneration, whenever I was in his company, but he seemed not to regard it. All my most anxious endeavours to win that strange man over to my interest, proved abortive, and, at last, I gave over every hope of engaging his attention.
​Chance befriended me, at length, unexpectedly, and I got by accident what I already had despaired to attain by the most indefatigable endeavours.
The inn where one of the recruiting officers lodged was reported to be haunted; many strange stories circulated on account of that report, which the then owner of the house endeavoured to laugh off, because he had lived a fortnight in it without perceiving any thing uncommon.
This subject afforded one evening matter for a serious discourse among the officers. The Austrian veteran maintained, contrary to our expectation, that one ought not to treat with ridicule some events of supernatural appearance, and no argument could make him relinquish his opinion. My heart panted for joy, for now I could hope that he would not refuse to credit my wonderous tale.
​I was already going to relate the strange events which I had witnessed at the Haunted Castle, when I suddenly was checked by the apprehension of drawing upon me the laugh of the company, or that some one or other would offer to encounter with me the nightly sportsmen, without being equal to that hazardous undertaking.
The Austrian spoke with uncommon warmth, his eyes sparkled, and the wrinkles on his brow were contracting closer and closer, and when the company persisted in contradicting his opinion, he offered to enforce his arguments by undeniable facts, which he himself had experienced, requesting to be heard in profound silence, which could not but be granted to a man like him. We expected to hear something very uncommon, and for some time gazed at him in dumb expectation, 'till he at length began as follows:
"Is I maintain that apparitions of super"natural beings ought not wholly to be re​jected, then I must tell you, gentlemen, that I do not only mean that it is merely possible that departed souls, or supernatural beings of another class, can appear when and wherever they please; but I also promise to convince you by my own experience, that there are people who can affect apparitions of that kind, at certain times and under certain conditions."
We stared at each other in silent wonder: The preamble of the Austrian gave us reason to expect some horrid tale, and the seriousness of his looks and the solemn accent of his words commanded general awe. After a short pause, our solemn narrator related the following tale.
"In a regiment of the garrison in which I served as Lieutenant, about twenty years ago, was a man, who gave the most undeniable proofs of the truth of my assertion: He was ​a serjeant, about forty years old, and of a morose and gloomy appearance; he was respected by his superiors, prompt and exact in the service, and never would brook an affront. The unthinking called him a sorcerer, and people of a more serious cast of mind talked of his connexion with superior beings, taking great care not to offend that terrible man, whose name was Volkert. In the whole he was a very good sort of a man, never of fended any body, if not provoked, was averse to company, and fond of solitude.
He was reported to have performed many strange and wonderful exploits; an ensign, who had severely chastised him for a slight neglect in his duty, was said to have been deprived ever since of the proper use of his right arm; and a captain, who once had scolded him without reason, to be afflicted with a deficiency in his speaking organs, since that accident had happened: In short, strange things were every where related of Volkert, and in ​so serious a manner, that no impartial man would laugh at those reports.
I had not, as yet, had 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:Mean while 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.
Amongst 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 doated on the young man, and he likewise was exceeding 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 in​duced her departed husband to forbid his daughter, on his death-bed, to marry the man of her choice, though he had not only never had the least objection against that 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 lovesick 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, penetential 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 round 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 Ne​cromancer 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 Burger," 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! O! 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 ever​lasting 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 trans​action; 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 resoJution 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 another 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 honor 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, eat and drank amid the cheerful laughter of merriment, not recollecting, that after three days our host, perhaps, might be no 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—m 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."
An 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 could 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 honor 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, "what I have not seen; let us make a trial how far the common talk of his supernatural arts deserves being 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."
Every thing 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 occasion, 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 and the house 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 resort 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 any thing 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 up stairs.
"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 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.
He led the way, with tottering knees, in awful solemn silence, and we followed him with beating hearts, expecting to behold unheard and wondrous things. We stepped into a spacious room, in the back part of which we saw a little door, Volkert opened it, leading us through an empty narrow anti-chamber to a folding door; there he stopped, looking back with a ghastly boding aspect, and put the key in the lock—now he turned it slowly and carefully, the folding door flew suddenly open, a thick smoke broke from it, as we entered, and darkened at first all the objects around.
'Ere long, I observed in the back part of the spacious apartment a human figure clad in a white garment. The smoke evaporated by degrees through the open door, and the figure grew brighter and brighter, and, ad​vancing a few steps towards it, I fancied to discern some known lineaments. The smoke was now entirely evaporated, and the vision hovered clear and discernable before our gazing looks; I shuddered back when I beheld the exact image of Baron T——— before me. His tall slender figure, clad in a white night gown, struck our senses with awe, as he stood motionless before us—his looks denoted a man in the agony of death, his long black hair covered partly his pallid woe-worn cheeks, floating in a grisly manner down his shoulders.
The vision stared at me and my companions with a ghastly rueful aspect, it made my blood congeal, thrilling my soul with deadly horror; my hair rose up like bristles, and I staggered back towards my friends, who were standing by the door like lifeless statues, their faces wan, their looks bewildered—they resembled midnight spectres, just risen from the yawning grave. I collected all the small relics of courage, advancing again some paces ​towards the dreadful phantom, and saw the vision hovering nearer, making some feeble signs with his left hand. I made an attempt to speak, but what I said I do not know.—The phantom uttered not a word, but was still making anxious signs with his left arm. Now I understood what he meaned—the right arm hung in a sling as if fractured.
As soon as I comprehended this pantomime, the phantom staggered back, a dark mist arose from under his feet and surrounded the vision by degrees 'till we at last could see him no more. I panted for breath, my senses forsook me, an horrid humming noise filled my ears, my eyes grew dim, I staggered to the wall and was nearly fainting. At once I felt my senses returning, and, opening my eyes, beheld myself in a spacious empty room, my companions around me, panting for breath like myself—Volkert was no where to be seen.
​It lasted a good while before we could entirely recover the proper use of our benumbed senses. My comrades were chilled with horror, and every one seemed to ask his neighbour, by his inquisitive looks, whether what our senses had witnessed had been a deluding dream or reality.
The landlord was standing behind me, trembling like my companions, with crossed arms and downcast looks, buried in profound meditation, and exhibiting a woful picture of pallid fright; at length he begged us to follow him down stairs, and we went into the parlour with dejected spirits, he offered us a dish of tea, but we refused staying any longer, gave him two louis d'ors, and left his house.
The next morning I awoke, wearied and dispirited, having had only a few moments of restless sleep. I expected Volkert would come to fetch his stipulated reward, but I was disappointed, and esteemed him higher for his seeming disinterestedness. At noon ​my friend who had been challenged paid me a visit.
"Brother," exclaimed he, as he entered the room, "tell me, what did the vision of last night mean by the anxious motion of his arm?"
"That his right arm was fractured," replied I hastily.
