Varney, the vampyre : or, The Feast of blood

Chapter I. Midnight

— THE HAIL-ST0R3I. — THE DREADFUL VISITOR. — THE VAMPYRE. The solemn tones of an old cathedral clock have announced midnight — that hror when aU the superstitious fear with with which humanity, even in a partially educated state, is pervaded; and the hour when the feathery leaf falling from the ripo tree in autumn will produce nn undefined iVnv — when themerest trifle wi)1. send the mind wandering in the land of spirits and r f dreams — the air is thick and heavy, a strange, death-like stillness pervades aV nature. Like the ominous calm which piecedes some more than usually terrifi' outbreak of the elements, they seem to have paused even in their ordinary fluctuations, to gather a terrific strength sot the great effort. A faint peal of thundet now comes from far off. Like a signal gun for the battle of the winds to brgin, ir < appeared to awaken them from their lethargy, and one awful, warring hurri cane swept over a whole city, proelucin; more devastation in the four or five minute it lasted, than would a half century of ordinary phenomena.

It was as if some giant had blown uteri a toy town, and scattered the bnildinps ; before the hot blast of his terrific anger with ro. i. ; OR, 2 the great effort. A faint peal of thunder now comes from far off. Like a signal gun for the battle of the winds to begin, it appeared to awaken them from their lethargy, and one awful, warring hurricane swept over a whole city, producing more devastation in the four or five minutes it lasted, than would a half century of ordi nary phenomena. of carved walnut-wood ia it made, rich in design and elaborate in execution ; one of those works of art which owe their ex istence to the Elizabethan era. It is hung with heavy silken and damask furnishin.' ; nodding feathers are at its corners — covered with dust are they, and they lend a funereal aspect to the room.

The floor is of polished oak. God ! how the hail dashes on the old bay window ! Like an occasional discharge of mimic musketry, it comes clashing, beat ing, and cracking upon the small panes ; but they resist it — their small size saves them ; the wind, the hail, the rain, expend their fury in vain. The bed in that old chamber is occupied. A creature formed in all fashions of loveliness lies in a half sleep upon that ancient couch — a girl, young grid beautiful as a spring morning. Her lo'ng hair has escaped from its confinement, and streams over the blackened coverings of the bedstead ; she has been restless in her sleep, sor the clothing of the bed is in much confusion. One arm is over her head, the other hangs nearly off the side of the bed near to which she lies. A neck and bosom that would have formed a study for the rarest sculptor that ever Providence gave genius to, were halt disclosed.

She moaned slight:y in her sleep, and once or twice the lips moved as if in prayer — at least one might judge so, for the name of Him who suffered for all came once saintly from them. It was as if some giant had blown upon some toy town, and scattered many of the buildings before the hot blast of his terrific breath ; for as suddenly as that blast of wind had come did it cease, and all was as still and calm as before. Sleepers awakened, and thought that wbat they had heard must be the confused chimera of a dream. They trembled and turned to sleep again. All is still— still as the very grave. Not a sound breaks the magic of repose. What is that — a strange, pattering noise, as of a million of fairy feet ? It is hail — yes, a hail-storm has burst over the city. Leaves are dashed from the trees, mingled with small boughs ; windows that lio most op posed to the direct fury of the pelting par ticles of ice are broken, and the rapt re pose that before was so remarkable in its intensity, is exchanged for a noise whicb, in its accumulation, drowns every cry of surprise or consternation which here and there arose from persons wbo found their houses invaded by the storm.

Now and then, too, there would come a sudden gust of wind, that in its strength, as it blew laterally, would, for a moment, hold millions of the hailstones suspended in mid air, but it was only to dash them with re doubled force in some new direction, where more mischief was to de done. She has endured much fatigue, and the storm does not awaken her ; but it can dis turb the slumbers it does not possess the power to destroy entirely. The turmoil of the elements wakes the senses, although it cannot entirely break the repose they have lapsed into. Oh, what a world of witchery was in that moMth, slightly parted, and exhibiting within the pearly teeth that glistened even in the faint light that came from that bay window ! How s weetly the long silken eyelashes lay upon the cheek. Now she moves, and one shoulder is entirely visible — whiter, fairer than the spotless clothing of the bed on wbich she hes, is the smooth skin of that fair creature, just budding into womanhood, and in that transition state which presents to us all che charms of the girl — almost of the child, with the more matured beauty and gentlenessof advancing years.

