the purcell papers-2-第25章

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to　the　wakefulsleep　to　the　sleep…walkers。'



These　and　such　mysterious　and　broken

sentences　she　continued　to　utter　until　the

clergyman　arrived。



Gerard　Douw　began　to　fear；　naturally

enough；　that　the　poor　girl；　owing　to　terror

or　ill…treatment；　had　become　deranged；　and

he　half　suspected；　by　the　suddenness　of

her　appearance；　and　the　unseasonableness

of　the　hour；　and；　above　all；　from　the

wildness　and　terror　of　her　manner；　that　she

had　made　her　escape　from　some　place　of

confinement　for　lunatics；　and　was　in

immediate　fear　of　pursuit。　He　resolved　to

summon　medical　advice　as　soon　as　the

mind　of　his　niece　had　been　in　some

measure　set　at　rest　by　the　offices　of　the

clergyman　whose　attendance　she　had　so

earnestly　desired；　and　until　this　object　had

been　attained；　he　did　not　venture　to　put

any　questions　to　her；　which　might

possibly；　by　reviving　painful　or　horrible

recollections；　increase　her　agitation。



The　clergyman　soon　arriveda　man　of

ascetic　countenance　and　venerable　age

one　whom　Gerard　Douw　respected　much；

forasmuch　as　he　was　a　veteran　polemic；

though　one；　perhaps；　more　dreaded　as　a

combatant　than　beloved　as　a　Christianof

pure　morality；　subtle　brain；　and　frozen

heart。　He　entered　the　chamber　which

communicated　with　that　in　which　Rose

reclined；　and　immediately　on　his　arrival　she

requested　him　to　pray　for　her；　as　for　one　who

lay　in　the　hands　of　Satan；　and　who　could

hope　for　deliveranceonly　from　heaven。



That　our　readers　may　distinctly　understand

all　the　circumstances　of　the　event

which　we　are　about　imperfectly　to　describe；

it　is　necessary　to　state　the　relative　position

of　the　parties　who　were　engaged　in　it。

The　old　clergyman　and　Schalken　were　in

the　anteroom　of　which　we　have　already

spoken；　Rose　lay　in　the　inner　chamber；

the　door　of　which　was　open；　and　by　the

side　of　the　bed；　at　her　urgent　desire；　stood

her　guardian；　a　candle　burned　in　the　bed…

chamber；　and　three　were　lighted　in　the

outer　apartment



The　old　man　now　cleared　his　voice；　as　if

about　to　commence；　but　before　he　had

time　to　begin；　a　sudden　gust　of　air　blew

out　the　candle　which　served　to　illuminate

the　room　in　which　the　poor　girl　lay；　and

she；　with　hurried　alarm；　exclaimed：



'Godfrey；　bring　in　another　candle；　the

darkness　is　unsafe。'



Gerard　Douw；　forgetting　for　the　moment

her　repeated　injunctions　in　the　immediate

impulse；　stepped　from　the　bedchamber　into

the　other；　in　order　to　supply　what　she

desired。



'O　God　I　do　not　go；　dear　uncle！'