"There, read that letter," resumed he, throwing an open letter on the table; I took it up and read as follows:
"Sir,
"An unhappy accident prevents me from fulfilling my promise, the day after to-morrow, having been thrown from my horse and fractured my right arm. However, as soon as I shall have sufficient strength to make a ​journey of twenty leagues, I shall insist upon your giving me satisfaction. I am fully persuaded that you would not suspect me of foul play, though I should not have sent you the inclosed certificate; yet, not to give you the least room to suspect my honor, and to screen yourself by mean subterfuges, I send you the enclosed certificate of our Surgeon-Major. Within six weeks at farthest I hope to recover the use of my right arm, by the skill of that honest man, 'till then I remain, without either spite or enmity,
Baron T———.
Signed with my left hand.
I gazed in dumb amazement at my friend, who was walking up and down the room with hasty steps, and in a pensive attitude.
​"Well," exclaimed he at length, "what dost thou think of that letter? It was, as I suppose, only owing to the carelessness of the postman, that I received it so late. The certificate cannot be suspected, and I would have believed the Baron though he should not have sent it."
I remained silent, reading over again and again the letter of the unfortunate T———. The preceding night and the whole morning I had been wavering between doubt and belief, but now I was convinced of the Necromancer's skill, as I am still, and dreaded to see his face. At length I suffered myself to be persuaded by my friend to pay him a visit; he was not at home, and we went several times to his lodgings without seeing him, 'till we at last, on the third day, met him on the parade. I approached him, and my three fellow adventurers did the same, Volkert wanted to give us the slip, when he saw us coming towards him, however we came up with him, and with great difficulty persuaded him to ​come to my lodgings in the afternoon—having promised to meet us, he went instantly away with hasty steps.
At three o'clock he made his appearance, We shewed him the Baron's letter—having read it with apparent unconcern, he said, that he as well as ourselves had known the contents of it three days ago. We persuaded him with great difficulty to accept four louis d'ors for his trouble, and he promised to see us now and then, and to convince us of his warmest gratitude by every service in his power, if we would but promise him, on our word of honor, never to desire him any more to raise up ghosts.
"I have suffered very much," added he, "and I am determined to expose myself no more to like dangers: I am afraid some additional disaster awaits me. Baron T——— is no poltroon, which I am glad of, but I fear, I fear lest—"
​Here he stopped, taking up his hat; we asked for the reason of his apprehensions, entreating him to speak without reserve, but all was in vain, and he left the room with these words, "I wish all may end well."
We could not comprehend the meaning of these words, and did indeed not much mind them, my friend being quite unconcerned about the duel, which we thought Volkert had been hinting at.
Eight days were now elapsed without any disagreeable accident. None of us had spoken a word, as well of our adventure as of the duel, but on the ninth day we were reminded of it in a most terrible manner: My friend entered my apartment at a very early hour, with a pallid disordered countenance, flinging a folded letter on the table. I took it up, seized with terrible apprehensions, and saw that it was a second letter from Baron T———. If you will give me leave, gentlemen, I will ​read it to you—we all consented to it, and he read as follows.
"Sir,
Having recovered my strength a little, I hasten to request you to acquaint me with the particulars of a dreadful accident, which you, without doubt, will be able to unfold.
In the night succeeding the day which was fixed for our meeting, an accident happened to me which I cannot unriddle, and most willingly would suppose to have been nothing but the delusion of a disordered imagination; if not, many of my friends had witnessed the unspeakable sufferings I have endured. I was seized after eight o'clock in the evening, with an agony more terrible and excruciating than that of a dying person, expiring amid the most pungent horrors and torments of a violent death. Drops of cold sweat be​dewed my face, a chilly trembling shook my limbs violently, and the leaden hue of death rendered my countenance wan. I hoped to find relief if I was to walk up and down the room; however I was seized by the burning fangs of still greater, still more agonizing, pains, and the despondency preying on my bewildered fancy increased every minute. I shivered and trembled in such a manner that the chattering of my teeth could be heard at a great distance; all my muscles were contracted, by horrid convulsions; the pangs of excruciating agony increased for two hours of infernal torture, 'till at last, my friends despairing of my life, carried me to bed, there I lay for half an hour as if my spirit had been separated from my body, which really has been the case. I can give no better description of the last degree of my agonizing pains, than by comparing my feelings with the torments of one, whose whole frame suddenly is pierced with a red hot iron.
​After that terrible shock I was in a state of lethargy, but I dreamed an horrid frightful dream. Methought I was violently dragged away from my weeping friends, and, on a sudden beheld myself in the company of some known persons, who seemed to be highly delighted with my torments, and inflicted still greater pangs, on my wo-worn frame.
Suddenly I recovered my recollection, to the utter astonishment of my afflicted friends, but I awoke in such a pitiful state of weakness, that every one present, and even the physician who attended me despaired of my recovery. They all are of opinion that my enemies must have effected those infernal torments by supernatural means, and I myself cannot think otherwise. You certainly must have some knowledge of that shameless horrid transaction, and it is you to whom I ought to apply for an explanation. I expect your answer by the returning mail. I repeat it once more, you must know the particulars of that infernal transaction, &c. &c.
​The impression this letter made on us, resumed the Austrian, cannot be described. I read in the countenance of my friend the bitterest reproaches, for having seduced him to employ the infernal arts of Volkert to so shameless a purport.
The serious unhappy turn which this dark transaction began to take, made us apprehend that it would end with a most melancholy catastrophe, yet all our apprehensions were trifles light as air in comparison to the dreadful anxiety which poor. Volkert was overwhelmed with, when these said tidings were reported to him. We now plainly comprehended the tendency of the mysterious words he had uttered, when we had seen him last—I never saw a man in a more distressing situation than he was as he perused the Baron's letter. His agony rendered him almost distracted, when he came to the conclusion of that melancholy epistle. He wrung his hands in wild despair, was beating his breast, and tearing his hair, exclaiming in an accent ​of unspeakable agony, "I am undone! I am undone!"
Then he fell on his knees, imploring us for God's sake to spare him, and to save him from ignominy and ruin. "I have foreseen it," groaned he, "I have foreseen it; O had I but that time not suffered myself to be deluded to lend an helping hand to that wicked infernal transaction!"
We did all that lay in our power to make him easy, and promised him to take all disagreeable consequences upon ourselves; however, he would not listen to the comfort we administered to him.
"I am too much known," exclaimed he, and left us in wild despair.
I now consulted with my friend what was to be done, and we agreed at last that it would be best not to answer the Baron's letter, but quietly to await his arrival. Volkert, who ​was now more submissive and humble than ever, came frequently to see us, and approved our resolution; but he was always in the greatest anxiety when the idea of the Baron's arrival crossed his mind. Mean while the time when we were to expect the Baron drew nearer and nearer.
