Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-04-29

tune.
'Fulmenp he murmured; ''the picture has
descended from its framel"
Il was indeed Fulmen, Just as she was
painted, save that the lips were pale the eye |
mournful, the whole expression unspeakably |
sad.
"Fulmenl7 repeated the Viscount, with
tone Of terror, in which was mingled sort of
feverish Joy.
at is l." she said. 'Do you remember
your oath2 They have told you that am
dead" .....
The teeth of Ralph chattered but the voice |
was so pure, so melodious, that II aided him |
to shake off the torpor which was creeping |
over him.
"No you are not dead" he exclaimed, with
an effort.
II have been dead a year" replied Fulmen,
sadly. 'They buried me in the chapel. You
can read my epitaph on the marble slab, the
third from the high altar"
Ralph could not detach his eyes from this
singular creature, whose marvellous beauty
counteracted in some degree the terror
which the apparition would otherwise have
caused.
"Alasln resumed the specter--draping the
shroud about her form with all the coquetry
with which living belle might wrap an
opera cloak around her-"I am dead, really
dead, at seventeen; when life was full of light,
were so sweet that they resembled smiles
when the present was so happy that the
future was quite forgotten. And then loved
you. | trusted in your oath and you did
not care for me. You have come here to
marry my sister"
"FulmenW murmured Ralph, who felt
pang of remorse at his heart. 'I have loved
| you; | love you still"
| She shook her head.
"The dead are never loved" she said,
sadly.
Ralph trembled. He felt his blood curdle
| in his veins He remembered his oath. Yet
Fulmen did not complain. She did not over
whelm him with reproaches. She seemed re-
signed. He saw her lean her head upon her
hand; tear shone in her eye, and a shiver
passed through her frame.
| 81 am cold;' she said, and rising from the
chair in which she had seated herself, she
| approached the fireplace, and bent as if to
| warm herself by the half-extinguished brands.
"The dead are always cold" she murmured.
Heavens" exclaimed Ralph, "you are not
dead; but, dead or living, you are beautiful,
more beautiful than any living woman, and
/ love you as on the day first saw you"
'The dead are never loved" she repeated,
mournfully.
"But you are not dead. The limbs of the
dead are rigid; the flesh corrupt; they are
insensible; they can not walk; they can not
speak; you are not dead-it is impossible"
81 am dead, repeated Fulmen, in q tone of
authority which admitted of no question;
'dead-and yet suffer-" ..
"You suffer p the Viscount exclaimed.
eyes. Because l died with a guilty
| thought in my heart. | remember the ball
where met you. 1t was earthly love, not
penitence that engrossed my last hours Yet
| if you who are alive can love me still, God
will perhaps pardon me and l shall suffer no
| longer
II do love you," cried Ralph, gazing at the
young girl so beautiful in her sadness. Yet
secret voice said within him, "Ahl if she
were only alive"
| A pale smile passed over the face of the
phantom. 1t rose and advanced toward him.
Ralph Immediately shrunk back at its ap-
prOach. .....
"You see, she said mournfully, at is always
so. The living fear the dead"
mo no' said he eagerly ashamed of the
momentary terror mo, Fulmen, my beloved,
come" ..-.
She extended her hand, and took that of
! the young man. Ralph uttered cry. His
hand was pressed by the cold clammy fingers
of corpse. She let his hand fall.
"No," she repeated, in q half-suffocated
voice. 'you SEQ it can not be; l shall suffer
always" .......
| And she fled, while Ralph was so over
whelmed that he had no power to speak
or move. The candles went out suddenly;
silence reigned again in the chamber; the
phantom had vanished.
The next day dawned bright and beautiful.
The Baron de Roche Noire, who did not ap-
pear to notice the pallor and abstraction of
his guest proposed hunt. The day was
spent in the open air and it, amid the ex-
citement of the chase, the Viscount thought
of the occurrences of the last night, they
seemed to him only as bewildering dream.
But with the return of darkness, and espe-
cially at the sight of the picture, the apparitfon
| again seemed to him reality, and he
determined to ascertain the truth. Pleading
a headache, he retired to his room, and extn-
| gushing the candle, he called, softly:
"Fulmenl Fulmenp There was no answer.
Again he called: ..
"Fulmenl l love you, though dead"
Immediately the candles were relighted,
and Fulmen again appeared: She threw off
her winding sheet and seated herself in
chair by his side. Her face had the cadav-
erous paleness of the tomb, her eye was sad,
her step slow and painful; yet her exquisite
beauty exerted the same fascination over
Ralph as when sparkling with life and vi
vacity.
'Fulmen, love you" he repeated, gazing
at her with admiration. I....
"Yet if my hand should touch yours she
replied with sad smile, ''you would utter a
cry as you did last night; the dead are always
cold"
"Give me your hand, and you will see,"
said Ralph, extending resolutely his own.
She took it, and again there came over him
the same terrible sensation as before; but he
had self-control enough to conquer it, and
again to repeat: .-a..
81 love youln
bright smile illumined the features of
Fulmen ........ a.........
"My poor friend" she said, 81 would gladly
believe YOU but if your love would end my
sufferings it must be so profound, so ardent,
that it can conquer even the desire TO live. A
, tomb with me must have attraction for you.
And you are but twenty-five, Ralph. AT
) your age life is sweet" ID.
The Viscount shook his head -..
ITO live without you is DEATH to be united
to You, even in the tomb, would be life"
"Take care my friend" .....
"Ofwhat dear Fulmen2" exclaimed Ralph,
4 over whom the smile of the young eiri
seemed to exercise an overpowering fiscina-
0 ton.
: ''DO you know" she said, 'that if you
e utter such wish, God may hear your
e prayer?" sI
y 'Ahl if he would An eternity by youI
t side would be infinite happiness"
y Ralph, my friend" interrupted Fulmen
while smile of celestial joy shone in hel
: face, take care you will die If you love mel
~ wish to die"
But you are betrothed to my sister,"
An exclamation of anger escaped him.
~ hate herlh he said Vahamantlv