Was tbat lightning ? Yes— an awful, vivid, terrifying flash— then a roaring peal of thunder, as if a thousand mountains were rolling one over the other in the blue vault of Heaven ! Who sleeps now in that ancient city ? Not one living soul. The Ob, how the storm raged ! Hail — rain wind. It was, iu very truth, an awful night. * • • • There is an antique chamber in an an cient house. Curious and quaint carvings adorn the walls, and the large chimney piece is a curiosity of itself. The ceiling is low, and a large bay window, from roof to floor, looks to the west. The window is latticed, and filled with curiously painted glass and rich stained pieces, which send in a strange, yet beautiful light, when sun or moon shines into the apartment. There is but one portrait in that room, although the walls seem panelled for the express purpose of containing a series of pictures.

That portrait is of a young man, with a pale face, a stately brow, and a strange expression about the eyes, which no one tared to look on twice. There is a stately bed in that chamber, dread trumpet of eternity could not more effectually have awakened any one. The hail continues. The wind continues. The uproar of the elements seems at its height. Now she awakens— that beautiful girl on tbe antique bed ; she opens those eyes of celestial blue, and a faint cry of alarm burst from her lips. At least it is a cry which, amid the noise and turmoil with out, sounds but faint and weak. She sits upon the bed, and presses her hands upon her eyes. Heavens ! what a wild torrent of wind, and rain, and hail! The thunder likewise seems intent upon awakening sufficient echoes to last until the next flash of forked lightning should again produce the wild concussion ofthe air.

She murand clattering of tbe nails continue. No word is spoken, and now she fancies she can trace the darker form of that figure against the window, and she can see the long arms moving to and fro, feeling sor some mode of entrance. What strange light is that which now gradually creeps up into the air? red aud terrible — brighter and brighter it grows. The lightning has set fire to a mill, and the reflection of the rapidly consuming building falls upon that long window. There cau be no mistake. The figure is there, still feeling for an entrance, and scratching against the glass with its long nails, that appear as if the growth of many years had been untouched. She tries to scream again, but a choking sensation comes over her, and she cannot. It is too dreadful — she tries to move — each limb seems weighed down by tons of lead — she can but in a hoarse fain' whisper cry, — "Help— help — help — help !"

And that one word she repeats like i person in a dream. The red glare of the fire continues. It throws up the tall gaunt figure in hideous relief against the long window. It shines, too, upon the one portrait that is in the chamber, and that portrait appears to fix its eyes upon the attempting intruder, while the flickering light j from the fire makes it look fearfully life-like. A small pane of glass is broken, and the form from without introduces a long gaunt hand, which seem* utterly destitute of flesh. The fastening ia removed, and one-half of the window, which opens like folding doors, is swung wide open upon its | hinges. murs a prayer — a prayer for those she loves best ; the names of those dear to her gentle heart come from her lips ; she weeps and prays; she thinks then of what devastation the storm must surely produce, and to the j great God of Heaven she prays for all living things.

Another flash — a wild, blue, bewildering flashof lightning streams across that bay window, for an instant bringing o it every colour in it with terrible distinct ness. A shriek bursts from the lips of the young girl, and then, with eyes fixed upon that window, which, in another moment, is all darkness, and with such an expression of terror upon her face as it had never bjfore known, she trembled, and the per spiration of intense fear stood upon her b o\v. " What — what was it?" she gasped ; ! " real, or a delusion ? Ob, God, what was it ? A figure, tall and gaunt, endeavouring from the outside to unclasp the window. I saw it. That flash of lightniDg revealed it to me. It stood the whole length of the window." And yet now she could not scream — she could not move. " Help ! —help ! — help !" was all she could say.

But, oh, that look of terror that sat upon her face, it was dreadful — a look to haunt the memory for a life-time — a look to obtrude itself upon the happiest moments, and turn them to bitterness. The figure turns half round, and tne light falls upon tbe face. It is perfectly white — perfectly bloodless. The eyes look like polished tin ; the lips are drawn bacl-e, and the principal feature next to those dreadful eyes is the teeth — the fearful looking teeth — projecting like those of some wild animal, hideously, glaringly white, and fang-like. It approaches the bed with a strange, gliding movement. It clashes together the long nails that literally appeal to hang from the finger ends. No sounc'r comes from its lips. Is she going mad that youug and beautiful girl exposed tc so much terror ? She has drawn up ali her limbs ; she cannot even now say help Thi. power of articulation is gone, but the por/e: There was a lull ofthe wind.