Six weeks were now nearly elapsed since we had received his last letter. One morning as I was reading, and smoaking my pipe, with much tranquillity, my servant entered my room, telling me, a foreign officer desired to see me. Not suspecting that I should be the first person to whom the Baron would give notice of his being arrived, I was struck with surprise when I beheld Baron T——— before me, and I cannot but confess that I was seized with horror, when I saw him. The marks of a recent dangerous illness were still visible on his pale countenance; his gloomy melancholy aspect strongly denoted the sufferings of a deeply afflicted mind, and his whole carriage horribly reminded me of the ​detestable dark transaction of that unhappy fatal night. He entered my room bowing silently, and began, after a portentous pause, to address me thus:
"Sir, you are the second of Mr. C———, who has injured me in a most glaring and disgraceful manner; first, by having insulted me in public, and then by having employed infernal arts to torment me; I dare say you are no stranger to the horrid means your friend has made use of in order to let me feel his wrath: I will not publicly accuse your friend of that black shameless transaction, the dreadful effects of which you can still read in my countenance; however, he shall answer me with his heart's blood, for that ignominious transaction, and for the sufferings he has made me undergo. I have written to him, but he has not thought it proper to answer my letter, which is a certain proof of his having been concerned in that horrid deed, the reality of which I am now ​fully convinced of; I know every thing, even the wretch who has assisted in the performance of that diabolical business. Do not ask me how I came to know it."
He spoke this with such an emphasis, that I was unable to utter a single word in defence of my friend, and he appearing not to expect any thing of that kind, added, after a short pause,
"My arm is not yet fit to manage the sword, for which reason I request, he may bring with him two brace of pistols. You may tell this your friend, I hope he will not oblige me to force him to accept my terms. At seven o'clock next morning I shall be at the spot we have appointed long ago, 'till then farewell, and tell your friend that I have not waited on him, because he prefers to converse with unbodied beings, and that I have written to him no more because he has not thought proper to answer my last letter."
​So saying, the Baron rose and left me in such perplexity, that I was not able to utter a word in reply. My friend was not less frightened than myself, when I told him, his antagonist pretended to know the whole of our secret transaction. The remainder of the day was spent it preparations for the duel, and in settling all the affairs of my friend, in case he should be killed.
Volkert came in the evening as usual, being afraid of being known to have any connexion with us: He trembled violently when we told him that the Baron was arrived, but understanding that he would not make public the dreadful wrongs which he had suffered, the poor fellow recovered from his fright, and offered to assist the Lieutenant's servant who was scowering his master's pistols. This task was soon finished, the two braces of pistols cleaned and charged with bullets.
We sat down conversing and drinking punch 'till midnight, when Volkert left us ​with the promise to see my friend once more next morning. He seemed little inclined to give us his opinion, on the means by which the Baron could have got intelligence of the conjuration, and the man who had performed it; yet he promised to tell us next morning all he knew about it. I remained with my friend the whole night, and began to sleep a little towards morning. At six o'clock Volkert interrupted our slumber, telling us that he came to take leave of us.
We gazed at him with astonishment and surprise.
"Yes, gentlemen," exclaimed he, "I am going to leave this town, and I am very fortunate that I can do it in an honorable manner. I promised you last night, to tell you how Baron T——— has traced out his tormentor; know then, that he has written to his family the same what he wrote to you in his second letter; his relations soon suspected me, being known here as a Ne​cromancer these many years, they gave notice to the governor of the supposed transaction, and he bearing me a great regard, would not meddle with this affair; he has however requested my general to remove me to some other place, as soon as possible, which my commanding officer was very willing to grant. He sent for me the day before yesterday, and when I appeared before him accosted me thus:"
"Volkert, I have warned thee several times to practise no more thine infernal tricks, I expected thou wouldst shew some regard for thy General, but seeing that all my endeavours to recall thee to thy duty are fruitless, I must send thee away, yet do not fear that I shall be unkind to thee, I know thou art a clever fellow, and I will give thee a commission as recruiting officer, which employment, I suppose, will not be disagreeable to thee, because it will afford thee an opportunity to make a proper use of thy talents."
​"My heart was ready to leap into my mouth for joy," added Volkert, "when I heard these welcome tidings, for this is the very situation I had been hankering after. Yesterday I received my instructions, my commission, and plenty of money, and I shall set off as soon as I shall have seen the decision of C———'s affair, and begin my new employment with pleasure and vigour."
We were surprised to see the gloomy melancholic Volkert on a sudden so cheerful and merry, but he did not give us time to disclose our astonishment, taking an hasty leave:—Having wished success to my friend, he shook us heartily by the hand, and told us, that if Mr. C——— should kill the Baron he expected him to join him on the road, adding,
"Perhaps I may then have a better opportunity to convince you of the love and high esteem I bear your." Having promised to see me once more after the duel, if possi​ble, he left us; however I saw him no more. The hour fixed for the fight drew nearer and nearer. We now took an hasty breakfast and went to the appointed place where we found the Baron awaiting our arrival in company with a foreign officer his second. He was impatient to begin the combat directly, but I begged him to have patience, and to remove a little farther from the town, into the field, left the report of their pistols might be heard by the centinels on the ramparts. Though the young spark thought it needless to be over cautious, as he scornfully called it, he consented at last to my proposal, riding a good distance farther. We thanked him for his readiness to oblige us, and alighted.
The combatants were placed opposite each other, within the short distance of four paces. My friend fired first, but missed his antagonist; the Baron doing the same was not more successful; my friend fired a second time, but he missed his aim once more; Baron T———'s ​second ball grazed his antagonist's cheek; Lieutenant C——— was vexed, and, seeing him take up the third pistol, with a trembling hand, I asked the foreigner whether he was satisfied; he shook silently his head, and my friend missed him again; the Baron returned the shot, and his ball entered the shoulder of C———: I entreated the foreigner to desist from farther animosities, however he would not listen to me, and turning with a malicious grin towards his second, he took the fourth pistol from his hand; my friend discharged his into the air, but the Baron, less generous, took his aim, and his ball whizzed through his antagonist's hat; then shaking my friend smiling by the hand, he mounted his horse, and rode in full speed to the town, accompanied by his second.
The Lieutenant grew fainter and fainter from the loss of blood, and all my endeavours to stop it were fruitless. At length my servant, whom I had sent to town, arrived with a coach and a surgeon; who declared that the ​wound was of no consequence, and, having dressed it, we conducted my friend to his apartments.
On our arrival we were told that the Baron with his second had been arrested as they had entered the town gate, but nobody could tell us who had been the informer. The auditor of the regiment made his appearance soon after, and examined me strictly, yet he assured me that we had nothing to fear, "It is known," added he, "that your friend has not been the aggressor."
When I begged him to tell me the name of that informer, he paused awhile and then replied,
"Well! I will tell you to whom you owe that kind service, he is no more here, it was Volkert, the noted Serjeant of Colonel R———'s regiment."
​"Volkert?" exclaimed I, the words dying on my lips.
The auditor affirmed it and left me. I followed him to the door, inquiring whether Volkert had said any thing else.
