The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-10-03

MS tt0N'ilhS uuVtSs
&c viii you not grant me hospitality ? he
said, in metallic voice which made me
shudder. Il will pay for IL royalty
"'Comc in said Vice. Baglanovch,
drink, eat, and rest yourself. Sleep under
| my roof as IL you were under your own;
| you are at home. but, by st. liyacinth, he
| added, n man must bc the devil himself TO
| put foot out of doors in such a dclugc,'
"Thc stranger approached tho fire and
| held his feet and hands to tho flame. He
was pale, with long black hair, an aquiine
nose, n brusquo profile, thin lips; but what
struck me most in him werehis hands-long,
| thin, delicate, almost always motionlcss
| hands, white aud transparent AS wax"
" He said nothing. | went up to him and
asked If he was French.
!" Yes he replied.
| "lle added some commonplace details
about his life, but learned nothing in par
| ticular. II seemed M If he wished to hide
| something from me; IL would have been I'M
| becoming TO insist. left him to his rcveric,
but rs looked at him | felt kind of in
| stnctive dread. turned round and saw
| Helen with her eyes dilatcd and fixed upon
the stranger. AT that moment Baglancvich
| rose.
You must need rest lo said to his
new guest. Comet
"Thc stranger rose, saluted me politely,
| and went out fixing n glance upon Helen.
saw her become pale; sho went and huddlcd
| herself up in corner and heard her weep
ing.
"Thc stranger remained ten days in the
house of Viecz Baglanovich and from day to
day Helen became winter and winter, her
body more and more immaterializcd, and her
| hands rescmblcd the bloodlcss hands of the
| stranger. In short, one morning she was
found dead IN her bod.
"Wild with grief, the father threw him
self into my arms, appealing to death and
cursing God.
| "'No! MOI said TO him. Vice. Bag
apevich, do not die. Before you 80 to Join
| Helen, Vice. Baglanovch, think that you
| must avenge her.
"Avcngc her = he said, with the roar of
| lion.
"Do you not see, continued, that she
has been killed by a vampirci'
| "Thc old Morlaquc bounded like u jackal
and sprang TO his arms, hung over the
| chimney.
| "' Yes he said, { the stranger! the
stranger! =
90 And with one bound he rushed to the
chamber of tho man with tho waxen hands.
"The stranger was not there. Vice. Bag
| lanovich ran allover the village crying ont
for the murderer of his child. A beggar-
man, player on the guzla, had seen the
stranger that very morning, hieing away to-
wards Vorgracz. Vice. l}aganovich sad
died his horse. lIc arrived at Vorgracz the
same evening. The stranger had Just left
the village. They showed Vice. Baglano-
| vich tho road that the man had taken. Vice.
l,aglanovich caught him on the road from
Vorgracz and Kasno. He seized him by the
throat and plunged his poniard into his
neck. The next day Vice. was at Prcstag,
and was present at the funeral of his daugll-
ter. In the evening we were both before the
empty hearth. Tho wind was whisting
outside and the rain falling.
"Suddcnly there was a knock at the door.
1t was | who opened this time, and drew
back terrified. Upon my honor We then saw
enter the man with the waxcn hands, pale,
stiff as corpse, with n gaping wound in his
throat, but n smile on his lips, a calm and
moclting smile. He said nothing. He went
straight to Viccz Baglanovich, who watched
him with wild air; he showed him his fresh
wound and went out. Then Baglanovicl
uttered n cry of rage and rushed out, but Ii,
saw nothing in the profound darkness.
Tomorrow he said, as le came in,
will go along the Kasno road and demand
the body. ] had forgotten that; | will driv,
a stake through its heart. Tie vampire tllei
will not return"
"But," interrupted Madame De Rigny
"your story is horrifying, Marquis, and
really do not know whether | ought to ALLOW
you to continue it. Have pity OH on
+ Sleep"
f On the contrary, the blonde and scltimcn
tai Mile. Do Rigny, who adorcd the novels
of Anne Radclill, voted loudly for the con
tinuation of the story.
~ have finished" said Mr.. De Rouvrc
"TIle body of the stranger had been fount
on the road ly some shepherds and carried
to n neighboring farm. 1t was tlitllcr tina
Vice. Baglanovich was taken.
"' 1t is the body of a vampircn" sal,
the father. IIo has killed my daughter
He took Il stake, slarpened like lance
and plunged into tho breast of the corpse
The vampire then opened his eyes; u flood o
blood spurted from his mouth, and livid Bag
, anovich turned toward tho knccling shop
herds:
"'My children, this one is smitten will
impotence. God wishes us to pray for Thu
liangman and for his victim. Pray for Helen
and pray for him."
At that moment when Gortran de Rouvr
was just finishing his story by adding tina
Vccz Baganovich died of grief, the door q
+ the salon was opened and the servant an
nounccd Mr.. Victor do Bermont. A tai
5 young man was seen to enter, pale, ant
dressed all in black, and rs Mime. ID
ltigny went forward to greet the new conner
aontran uttered cry and became as pale u
u corpse. Mr.. Do Bermont looked at hin
T with astOnisliment and then salutcd hin
I politely.
Madame est serven' said tho lackey
Gontran llastened to Nine Do Rigny.
"Countcss." no said, in u trembling voice
edo you know that man ?''
81 am his godmOther. Where did yo
, come from, Marquis 2"
"Ah | am mad I" said G0IItran. "D
, you known whom thought recognized il
l himN'
"NO."
"Who Z" said Louise, advancing.
"Tho man with the waxen hands !"
. Tho company passed into the dining room
+ where the most magnificent dinner wa
a served. Victor dc Bermont had taken Nine
! Do Rgny's arm. At table he sat directl
opposite Mr.. DE ROuvre and IOliise. GOl
o tran could not keep his eyes off Mr.. De BEL
4 mont.
t "lIow is it," ho asked Louise, "tllat
I have never before seen Mr.. Do Bermont /;
your mothers house p
o F" He was in Germany when you were pr,
6 scented to us; he has only arrived in PAR
: within tho last few days -
o Gontran did not say another word. W
y comes by eating, just ~ appetite. VOltaiI
II fasting must have been unbcarabc. M
Y much was said at the beginning of the repas
I, MIR. Bermont seemed to he absorbed in son
% silent contemplation, and Gontran kel
k watching linn with singular avidity.
NJ truth, Mr.. De- Bermont had soplethii
n strange about him. Thin ami PALE his ia,
a was framed in long black hair, slightly cur
d ing; his straight nose curled over u thi
81 mouth, without mustaches. A sort of ner
a.