The hail was not falling so thickly — moreover, it now fell, what there was of it, straight, and yet a strange clattering sound came upon the glass of that long window. It could not be a delusion — she is awake, and she hears it. What can produce it? Another flash of lightning — another shriek — there could be now no delusion. A tall figure is standing on the ledge immediately outside the long window. It is its finger* nails upon the glass that pro duces the sound so like the hail, now that the hail has ceased. Intense fear paralysed tho limbs of that beautiful girl. That one 6trriek is all she can utter — with hands clasped, a face ot marble, a heart beating so wildly in her bosom that each moment it seems as if it would break its confines, eyes distended and fixed upon the window, Bhe waits, froze with horror.

The pattering ; OR, 4 of movement has returned to her ; she can 1 draw herself slowlv along ro the other side of the bed from that towards which the hideous appearance is coming. But her eves are fascinated. The glance of a serpent could not have produced a greater effect upon her thau did the fixed gsze of those awfu', metallic-looking eyes that were bent on her face. Crouching down so that the gigantic height was lost, and the horrible, protruding, white face was the most prominent object, came on the figure. AVhat was it?— what did it want there?— what made it look so hideens— so unlike an inhabitant of the earth, and yet to be on it? Now she has got to the verge ofthe bed, and the figure pauses. It seemed as if when it paused she lost the power to proceed. The clothing of the bed was now clutched in her hands with unconscious power.

She drew her breath short aud thick. Her bosom heaves, and her limbs tremble, yet she cannot withdraw her eyes from that marble-looking face, lie holds her with h s glittering eye. The storm has ceased— all is still. The winds are hushed ; the church clock proc aims the hour of one: a hissing sound c jmes from the throat ofthe hideous being, and he raises his long, gaunt arms— the lips move. He advances. The girl places one small foot from the bed on to the floor. She is unconsciously dragging the clothing with her. The door of the room is in that i direction— can she reach it ? Has she power to walk ? — can she withdraw her eyes from the face of the intruder, and so b'eak the hideous charm ? God of Heaven ! is it real, or some dream so like reality as to nearly overturn the judgment s_rr ever ? ) The figure has paused again, and half on the bed and half out of it that young girl lies trembling.

Her long hair streams across the entire width of the bed. As she has slowly moved along, she has left it streaming across the pillows. The pause lasted about a minute — -oh, what an age of I atjony ! That minute was, intleed, enough lor madness to do its full work in ! With a sudden rush that could not be foreseen — with a strange howling cry that was enough to awaken terror in every breast, the figure seized the long tresses of her hair, and twining them round his bory hands, he held her to the bed. Then she screamed — Heaven granted her then pe tver to scream. Shriek followed shriek ir, rapid succession. Tho bed-clothes fell in a heap by tho side of the bed — she was dragged by her long silken hair com- ! jiletely on to it a^ain. Her beautifullyrounded limbs quivered with the agony of her soul.

The glassy, horrible eyes of the figure ran over that angelic lorm with a hideous satisfaction— horrible profanation. He drags hor head to the bed's edge— he forces it back by the long hair still en twined in his grasp. With a plunge, he seizes her neck in his fang-like teeth— a gush of blood, and a hideous sucking noise follows. The girl has swooned, and the vatnpVre is at his hideous repast! « * * * C II AFTER II. THE ALARM.— THE rlSTOL SHOT.— THE PURSUIT AND ITS CO.NSEQUEXOLS. ghis flashed about the building, and various room doors opened; voices called one to tl e other. There was an universal stir and c ommotion among the in habitants, " D:d you hear a scream, Harry?" asked a young man, half-dressed, as he walked ir,to the chamber of another about his owl age. " I did— whence was it?"

" God knows. I dressed myself di rectly." " All is still now." " Yes ; but unless I was dreaming there was a scream." " We could not both dream there was. Where did you think it came from?" •'It burst so suddenly upon my ears that I cannot say." There was a tap now at the door of tho room were these young men were, and a female voice said,— "For God's sake, get up!" "We are up," said both the young men, appearing. " Did you hear anything?" " Yes, a scream." "Oh, search the house — search the house ; where did it come from — can you • tdl?" " Indeed we cannot, mother." Another person now joined the party. He was a man of middle age, and, as ho 1 came up to them, ha said, — " Good God ! what is the matter?" Scarcely had the words passed his lips, ' than sucb a rapid succession of shrieks came upon their ears, that they felt abso lutely stunned by them.

Theelderlylady, whom one of the young men had called mother, fainted, and would have fallen to the floor of the corridor in which they all stood, had 6he not been promptly supported by the last comer, who himself staggered, as those piercing cries came upon the night air. He, however, was the first to recover, for the young men seemed paralysed. "Henry," he cried, "for God's sake support your mother. Can you doubt that these cries come from Flora's room ?" it, but it did move, with a harsh, cracking sonnd. " Push it," cried he who was tuing the bar, " push the door at the same time." The younger man did so. For a few moments the massive door resisted. Then, suddenly, something gave way with a loud snap — it was a part of the lock — and the door at once swung wide open. How true it is that we measure time by the events which happen within a given space of it, rather than by its actual dura tion !