"I don't think he has," replied he, "he departed this morning on the recruiting business, and before he left the town has told the governor, that a foreign officer, a notorious wrangler, had challenged Lieutenant C———, and that they were going to fight a duel this morning. The governor ordered a file of soldiers to arrest you, but they were too late. When Baron T——— returned to town, he was arrested along with his second. That is all that I know of the matter."
I returned to my wounded friend in a pensive mood, not knowing what to think of Volkert's strange procedings. I was inclined to look upon this step as a proof of his con​cern for my friend's safety, yet I could not conceive why he he had not given earlier notice to the governor, having known the hour when the duel was to be fought.
The wound of my friend was not dangerous, and he was able to go abroad after the tenth day, when he went to the governor to make his submission. Having expected to be condemned at least to four weeks confinement, he was surprised when that gentleman, who was known to be very rigorous, dismissed him with a slight reprimand. Our general took not the least notice of the whole transaction, and Baron T——— returned to his garrison after having been arrested four weeks. All our brother officers spoke highly of his noble behaviour, telling us, that he had rejected all the proposals of his relations to interfere in his behalf.
"However," added the Austrian; "I will not abuse your patience any longer, and here conclude my wonderful tale, thinking ​to have fully proved my paradoxical opinions, by the account I have given you of Volkert's experiment, and I thank you cordially for your kind attention to my long mysterious narrative; you will excuse my prolixity, having been desirous to give you a faithful account of that strange man. Although I am not able to clear up his character in a more satisfactory manner, yet I am convinced that you now will believe that spirits can appear to the eye of mortals."
Here he ended, seeming to care little what sensations his odd tale might have produced in the mind of his hearers. The serious tone in which he had been speaking, and the high respect we bore him, prevented us from making our observations on his tale; I, for my part, could not help thinking it very extraordinary and fabulous, yet I could not harbour the least mistrust in the narrator's ve​racity, in despite of the struggles of reason, being fully convinced of his honesty. My design of relating to him our adventures at the Haunted Castle began now to ripen, and I was determined to catch the first opportunity that should offer to impart to him my secret.
The other officers sat in dumb silence, seeming to ponder how to abide by their first opinion without opposing their reverend antagonist: "It is pity," one of them exclaimed at last, after a long solemn silence, "it is pity that Volkert is not present, for I am sure he would convince us also, by occular proofs, of a matter which bears such evident marks of impossibility, in the eye of the impartial friend of truth. I do not in the least suspect your veracity, being fully persuaded that you are convinced by your own experience of the reality of the strange incident you have related; yet you will not take it unkind if I assure you, that my reason will prevent me from becoming a convert to your opinions, until I ​shall have been an occular witness of an experiment of that kind."
The Austrian replied not a word to that speech, but rose and took up his hat in dumb silence.
"But, pray Sir," resumed another, "have you had no farther account of Volkert? Did he never return from his recruiting business."
"He is dead," replied the Austrian.
"Dead!" we repeated with one voice.
"He is," repeated the old veteran, coolly, "he met with a sad misfortune in the second year of his employment, ten of his best recruits gave him the slip, and, being called to an account for his negligence, he fell a victim of wild despair, blowing his brains out."
​"A sad exit for a Necromancer," resumed he who had put the question to the Austrian.
"But a common one with gentlemen of that line," added another, rather forward.
The Austrian gave him a stern scornful look.
"I wish Volkert was still alive," said he who lodged at the haunted inn, "I wish he was still alive, he soon would restore tranquillity to the house of my landlord, and put a stop to the disagreeable talk that is rumoured about, and so hurtful to the poor man."
The Austrian made a silent bow to the company, and left the room. I followed him with hasty steps, and, coming up with him, accosted him respectfully. "You will excuse the liberty I am going to take, to request of you a private hearing, wishing to impart to you something."
​"That I will hear to-morrow," interrupted he drily, and went away.
The night being far advanced I went to my lodging. I awoke with the first dawn of day, arose, and, having put on my cloaths, waited with impatience 'till it should strike eight o'clock, at which hour I intended to pay a visit to the Austrian. It was about five o'clock when I got up, and the seeming slow progress of time was very painful to me. At length the wished for hour arrived, and I went with hasty steps to the veteran's lodging. He received me as he was wont to do, with great kindness, giving me a pipe, and after I had lighted it he asked me, what my pleasure was: "Speak freely," added he kindly, "I am an honest man."
After some circumlocution I broke the matter to him, giving him a full account of our adventures at the Haunted Castle. He listened with great attention to my tale, and hinting, at the conclusion of it, that I wished ​he would assist me in unfolding that mysterious matter, he looked seriously at me without uttering a word. Having waited some time for his answer with anxious impatience, he rose, and walked up and down the room in profound meditation.
"Friend," said he at last, after a long and painful silence, "what reason have you to engage in that dangerous undertaking?"
"I have no other motive," replied I, "than to chastise the impostors, and to deliver my servant from their clutches."
He shook his head: "Are you certain," resumed he at length, after a short pause, "that your servant has not been associated with those nightly sportsmen."
I stared at him and replied, after having meditated awhile, "No, it is impossible, the fellow was too honest; and what motive—" ​"You are right," interrupted he, "it cannot have been a preconcerted plan, for you have delivered yourself to the power of the spirits."
He walked again up and down the room in a pensive mood, and then exclaimed suddenly in a determined tone, "Well, I will be one of the party, and, if you like, we will set off instantly."
I eagerly accepted his proposal, and having put in readiness every thing necessary, we agreed to depart in the evening. He proposed to take one of his serjeants with him, and I resolved to do the same. I returned to my lodging against noon, highly pleased with my success, in order to prepare myself for a speedy departure.
We left F——— at eight o'clock in the evening, nobody was privy to our design, and our serjeants fancied we were going on official business, wondering very much how recruit​ing officers in the service of two different princes, could act thus in concord: But on the road we undeceived them, and were much rejoiced that our hoary veterans did not dislike our enterprize.
Three days after our departure from F——— we arrived within a small distance from the place of our destination, without having met with any sinister accident.
We were now on the skirts of the Black Forest but could see no village; the spot where the houses leading to the castle had began was deeply impressed on my memory: I shewed to my fellow traveller the rivulet, on the borders of which the old man had been sitting when we first had met him,—We looked about for the houses but we could find none. I did not know what to think of the matter.
Pursuing our route, we ascended a rising ground, gracious heaven! how was I shocked ​when I at once beheld an heap of ruins on the spot where the village had stood! We could still trace the marks of conflagration. In the back ground we saw only a few miserable huts left, and a little farther distant the castle presented itself to our view. We gazed at each other in dumb astonishment, and the Austrian alighted; I and our two hoary veterans did the same, and we climbed, after much difficulty, over the heap of ruins. As we approached the few remaining houses, the inhabitants came running towards us covered with rags, and exhibiting pale woe-worn countenances. I never beheld such an horrid picture of wretchedness and misery;—they wrung their hands, crying for alms, and wept bitterly.
