arcely conscious of where he was, and almost incapable of anything in the shape of rational thou

are you

his presence, and he start

, is it you

ry, are y

was in a de

bject," said George, sadly. "I sou

tter

you, and the seal looks as if it

dee

it, and see from

oing to the window to enable Henry t

an t

fliction has fallen upon him. Sir Francis hopes that the genuine and loving sympathy of a neighbour will not be r

ord A

rney!" said Hen

old a few days ago, that a gentleman of that name had

es. Have yo

ave

arance of this place, which, I fear, we shall soon have to part with, would warrant any one believing. I must,

n here, when we come to consider the very cl

t want to make acquaintance with him, and then, as a gentl

, and more particularly under our present circumstances of depression. And now, Henry, you mu

eorge; your health, you kn

shall suffer will do me more harm than the

ongly not to admit it in the case of George, and he therefore made

f us being engaged in this matter, because, should anything occ

that is a gre

d as the beneficial effects of the storm of the preceding evening were still felt in the clearne

the brothers were ready to take their places in th

. Marchdale, yet they gave him the option, and rather in fact urged him

gment than you can have. Should anything again appe

would

ips," said Mr. Marchdale, solem

nds upon it

w you what I tore from it. Look h

buttons. Upon a close inspection, this appeared to be a portion of the lapel of a

shion of garments very man

s if rotten and incapable o

ge unearthly

rchdale, "I must confess it smells to me as

hing of this relic of las

ing to keep up in any one's mind proofs of

ich the figure had worn in his pocket, and then t

limbed high in the heavens, and a night of such brightness a

dale, silently, for she had shown symptoms of restlessness, and th

ousing her, for the room, although smaller than the one she had before occupied,

when the last echo of the sounds had died away, a feeling of uneasin

on is now," said H

hdale. "I feel as if I were assured tha

r than this,

as-it

congratulate us

orge; "it seems to me as if I had nev

very

she m

ight which streamed into the room so brilliantly. They might have closed the shutters of the window, but this they did not like to do, as it woul

ight have thus passed when Mr

from the figure last night, wonderfully resembles in colour and appearance

; but, to tell the honest truth, I dreaded to suggest

ur attention to it," said Mr. Marc

I who am too foolishly sensitive. Now, however, since you have mentioned it, I must own I h

y easily

ase Flora awakens, while you two go if y

diately ro

all events upon this point at once. As George says it

d Mr. Marchdale, wi

a cloudless sky, so that from the house being a detached on

rds might occupy, for the corridor was wide, neither was it directly across, but considerably slanting. However, it wa

ique room, where, from the effect of the moonlight which was stream

as not illuminated by the moon's rays, which came through a window in t

o the dress of the portrait, and one glance was suff

aid Henry, "i

ped the piece of c

even your scepti

t what to

ently aware of my family history to know that this one of my ancestors, I wish

are sure

te s

borative fact of that dreadful supposition we so much shrink fro

towards Mr. Marchdale to say something, when the cautious tread of a

was compelled to lean against the wall for sup

yre! God of heaven, i

urage," cried Mr. Marchdale, and he dashed open

to follow him, and when he reached his side in

me one conce

re-w

l fire a random shot, and

m below; "don't do any s

Chillingworth's vo

erson, too," said the doctor, as he

is?" said

ard to-night outside here, in the hope of catching

u not let me kn

self, my young friend, til

u seen a

I heard something in the

dee

ale, "to descending and taking a hasty

speak to George, who otherwise migh

the bed chamber of Flora

ne here for about half an hour, George, w

care not. Remain here while I f

urned with a sword, which he alwa

this description to pistols much. D

, George, b

er mode of descending to the garden to do so by clambering over the balcony than any other, and the height was not con

"but the fact is, I half made up my mind to come while I was here; but

to you," said Henry, "

by a feeling of the

ed, sir?" sa

of which I know I can depend upon, and I fully intended to run throu

have a brace of pistols here, loaded with ball; will you ta

he whole round of the house; but found all the fas

ey of the park outside the ga

efore they had proceeded

ot the supposed vampyre jumped over last night, and so, from a more elevated position, take a vie

said the doctor.

d for pruning the trees, towards the spot at the end of the long walk, at which the

d then they placed the ladder as near as possible, exactly where Henry, in his bew

here is ample space for us all there to sit on

ir positions on the wall, and, although the height was but trifling, they found that

his," said Mr. Chillingworth, "is amply suffici

perplexities God knows that I would give all I can call mine in the world to relieve you and your sister

d Henry. "If the happiness of myself and family

ingworth," remarked Marchd

r. Chillingwor

t do you hear?

s hand upon Henry'

g lime tree yond

s-y

horizontal line, as near as

pointed to a rising spot of ground, which was yet, in consequence of t

that?"

dale. "By Heaven! it is a hum

as if i

be?" said C

o my eyes, even at this distance, it seems

vam

Now the shadows of the trees gradually

ne presented itself which filled them all with wonder and aston

ouch this figure that lay extended on the rising ground, a perceptible movement took place in it. T

t it now. We must have hit him last night with the pistol bul

ale. But he was the first to recover himself suffici

s figure. It is a duty we owe to

shot, as you well know, Henry. Before we move from this position we now occupy

ing!" excl

te aim, and then, just as the figure seemed to be struggling

hit it," s

claimed the doctor. "

t seem to you that, hit it as often as y

Henry, "they w

, as he sprung from the wall. "Follow me or not, as y

hdale. "See, it rises again,

s he drew the sword he had spoken of from the stick, and thre

rom the wall, and then Marc

I will n

got to it, the form rose and made rapidly towards a little

cried the doctor. "See how it glance

t, Henry," s

if it did, by the vampyre, which gained the wood before they could have a hop

pen country I would have pursued it closely; but

" said Henry. "It is envel

worth, "as to wish you to follow into such a plac

hdale. "What on ea

ared that I will, so help me God! spare neither time nor trouble in the unravelling of this most fe

llingworth, "such as might have been fash

mpression," ad

mpass of the wildest belief that what we have seen is a vampyre, and

evidence of mental suffering, that Mr. C

f this at present; you will but

-no

h excited about this matter to pursue it with the

d Marchdale, "take advice

will yield to you, who, as you say, are cooler on this subject than

ed so rapidly and so suddenly in his family, which had had quite enough to contend with without having superadded to every other evil the ho

e; he could not contend now against all the corroborating circumstances that seemed to collect together for the purpose of proving that which, even when

home, "that such things are possible; but the pr

e, solemnly, "in Heaven, and on earth,

it appears," said

nvert?" said Henr

vert t

f in-in-the

in a room full of vampyres, I would tell t

at we have se

have w

yourself

d then to be shot, but whether he was or not he only knows; and then

bination with others, have you not a terrible

belief of such an outrage upon Heaven as one

you; but the circumstance str

o consider, it is that, from all we have seen, there seems to be some things which would favour an opinion,

as the same,

ted i

nd

that something might be done to set

t-wh

your ances

derstand

gworth; "you would propos

end to assist in making this affair clearer, and divesting

ouse for some momen

the family, no doubt occupies place in the

chdale, "to get into that vault w

he vault is in the flooring of the pew whi

e done?" asked M

undoub

adventure?" said Mr. Chilling

singly; "I will think of it. About such a proposition I would no

cert

turb him on his lonely watch. The morning was now again dawning, and Henry earnestly entreated Mr. Marchdale to go to bed, which he d

some hours upon that subject, as well as upon others of great importance to their welfare. It was not until the sun's early rays