Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-30
n his replies that had only my trouble for my


| invitation Roger consented to join me with ;
| glass of wine at the roadside inn, although b.
| excused himself from eating anything. Tn,
/ table had been set on the veranda, and tn,
night was beautiful that we sat there
smoking and chatting until after IL. Suddenly
| as / drew Saiut-Gery's letter out of my pocket
| to nv amazement noticed that he hal sealel
| it. / was so surprised and lrritated that wa
half inclined to mount my horse and return II
| Rouen without tie letters, but it occurred Il
| me that such q course would not be in the bes
| of taste. Then again perhaps Saint-Gery nigh
| have sealed the letter in moment OF absent
mndedness. made an excuse to walk toward
| the park and as came In sight OF the ole
chateau it was quite Light enough to see thai
the place was sadly run down, the paths over.
grown. the hedges neglected, the garden filled
with weeds. Turning to Roger placed Saint
Gery's letter in his hand. He gave a sudden
start but as quickly recovered himself and
withdrew to the gardeners lodge to read it.
well sir what do You wish?' he stammered
out as he reappeared at the door moment
after.
'You ought to know" said 1 rather sharply.
81 suppose you have read your masters orders.
| desire to go inside the chateau Get me
lamp at once"
He caught his breath and his lips fell apart.
Unto the chateau" he repeated, into his
room2'
We'll" called out angrily, for was now
thoroughly out of patience, do you presume
to question me?"
"Oh. mono, SIR" he almost gasped. 'only II
is impossible. The place is locked, doubly
locked and barred-rm powerless to act
Monsieur has the keys"
"You are wrong. 1 have them" said
calmly, but firmly. "Get me a lamp at once
and lead the way to the door
The man seemed to be laboring under some
dreadful anxiety, but took but little note OF
his manner. 1 was well armed and kept an eye
on him. As l advanced TO set the key In the
door he plucked up courage to make a last at
tempt to stay my progress. but this lmpertl-
nent opposition on his part now rolled me to
such an extent that, taking the lamp out of the
mans hands, pushed him violently aside. He
staggered back, utterly limp and helpless, his
face. as L imagined. blanched with anger. l
discovered that had entered the house by the
kitchen, which now traversed. then two small
living apartments in the nature of a servants
hail. This brought me into the main hallway
and rapidly as l could-for the lamp was OF
bronze and extremely heavy. made my way up
the grand staircase of the chateau. and had no
diffic ulty in recognizing the door which Saint
Gerry had described to me. l unlocked it as
calmly as if it were the door OF my quarters at
Rouen, pushed 1t open, walked In and set the
lamp on the heavy oak center table. As did
SO the clock in the neighboring chapel struck
the hour of midnight, but L scarcely noted 1t
save to enjoy the mysterious sweetness of the
tones as they broke the midnight stiffness of the
place.
The room was large and square and had
about il that close and musty odor of an unused
apartment-an odor strangely like that which
you SO often notice in a death chamber. In
one corner stood a large mahogany bedstead,
richly carved and surmounted with a canopy.
The heavy silk curtains were drawn aside dis
closing mattress and pillows, but no sheets.
There was aneyident impress of a human figure
upon the side away from the wall. could see
that the room was more or less in disorder and
that there was one door opening, as imagine,
into a closet.
dow and let the cool, fresh night air into the
place to chase out Us smell of mold and must
but so rusted were the fastenings that, although
made use of my saber as a lever, l couldn't
start them
After several attempts 1 gave it up and sat
down on a sofa in front of the writing desk
with the intention OF hurrying through the
task assigned me and of making my escape
Every thing was as Ssint-Gery had described it
to me. and In a moment or SO / had found all
but the last of the three packages indicated,
when thought heard or rather felt the rustic
of a woman S skirts behind me, but 1 was too
busy to pay any attention to it. In fact, it half
occurred to me that the breeze had blown in
from the hallway and stirred bit of paper on
the floor or caused the hangings to give forth
rustling sound. But in q moment the same
sound again caught my ear and this time it sent
1t seemed so silly to me to take any note Of such
a thing that my self-respect would not allow me
to look around.
had now come upon the third Of the pack
ages which Saint-Gery had commissioned me
to obtain for him and had just thrust it into
my pocket when o deep, long-drawn sigh,
which naught but human lips could have sent
forth, escaped almost against my cheek. With
one wild spring l landed several feet away and
almost instinctively my hand clutched nv
saber belt Had not done so / should have
dashed like coward out Of that dimly lighted
room.
tall woman wearing travelling gown Of
white gosslmer, with angel sleeves. her face
winter than her rainment, was standing behind
the sofa with eyes that seemed lighted with I'M
earthly glow fixed sadly and tenderly upon me-
Over her shoulders. reaching almost to her
feet. hung a wonderful growth of hair, cover
ing her. enveiOping her like a living veil BY
the lamp light. as she raised her hand and put
back these glorious tresses, could see that they
had golden sheen which gave her the appear
ance of being literally wrapped i'll mysterious
fire that glowed without consuming She was
wonderfully but fearfully beautiful and un-
earthly was stricken with such a tremor
that my body swayed and only by the greatest
effort could save myself from pitching over
backward.
Nobody, unless he has been stricken by it,
can have any idea of this awful and senseless
terror lou feel your soul slipping away like
escaping vapor. Your heart comes to q dead
standstlll. Your whole body grows inert and
limp and like an empty tenement. Its walls
seem ready to collapse upon the void. Oh. no,
didn't believe IN ghosts. l knew, like all the
rest OF you, that the dead never come from
their graves to walk the cold, damp earth
again, but yet this senseless fear OF them came
upon me nevertheless. This fair apparition
WAS hldeous to me and in those few instants
suffered oh. l suffered more of irresistible
agony, more of awful dread OF the supernatural
than In my whole life put together.