Having distributed money amongst them, I inquired when that misfortune had happened. "Alas!" groaned they, "who should have thought, when your honor left us, that you ever would see us in such a miserable state? We all are ruined; all our little pro​perty has been consumed by the flames. Good heaven! how shall we keep our little helpless babes from starving."
Repeating my question, when that terrible accident had happened, the poor unfortunate people told me, their village had been set on fire the day after we had left them.
Dreadful apprehensions filled my soul, and the Austrian's looks seemed to confirm them.
When I inquired after my former host, I was told that he had lost his life in the flames. The fire, said the poor people, broke out suddenly, in different places, in the dead of night, they had not been able to save their property, and a great number of the inhabitants, with their cattle, had perished in the flames. This horrid tale made my blood run chill, being convinced that I had been the primary cause of that dreadful event.
​As we entered one of the miserable huts, we were met by the lamentations of people half naked; they all recollected me, receiving me with hideous groans. All my money was not sufficient to comfort the unhappy sufferers, but I divided it willingly amongst them, feeling an inward pleasure in being able to ease at least their sufferings a little. The Austrian smiling at me, followed my example as far as the expences of our journey would admit.
At last I ventured to inquire after the Haunted Castle; the poor sufferers shuddered at the question, telling me, without reserve, that they did not doubt that the last visit we had paid to that abode of horror, had drawn upon them the dreadful ire of the revengeful spirits, which I in vain wished to be able to contradict. Unwilling to behold any longer the marks of sorrow and distress so deeply imprinted on the faces around me, and stung to the heart by the tormenting thought to have partly contributed, by my idle curiosity, to ​provoke the lurking tempest of woe, that had thus cruelly crushed the earthly happiness of the wretched villagers, I hastily inquired for the next village, they shewed us the way, and we bade them farewell with a bleeding heart, riding away in full speed.
But, alas! I could not escape the hideous spectre of self reproach, pursuing me with icy fangs: The scene of misery which my eyes had witnessed hovered constantly before my gloomy fancy, the groans of woe which I had heard still vibrated in my ears, the haggard looks of these unhappy people, undone by my heedlessness, stared me in the face ever and anon, and I struggled in vain to shake off the grisly spectre pursuing me with unrelent- resentment. "How comfortless and miserable is the man," said I to myself, "whom conscience accuses of having plunged into the gaping gulph of misery a fellow creature!"
The Austrian saw the painful workings of my soul, kindly striving to dispel the gloomy ​clouds hovering over my brow. "How can you accuse yourself," spoke the reverend veteran, "of having been, though involuntarily, accessary to the fatal blow that has thus cruelly destroyed the happiness of these people, whose fate you are bemoaning? It was the high decree of a superior power, that rules the fate of man. The ways of the all-wise are ever good and just, though surrounded sometimes with impenetrable darkness. Men are but tools in the hand of providence, and never ought to murmur against the father of the universe. It is not you who have destroyed the happiness of these poor sufferers; your heart is good, and you could not foresee the dreadful consequences of your juvenile rashness; cheer up, young man, and trust to the supreme ruler of all things, that he knows best what is good and fit, he produces light from the womb of darkness, and leads sometimes his children to greater bliss over the thorny path of misery and woe."
​I listened with eager attention to the soothing speech of comfort flowing from the reverend lips of my sage companion, and an heavy load was taken from my heart, when he had finished, the clouds of gloominess dispersed by degrees, and a ray of cheerfulness darted through my mind. After half an hour's ride we beheld a large village before us; we agreed to wait there the setting in of night, and then to visit the Haunted Castle secretly.
Our host could not, or perhaps would not answer our inquiries concerning the desolated castle, and we endeavoured in vain to know whether the nightly sportsmen were still housing there or not; my serjeant went abroad to get some information, and was so fortunate to draw from the schoolmaster of the village as much as we wanted to know; returning after an hour with the corroboration of our suspicion, that the spirits residing at the castle had set fire to the desolated village, and that ​they since that time had forsaken their former abode.
Although the latter part of his intelligence gave us but little hope that we should succeed in our design to unfold the mystery of the ruinous castle, yet we determined to make at least a trial, the Austrian being very desirous to explore the noted building, and we went all four to the Haunted Castle as soon as it was dark.
We arrived at the glomy fabric after a short walk, lighted some torches we had brought with us from F———, entered the court yard, and ascended the spiral staircase; the Austrian searched every corner, and I found all the rooms in their former condition, the seats and the table we had constructed were still as we had left them, unmoved, untouched.
When the Austrian had carefully searched every thing, we descended the stairs leading to the cellar, but found the iron door strongly ​fastened as before. We entered the garden, searching and prying around, 'till we at length espied the aperture of the cavern through which we had effected our escape from the grisly jaws of a lingering death. The hollow sound of our footsteps re-echoed horribly through the dreary subterraneous abode as we entered, and the light of our torches reflected grisly from the damp mossy walls of the deep and narrow passage.
Stepping into the ruinous stable, we espied with pleasure the hole in the boards through which the Baron had fallen down, and detected in one of the corners a ladder, and above the place where it was standing, a trapdoor. Having ascended the ladder I opened the half decayed door, with one violent push, and entered with my fellow adventurers the well known spacious apartment, leaping over the gaping opening where the boards had given way. Looking around we beheld several small iron doors, one of which flew open at the first push of the Austrian, and presented ​to our eyes the avenue of a damp arched vault, from which a stone staircase led to that part of the fabric which faced the cellar door.
Without stopping there, we pursued our way to the large folding door leading to the great hall under ground, but found it strongly bolted on the inside, and all our hopes of farther discovery were blasted at once. We made the utmost efforts to disengage the massy door from its rusty hinges, but all our labour was lost, its strength proved superior to our united endeavours of forcing it.
While we were standing before that door, consulting whether we should go back or not, we heard suddenly a distant noise, as if a lock was opening, and soon after a folding door seemed to fly open, with an hideous creaking, which instantly was followed by a terrible noise of numerous steps, as if people in boots were descending: When the noise drew nearer we could distinguish the clattering of many spurs, and the harsh voices of men; ​the whole subterraneous cavern was at length filled with a most tremendous noise, and we gazed at each other rather pleased than frightened, being four vigorous men, used to danger, provided with four cutlasses and as many brace of double barrelled pistols. The Austrian standing nearest to the door, retained his equanimity unimpaired, and, ere long, an hollow voice like the distant rolling of thunder, exclaimed, "Come hither with the booty." A confused bustle ensued, the tinkling of money was heard, some quarrelled and some cursed and scolded, but were soon reconciled. At length the bustle ceased, a door was opened close by us, and money locked up in a chest. Mean while the following discourse took place in the unknown assembly.
First Voice. To-morrow we will way-lay the gentlemen of Norrinberg, and ease them of their golden burthen. I trust you will behave like men, my jolly boys! It would be pity if they should give us the slip once more.
​Second Voice. By holy Peter! they shall not escape.
Many voices. They shall not, they shall not.
Third Voice. I wonder where our greybeard may stay so long, I have not seen his holy face since our last fun.
