Varney the Vampire. James Malcolm Rymer

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      "Yes, it was so. When I was introduced to him I found him lying on a couch, and looking pale and unwell. In the most respectful manner, he asked me to be seated, and when I had taken a chair, he added—

      "'Mr. Chillingworth, I have sent for you in consequence of a slight accident which has happened to my arm. I was incautiously loading some fire-arms, and discharged a pistol so close to me that the bullet inflicted a wound on my arm.'

      "'If you will allow me," said I, 'to see the wound, I will give you my opinion.'

      "He then showed me a jagged wound, which had evidently been caused by the passage of a bullet, which, had it gone a little deeper, must have inflicted serious injury. As it was, the wound was but trifling.

      "He had evidently been attempting to dress it himself, but finding some considerable inflammation, he very likely got a little alarmed."

      "You dressed the wound?"

      "I did."

      "And what do you think of Sir Francis Varney, now that you have had so capital an opportunity," said Henry, "of a close examination of him?"

      "Why, there is certainly something odd about him which I cannot well define, but, take him altogether, he can be a very gentlemanly man indeed."

      "So he can."

      "His manners are easy and polished; he has evidently mixed in good society, and I never, in all my life, heard such a sweet, soft, winning voice."

      "That is strictly him. You noticed, I presume, his great likeness to the portrait on the panel?"

      "I did. At some moments, and viewing his face in some particular lights, it showed much more strongly than at others. My impression was that he could, when he liked, look much more like the portrait on the panel than when he allowed his face to assume its ordinary appearance."

      "Probably such an impression would be produced upon your mind," said Charles, "by some accidental expression of the countenance which even he was not aware of, and which often occurs in families."

      "It may be so."

      "Of course you did not hint, sir, at what has passed here with regard to him?" said Henry.

      "I did not. Being, you see, called in professionally, I had no right to take advantage of that circumstance to make any remarks to him about his private affairs."

      "Certainly not."

      "It was all one to me whether he was a vampyre or not, professionally, and however deeply I might feel, personally, interested in the matter, I said nothing to him about it, because, you see, if I had, he would have had a fair opportunity of saying at once, 'Pray, sir, what is that to you?' and I should have been at a loss what to reply."

      "Can we doubt," said Henry, "but that this very wound has been inflicted upon Sir Francis Varney, by the pistol-bullet which was discharged at him by Flora?"

      "Everything leads to such an assumption certainly," said Charles Holland.

      "And yet you cannot even deduce from that the absolute fact of Sir Francis Varney being a vampyre?"

      "I do not think, Mr. Chillingworth," said Marchdale, "anything would convince you but a visit from him, and an actual attempt to fasten upon some of your own veins."

      "That would not convince me," said Chillingworth.

      "Then you will not be convinced?"

      "I certainly will not. I mean to hold out to the last. I said at the first, and I say so still, that I never will give way to this most outrageous superstition."

      "I wish I could think with you," said Marchdale, with a shudder; "but there may be something in the very atmosphere of this house which has been rendered hideous by the awful visits that have been made to it, which forbids me to disbelieve in those things which others more happily situated can hold at arm's length, and utterly repudiate."

      "There may be," said Henry; "but as to that, I think, after the very strongly expressed wish of Flora, I will decide upon leaving the house."

      "Will you sell it or let it?"

      "The latter I should much prefer," was the reply.

      "But who will take it now, except Sir Francis Varney? Why not at once let him have it? I am well aware that this does sound odd advice, but remember, we are all the creatures of circumstances, and that, in some cases where we least like it, we must swim with the stream."

      "That you will not decide upon, however, at present," said Charles Holland, as he rose.

      "Certainly not; a few days can make no difference."

      "None for the worse, certainly, and possibly much for the better."

      "Be it so; we will wait."

      "Uncle," said Charles, "will you spare me half an hour of your company?"

      "An hour, my boy, if you want it," said the admiral, rising from his chair.

      "Then this consultation is over," said Henry, "and we quite understand that to leave the Hall is a matter determined on, and that in a few days a decision shall be come to as to whether Varney the Vampyre shall be its tenant or not."

      CHAPTER XXIII.

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      THE ADMIRAL'S ADVICE TO CHARLES HOLLAND.—THE CHALLENGE TO THE VAMPYRE.

      When Charles Holland got his uncle into a room by themselves, he said—

      "Uncle, you are a seaman, and accustomed to decide upon matters of honour. I look upon myself as having been most grievously insulted by this Sir Francis Varney. All accounts agree in representing him as a gentleman. He goes openly by a title, which, if it were not his, could easily be contradicted; therefore, on the score of position in life, there is no fault to find with him. What would you do if you were insulted by a gentleman?"

      The old admiral's eyes sparkled, and he looked comically in the face of Charles, as he said—

      "I know now where you are steering."

      "What would you do, uncle?"

      "Fight him!"

      "I knew you would say so, and that's just what I want to do as regards Sir Francis Varney."

      "Well, my boy, I don't know that you can do better. He must be a thundering rascal, whether he is a vampyre or not; so if you feel that he has insulted you, fight him by all means, Charles."

      "I am much pleased, uncle, to find that you take my view of the subject," СКАЧАТЬ