shrieked　the　unhappy　girl；　and　at　the

same　time　she　sprang　from　the　bed　and

darted　after　him；　in　order；　by　her　grasp；　to

detain　him。



But　the　warning　came　too　late；　for

scarcely　had　he　passed　the　threshold；　and

hardly　had　his　niece　had　time　to　utter　the

startling　exclamation；　when　the　door　which

divided　the　two　rooms　closed　violently

after　him；　as　if　swung　to　by　a　strong　blast

of　wind。



Schalken　and　he　both　rushed　to　the

door；　but　their　united　and　desperate　efforts

could　not　avail　so　much　as　to　shake　it。



Shriek　after　shriek　burst　from　the　inner

chamber；　with　all　the　piercing　loudness　of

despairing　terror。　Schalken　and　Douw

applied　every　energy　and　strained　every

nerve　to　force　open　the　door；　but　all　in

vain。



There　was　no　sound　of　struggling　from

within；　but　the　screams　seemed　to　increase

in　loudness；　and　at　the　same　time　they

heard　the　bolts　of　the　latticed　window

withdrawn；　and　the　window　itself　grated

upon　the　sill　as　if　thrown　open。



One　LAST　shriek；　so　long　and　piercing

and　agonised　as　to　be　scarcely　human；

swelled　from　the　room；　and　suddenly　there

followed　a　death…like　silence。



A　light　step　was　heard　crossing　the

floor；　as　if　from　the　bed　to　the　window；

and　almost　at　the　same　instant　the　door

gave　way；　and；　yielding　to　the　pressure　of

the　external　applicants；　they　were　nearly

precipitated　into　the　room。　It　was　empty。

The　window　was　open；　and　Schalken

sprang　to　a　chair　and　gazed　out　upon

the　street　and　canal　below。　He　saw　no

form；　but　he　beheld；　or　thought　he　beheld；

the　waters　of　the　broad　canal　beneath

settling　ring　after　ring　in　heavy　circular

ripples；　as　if　a　moment　before　disturbed　by

the　immersion　of　some　large　and　heavy　mass。



No　trace　of　Rose　was　ever　after　discovered；

nor　was　anything　certain　respecting

her　mysterious　wooer　detected　or　even

suspected；　no　clue　whereby　to　trace　the

intricacies　of　the　labyrinth　and　to　arrive　at

a　distinct　conclusion　was　to　be　found。　But

an　incident　occurred；　which；　though　it　will

not　be　received　by　our　rational　readers　as

at　all　approaching　to　evidence　upon　the

matter；　nevertheless　produced　a　strong　and

a　lasting　impression　upon　the　mind　of

Schalken。



Many　years　after　the　events　which　we

have　detailed；　Schalken；　then　remotely

situated；　received　an　intimation　of　his

father's　death；　and　of　his　intended　burial

upon　a　fixed　day　in　the　church　of　Rotterdam。

It　was　necessary　that　a　very　considerable

journey　should　be　performed　by

the　funeral　procession；　which；　as　it　will

readily　be　believed；　was　not　very　numerously

attended。　Schalken　with　difficulty

arrived　in　Rotterdam　late　in　the　day　upon

which　the　funeral　was　appointed　to　take

place。　The　procession　had　not　then　arrived。

Evening　closed　in；　and　still　it　did　not　appear。



Schalken　strolled　down　to　the　church

be　found　it　opennotice　of　the　arrival　of

the　funeral　had　been　given；　and　the　vault

in　which　the　body　was　to　be　laid　had　been

opened。　The　official　who　corresponds　to

our　sexton；　on　seeing　a　well…dressed

gentleman；　whose　object　was　to　attend　the

expected　funeral；　pacing　the　aisle　of　the

church；　hospitably　invited　him　to　share

with　him　the　comforts　of　a　blazing　wood

fire；　which；　as　was　his　custom　in　winter

time　upon　such　occasions；　he　had　kindled

on　the　hearth　of　a　chamber　which　commu…

nicated；　by　a　flight　of　steps；　with　the　vault

below。



In　this　chamber　Schalken　and　his

entertainer　seated　themselves；　and　the　sexton；

after　some　fruitless　attempts　to　engage　his

guest　in　conversation；　was　obliged　to　apply

himself　to　his　tobacco…pipe　and　can　to

solace　his　solitude。



In　spite　of　his　grief　and　cares；　the

fatigues　of　a　rapid　journey　of　nearly　forty

hours　gradually　overcame　the　mind　and

body　of　Godfrey　Schalken；　and　he　sank

into　a　deep　sleep；　from　which　he　was

awakened　by　some　one　shaking　him

gently　by　the　shoulder。　He　first　thought

that　the　old　sexton　had　called　him；　but　HE

was　no　longer　in　the　room。



He　roused　himself；　and　as　soon　as　he

could　clearly　see　what　was　around　him；　he

perceived　a　female　form；　clothed　in　a　kind

of　light　robe　of　muslin；　part　of　which　was

so　disposed　as　to　act　as　a　veil；　and　in　her

hand　she　carried　a　lamp。　She　was　moving

rather　away　from　him；　and　towards　the

flight　of　steps　which　conducted　towards　the

vaults。



Schalken　felt　a　vague　alarm　at　the　sight

of　this　figure；　and　at　the　same　time　an

irresistible　impulse　to　follow　its　guidance。

He　followed　it　towards　the　vaults；　but

when　it　reached　the　head　of　the　stairs；　he

paused；　the　figure　paused　also；　and；　turning

gently　round；　displayed；　by　the　light　of

the　lamp　it　carried；　the　face　and　features

of　his　first　love；　Rose　Velderkaust。　There

was　nothing　horrible；　or　even　sad；　in　the

countenance。　On　the　contrary；　it　wore

the　same　arch　smile　which　used　to　enchant

the　artist　long　before　in　his　happy　days。



A　feeling　of　awe　and　of　interest；　too

intense　to　be　resisted；　prompted　him　to

follow　the　spectre；　if　spectre　it　were。　She

descended　the　stairshe　followed；　and；

turning　to　the　left；　through　a　narrow

passage；　she　led　him；　to　his　infinite

surprise；　into　what　appeared　to　be　an　old…

fashioned　Dutch　apartment；　such　as　the

pictures　of　Gerard　Douw　have　served　to

immortalise。



Abundance　of　costly　antique　furniture

was　disposed　about　the　room；　and　in　one

corner　stood　a