Fourth Voice. Take my word, brother, he sits by the fire side and chaunts penitential hymns. The fellow is of no farther use to our community, we must send him to the devil.
First Voice. Let him alone, my boys, he has rendered us many good services, has saved many of our brave companions from the hangman's ruthless fangs; don't grudge him a little rest, he will soon return and bring us joyful tidings.
​Second Voice. He has procured us many a golden booty; has, by his cunning, extricated us from many neck-breaking difficulties; it would be ungrateful to be angry with him. What would become of our noble band if he did not guide our arm by his sage counsels?"
Third Voice. Bravely spoken, my lad, he is a good sort of a fellow, it is a thousand pities that he begins to grow old and infirm.
First Voice. Let him grow old and infirm, if he but escapes the gallows.
Here somebody was locking the door of an adjoining room, an hollow bustle and humming ensued, and the robbers (for such they must have been) were going to withdraw.
"Shall we break in upon the scoundrels?" whispered the Austrian to me.
​"By what means?" replied I, shrugging up my shoulders.
"Through the garden, or the adjoining wing of the castle," resumed he.
"But the danger," said I,
"Is not so great as you fancy," interrupted the Austrian, "yet it will be better to force the gentlemen to open the door; if they should refuse to do it, then it will be time enough to surprise them in the court-yard, for I do not think it prudent to venture on the staircase, because they would then have too much advantage over us."
Now all was silent in the cellar, 'till after a short pause a new conversation began.
First Voice. I say, brother, what shall we do with the officer's servant we have entrapt? The dog is good for nothing, and we ​are in danger that he will betray us one time or other.
Second Voice. Let us knock his brains out.
Third Voice. Let us give him his liberty.
Fourth Voice. Or sell him to a recruiting officer.
First voice. We will take thy advice, brother Rasch, and set him at liberty. If his master has saved his life, the servant may share the same fortune with him; but first the blockhead shall swear a terrible oath never to betray us, else I will break his rascally neck.
Many Voices. Well spoken, Captain, let us break the scoundrel's neck, if he refuses to swear.
​Now we heard them ascend the staircase with a terrible noise, and instantly the Austrian knocked with his hands and feet against the door; a momentary silence ensued.
"Open the door ye miscreants!" roared my friend with a thundering voice, "Open the door, ye rascals," exclaimed I and my fellow adventurers, but before the hollow sound of our voices had ceased re-echoing through the vaulted passage where we were standing, the whole crew was running up stairs with a tremendous noise, and we hurried with all possible speed through the long winding passage, our pistols cocked, but before we could reach the end of the subterraneous avenue, we heard the trampling of horses, which soon was dying away at a distance. A gust of wind had extinguished our torches, but the light of the moon was shining so clear that we soon beheld an opening in the garden wall leading to the field, where we could see at a small distance, a numerous troop of horsemen galloping away at a furious rate. On our ​return we observed that the horsemen had taken their flight through the garden, which appeared to have been their common in and out-let since the burning down of the village.
I left the residence of these robbers very much dissatisfied; the Austrian, on the contrary, was highly pleased, representing to me that we should not know much more of the matter than we had heard, even if we had surprised them; that I did wrong if I complained of having been disappointed, being now informed of my servant's fate, and the mystery of the castle; and that every wish of taking personal vengeance on these miscreants was not becoming men like ourselves, because the hangman would have been defrauded of his perquisites if we had killed some of them.
"All what we could do," added he, "would be to give notice of what we have seen and heard to the magistrates of the next town; but I fear the gang is too numerous than that they could be taken prisoners ​besides, they will take care not to suffer themselves to be entraped, and if the magistrates were to take cognizance of our denunciation, and should fail in their attempt to destroy the whole crew, they perhaps would be made a second example of the revengeful daring spirit of these lawless wretches, and pay dearly for having enacted the laws against them. Remember the agony of grief you felt when you beheld the horrid consequences of opposition against these outlaws, in viewing the ruins of the village which but lately has fallen a victim to their cruel resentment, and then tell me whether it is advisable to inform against them? We had better leave their punishment to that supreme Judge who certainly will overtake them with his vengeance when their measure shall be full."
I returned to our inn at the next village, comforted by the seasonable reasoning of my worthy friend, and I never shall forget the wise instructions he gave me on the way; I ​never shall forget his tender exhortations to take care not to follow the first impulse of the moment, but always to listen attentively to the voice of reason before I should engage in any undertaking, and to bridle the youthful ardour of heedlessness by prudence and cool reflection.
We entered our inn at two o'clock in the morning, and we were met by the landlord, who had been very uneasy at our staying away so long, because many murders had been committed lately within the environs of the village. We told him we had taken a walk, but having missed our way, had strayed about 'till the dawn of day had assisted us in finding our way back. He appeared to believe our words and we went to rest.
We awoke at eight o'clock, and departed at nine for F———, where our absence had not been much taken notice of, those secret journeys being very common among recruiting officers; yet some of my friends puzzled ​themselves very much, by various conjectures, about the reasons of my connexion with the Austrian; but neither we nor our trusty serjeants communicated our adventures to any one of our acquaintance.
During our absence a strange accident had happened to one of our comrades, which had made every one wish for the return of the Austrian, and no sooner were we arrived, before all the officers repaired to my room to inform us of it.
The officer who lodged at the haunted inn, coming home against midnight three days ago, sat down to finish a letter to his colonel. As soon as it had struck twelve o'clock he heard a tremendous rap at the door, which he did not mind at first, but continued writing. A second rap, more violent than the first, disturbed him soon after, but he still took little notice of it. A third, not unlike a clap of thunder, ensued, after a short pause, the door ​of his apartment flew open, and a white figure was going to enter the room.
"Fearless," these are his own words, "did I start up, unsheath my sword and run towards the phantom; it retreated, but I pursued, and pierced it with my sword, it gave an hollow scream, but what farther happened I cannot tell, I awoke as if from a deluding dream, and was lying stretched on the floor at the bottom of the stairs, surrounded by a great number of people with lighted candles; terrible pains had seized me, and my sword was still in my hand."
When the narrator had finished his wonderful tale, I perceived visible marks of its authenticity on his face, and inquired whether he had been hurt by the fall. He told me he had suffered no material injury except a few bruises.
The Austrian began now to question him.
​"Have you perceived any thing uncommon before that strange accident happened?"
Officer. Nothing at all except an insignificant noise, after twelve o'clock.
Austrian. Have you, perhaps, before you met with that misfortune, been thinking on my tale of Volkert's exploits?
Officer. (Vexed.) I was writing to my Colonel, how could I therefore think on that fellow? Or do you think it impossible that any one besides you can experience things, the possibility of which you have proved by facts.
The Austrian, apparently lost in profound meditation, gave him no answer, but was walking up and down in solemn silence.
Our companions acquainted us now with the purport of their visit, signifying a desire to encounter the kingdom of spirits and hobgoblins in pleno corpore, under the command ​of my serious friend. Thinking the old veteran would relish their proposal as little as myself, I thought it would be agreeable to him, if I could prevail on the spirited sons of Mars not to urge the matter farther; addressing them in a jocose manner.
"Gentlemen, it seems you do not consider that these airy disturbers of nocturnal rest are not fond of large companies; or do you suppose the apparition, which I suspect to be a female one, a second Semiramis."
However, it was in vain to attempt persuading them to drop the adventure, their imagination having been heated too much by the Austrian's tale, as that they would give up their design: Turning their backs against me, highly displeased with my harangue, they solicited my friend with the greatest impetuosity to comply with their request. He inquired whether Lieutenant N——— was still an inhabitant of the haunted inn, and being told that the valiant son of Mars had ​removed to another lodging the next morning after the nocturnal rencounter, he refused flatly to yield to their entreaties, telling them, he was sure the apparition would give them the slip.
"Well, well," exclaimed the undaunted warriors, "we will run the risk and watch the ghost, though we should sit up ten nights for it; we are determined to unfold that mystery."
So saying they left the room in great hurry.
"What do you think of the matter?" said I, when the visitors had left us.
"Nothing," replied he, with much sang froid, shrugging up his shoulders.
"But the ghost," said I.
"Is an offspring of their childish fancy;" replied the Austrian.
​"The fall of Lieutenant N———," asked I.
"Is very natural," replied the Austrian, I could cite you more than hundred incidents corroborating the truth, that people have a very confused idea when their senses are tied up by fear and anxiety.—As soon as cool reflection gives way to the horrors of a disordered fancy, we are but too apt to create phantoms and spectres around us, we do not see what really exists, but what we fear to behold."
I could oppose nothing to this reasoning of his, founded so strongly on experience, and suspected the courage of our valiant Lieutenant very much, having no doubt but his fear had made him miss the staircase; I therefore took no farther notice of our bravado and his companions, not caring what would be the finale of their trifling adventure. My friend was likewise quite unconcerned about the matter, and, without mentioning it any farther, we went about our business.
​When night invited us to rest from the toils of the day, we dedicated the remaining hours to the mutual enjoyment of hallowed friendship's cheerful bliss.
Eight days of peaceful happiness were now elapsed, when Lieutenant N——— entered my apartment one morning, with a countenance exhibiting the strongest marks of horror.
"I come to you," said he, "because I apprehend a second refusal from your friend, if you do not support my request."
Asking him whether he intended to apply once more to my friend to encounter the ghost, he replied, it was his intention to try his fortune once more with my obstinate friend.
"Then you must excuse me," exclaimed I, peevishly.
​Having stared at me awhile in profound silence, he began walking up and down the room, and at last seated himself by my side, resuming, in a cool and tranquil tone, "Hear what I am going to say, before you refuse to intercede with your friend, and I will acknowledge myself to be unworthy of your confidence if you persist any longer in your resolution, not to speak in my behalf to your worthy friend."
The solemn awful manner in which he pronounced the last words engaged my attention, and made me apprehend to hear a tale of horror. Having moved my chair closer to his he went on.
"You know what I and my friends intended to do, we have executed our design: All our efforts to make the ghost appear proved abortive at first; in vain did we watch, make a noise, search every corner of the house, and try to provoke ​the spirit for three nights, we could neither hear nor see any thing uncommon."
I was going to interrupt him, and to argue the imprudence of their proceedings, but he squeezed my hand gently, and begged me not to interrupt his narrative.
"The fourth night appeared," thus he continued after an awful pause; "it still makes my blood freeze when I recollect the horrible scene of terror my eye beheld in that night of dreadful note. We all repaired to the abode of that airy disturber of the stillness of night, taking our residence in a lonely hall, in the second story, within a small distance from my former apartment. We sat down to the inviting punch bowl after eleven o'clock, as we had done the preceding nights, filling our pipes and cursing the cowardice of the spectre, seemingly afraid of meeting an assembly of hardy soldiers; but it took ample vengeance on our forwardness, in so horrid a ​manner, that one must have been an eyewitness of its ire, if one will form a just idea of our situation."
"Our impatience increased as the punch began to heat our blood, we took the candles from the table, unsheathed our swords, and began to search every corner of the house and the cellar without success. My friends looked gloomy, the clouds of dissatisfaction were hovering over their brows, and a storm was gathering, which perhaps would have ended in a serious quarrel, if it had not been for the Austrian's tale, which, as yet, had sheltered me against their boiling anger, and from the suspicion of being an impostor or a coward. They began ridiculing the landlord and myself on account of our self-created fright, as they called it, declaring, all we had heard and seen to be a mere phantom, the offspring of a deluded fancy; however they were soon convinced of the truth of our narration, in a most shocking manner."
​"We were ascending the staircase, and the foremost had not yet reached the last step, when a sudden hollow noise arose. It was not unlike the howling of the tempest rushing through the chinks of an old ruinous building. The noise carried something frightful with it, which cannot be expressed by words. My hair rose up like bristles, an irresistible horror made my blood run chill, and my ridiculing friends became as serious as if a magic wand had touched them, gazing at each other in dumb astonishment. The dismal noise continued a few seconds, and then every thing was as silent as the grave."
"We pursued our way to the hall, and retook our seats, wondering what could have caused that dreadful howling, and one of the company opened the window to see whether a tempest had gathered in the air, but the sky was clear, and not the least wind blowing. Sensations of unspeakable awe thrilled our souls, the fumes of punch ​evaporated, and solemn stillness swayed all around; nothing was heard save the violent palpitations of the heart, the chattering of our poor landlord's teeth, and the knocking together of his trembling knees."
"A few moments more of profound silence, and then the dismal howling arose again with redoubled force; a sudden violent gust of wind threw the windows open, and the door from its hinges, extinguishing all the candles; a tremendous clap of thunder shook the house, a terrible flash of lightning hissed through the room, and prostrated us to the ground; an hideous lamenting noise assailed our ears, and lifting up my head I beheld the phantom that once had frightened me, advancing with a threatening grin; grisly was its shape, and its eyes rolling like two flaming comets."
"I was the first who recovered the use of his senses, and, calling in vain for the landlord, my companions started up, and we ​found the poor fellow prostrated on the floor, half frantic with terror. At length he also recovered a little from his fright, and after many persuasions, ventured down stairs, accompanied by me, to strike a light. Every body in the house was snoring, except our crest-fallen fellow adventurers, who exhibited a rueful ghastly group, being all as pale as ashes. Looking at our watches, we saw it was past two o'clock, sat an hour longer without perceiving any thing farther, and returned against morning to our respective lodgings."
Here he stopped, but as it seemed only to draw breath for a longer narrative, I omited giving my opinion, expecting that he was going to unfold the mystery, but his tale took such an unexpected turn, that I felt myself soon warmly interested.
"I would not," resumed he, "have troubled you with an account of this strange in​cident, if not, an accident was connected with it, which has happened last night."
"My recruiting business having called me abroad yesterday, I returned in the afternoon; in the dusk of evening I entered a thicket, in a gloomy pensive mood, all around was lonely, and buried in profound silence; no sound was heard except the dismal dirge of the screech-owl, and the shrill chirping of the amorous cricket. At length I heard a whispering within a small distance, and cocking one of my pistols, I rode on with the greatest circumspection. At once I saw a manly figure coming out of the thicket, but could not distinguish his dress; advancing a little farther, I beheld somebody in a peasant's garb, walking on briskly and talking to himself. As I came up with him I ob​served a black wallet on his back, and a thick branch of a tree in his hand, serving him instead of a walking cane. He seemed to take no notice of me, pursuing his way with hasty steps, and still muttering between his teeth. I saluted him but he gave me no answer."
"Whither art thou going, good friend," exclaimed I.
"To men!" replied he, to my utter astonishment.
"Very likely to F———," resumed I.
"Yes," said he, "there are men."
"Supposing him to be a lunatic, I passed him, pursuing my way in a brisk trot; when I came out of the thicket I saw that I was nearer the town than I thought, and made my horse quicken his pace; but how was ​I astonished, when I beheld again the same figure walking before me."
"Old gentleman," exclaimed I, "it seems thou knowest the road better than I do."
"I think so myself," answered he dryly, "and I believe I know many things better than you do."
"Strange being," resumed I, "who art thou?"
"A friend of wisdom!" was his answer.
"Thy wisdom," replied I, "must be as odd as thyself! But pray what dost thou call wisdom?"
"What you do not understand," was his reply.
Hearing the words friend of wisdom, I was suddenly struck with a suspicion which ​my readers will easily be able to guess, and that suspicion was strengthened when the narrator informed me of his definition of wisdom. I strongly suspected that he was the same person I had met in the Black Forest, under the garb of a pilgrim, and I hardly could refrain from exclaiming, art thou here, impostor?
Every one may guess the conclusion of the Lieutenant's wonderful tale, I scarcely had patience to await it: The narrator being highly charmed with the hoary juggler, could not find words to express the sensations his reverend aspect had raised within his breast. He had fancied to be in company with a robust countryman, but when he entered his house in the suburbs, to which he kindly had invited him, he beheld the countenance of an old man with silver hair, and a mien exciting awful respect. He offered him a glass of excellent wine, and began by degrees to become more cheerful and communicative.
​The old man's conversation on the road having betrayed a high degree of occult knowledge, had very nearly tempted the Lieutenant to communicate to him his adventure at the haunted inn; that temptation returning now with redoubled force, he could no longer resist, and told him every thing that had happened. The result of the ensuing conversation was, that he entreated the old man to come and conjure up the apparition, to which he, after many seeming struggles at last consented, under the condition that no more than six persons should be present, and the landlord's leave could be obtained. The Lieutenant left him in high spirits, after having promised to fulfil strictly these two conditions.
I could not bridle any longer my ardent desire to hasten to the Austrian and to get rid of my visitor, who now became exceeding troublesome to me, being tired of his over-strained encomiums on the old deceiver, I therefore, anticipating the renewal of his re​quest to speak to my friend, promised that I not only would engage to persuade him to assist at the conjuration, which was to be performed the ensuing night, but I also assured him, that I myself would be present.
The Lieutenant's raptures exceeded all bounds, he almost stifled me by his embraces, and called me more than hundred times his kind benefactor, and his dear obliging friend. I was however entirely indifferent to his raptures and endearments, pondering how I might best confound the vile dissembler, and put a final stop to his enormous cheats. I begged the poor hood-winked Lieutenant to give me leave to go directly to my friend, and to win him over to our party, which he instantly did, after having fixed an hour in the afternoon, when he would wait on me to hear how far I should have succeeded with the Austrian.
"Mean while," added he, "I will go to the owner of the haunted inn, in order to talk ​the business over with him, and to engage three able assistants more from among our friends.
Not finding the old veteran at home I was vexed very much, but when dinner time came, I had the pleasure of meeting him. The recapitulation of Lieutenant N———'s account of his late adventure at the inn, and his conversation with the hoary juggler, produced the desired effect. Though a man like him, who was of a cool temper, and never suffered his passion to get the better of his reason, could not be seized with a fit of amazement, yet I never saw him so violently agitated.
Having with apparent emotion awaited the conclusion of my tale, he exclaimed at last, after a short pause, during which his desire for vengeance and punishment seemed to struggle with his reflection and prudence,
"Friend, what do you intend to do?"
​"To seize the Necromancer."
"Before or after the conjuration?" asked the Austrian.
"After it," replied I.
Now the dinner bell rang, and he left me, with the promise to repair at night to the place of action.
Having accustomed myself by degrees to examine minutely what likeliest might be the result of my noble friend's almost unfathomable considerations, before I determined on any thing he was concerned in; I succeeded sometimes in my anxious endeavours to act in unison with his principles, and to coincide with his ideas, but in the present case I was quite at a loss how to proceed conformable to his wish, having not the least clue by which I could expect to extricate myself out of the labyrinths into which he had led me, leaving every thing to myself.
​However, after much reflection, I was at last so fortunate to hit upon a plan which he fully approved, proposing to conceal myself 'till the whole transaction should be finished, and then to rush like lightning upon the hoary deceiver, to upbraid him with his glaring cheats, to force him to a confession of the dark fraudulent means he had employed to play that infernal trick upon us, when he left us in the lurch in the cellar of the Haunted Castle, and then to make him a prisoner without farther ceremony.
We both agreed to deliver him up to the civil power, after having convicted him of his roguery, and to order four stout corporals to rush into the room at the first signal, in order to arrest the shameless cunning deceiver. Flattering ourselves with hopes of good success, we parted, after a mutual promise to repair to the place of action at eleven o'clock.
Lieutenant N——— came to my lodging at three o'clock in the afternoon, to inform me ​that every thing was ready for the performance of our nocturnal adventure. The landlord had made no difficulty to give his consent to the conjuration, and was desirous to be admitted one of the spectators, being elated with the hope that his house soon would be cleared of that troublesome being which had, 'till now, banished all his customers, and very much impaired his circumstances. He knew the reverend Necromancer, as the Lieutenant was pleased to call him, and was in raptures that the honest old man was returned to F———, and had consented to restore the tranquillity of his house, exclaiming,
"Now I am easy; Father Francis is the very man! It is a thousand pities that he visits these parts so seldom, and that he, if present, buries himself in solitude."
"He could not tell me precisely," added the Lieutenant, "how the old man employs his time, because nobody was on an intimate footing with him, nor could any one ​tell where he came from, or whither he was travelling so often, but that it was universally known that he possessed houses in most of the adjacent towns, where he was living in the same retired and harmless manner as here."
The Lieutenant, highly pleased when I told him, that the Austrian had consented to be present at our nocturnal meeting, went now to the other associates, in order to settle every thing, and invited myself and my friend to supper, which I readily consented to.
END OF VOL. I.