To those who were engaged in foicing open the door of the antique chamber, whereslepttheyounggiil whom they named Flora, each moment was swelled into an hour of agony ; but, in reality, from tbe first moment of tbe alarm to that when the loud cracking noise heralded the destruction of the fastenings of the door, there had elapsed but very few minutes indeed. "It opens — it opens !" cried the young man. The young man mechanically supported his mother, and then thc man who had just spoken darted back to his own bed-room, from whence he returned in a moment with a pair of pistols, and shouting — "Follow me, who can !" he bounded across the corridor in the direction of ihe antique apartment, from whence the cries proceeded, but wbich were now hushed. That house was built for strength, and the doors were all of oak, and of considerable thickness.

Unhappily they had fastenings within, 60 that when the man reached the chamber of her who so much required help, he was helpless, for the door Was fast. "Another moment," said the stranger, as he still plied the crow-bar — " another moment, and we shall have free ingress to the chamber. Be patient." This stranger's name was Marchdale ; and, even as he spoke, he succeeded in throwing the massive door wide open, and clearing the passage to the chamber. To rush in with a light in his hand was the work of a moment to the young man named Henry ; but the very rapid pro gress he made into the apartment prevented him from observing accurately what it contained, for the wind that came in from the open window caught the flame of tbe candle, and although it did not actually extinguish it, it blew it so much on one side, that it was comparatively useless as a light.

" Flora— Flora !" he cried. " Flora ! Flora !" he cried ; " Flora, speak !" All was still. " Good God !" he added ; " we must force the door." " I hear a strange noise within," said the young man, who trembled violently. " And so do I. What does it sound like ?" " I scarcely know ; but it nearest resem bles some animal eating, or sucking some liquid." " What on earth can it be ? Have you no weapon that will force the door ? I shall go mad if I am kept here." " I have," said the young man. " Wait here a moment." Then, with a sudden bound, something dashed from off the bed. The concussion against him was so sudden and so utterly unexpected, as well as so tremendously violent, that he was thrown down, and, in his fall, the light was fairly extinguished. All was darkness, save a dull, reddish kind of light that now and then, from the nearly consumed mill in the immediate vicinity, came into the room.

But by that light, dim, uncertain, and flickering as it was, some one was seen to make for the window. He ran down the staircase, and presently returned with a small, but powerful, iron crow-bar. " This will do," he said. " It will, it will. Give it to me." " Has she not spoken ?" " Not a word. My mind misgives me that something very dreadful must have happened to her." "And that odd noise ?" Henry, although nearly stunned by his fall, saw a figure, gigantic in height, which nearly reached from the floor to the ceil ing. The other young man, George, saw it, and Mr. Marchdale likewise sa-v it, as did the lady who had spoken to the two " Still goes on. Somehow, it curdles thc very blood in my veins to hear it." The man took the crow-bar, and with some difficulty succeeded in introducing it between the door and the side of the wall ■still it required great strength to move OR, 6 from the natural formation of the coun. tenahce, the lips receded much from the large canine-looking teeth.

A strango howling noise came from the throat of this monstrous figure, and it seemed upon the point of rushing upon Mr. Marchdale. Suddenly, then, as if some impulse had seized upon it, it uttered a wild and terrible shrieking kind of laugh ; and then turning, dashed through the window, and in one instant disappeared from before the eyes of those who felt nearly annihilated by its fearful presence. " God help us !" ejaculated Henry. young men in tbe corridor when first the screams of the young girl awakened alarm in the breasts of all the inhabitants of that house. The figure was about to pass out at the window which led to a kind of balcony, from whence there was an easy descent to a garden. Before it passed out, they each and all caught a glimpse of the sideface, and they saw that the lower part of it and the lips were dabbled in blood.

They saw, too, one of those fearful-looking, shining, me tallic eyes, which presented so terrible an appearance of unearthly ferocity. No wonder that, for a moment, a panic seized them all, which paralysed any exer tions they might otherwise have made to detain that hideous form. But Mr. Marchdale was a man of ma ture years ; he had seen much of life, both in this and in foreign land3 ; and he, although astonished to the extent of being frightened, was much more likely to re cover sooner than his younger companions, which, indeed, he did, and acted promptly enough. Mr. Marchdale drew a long breath, and then, giving a stamp on the floor, aa if to recover himself from the stAte of agita tion into which even he was thrown, he cried — • " Be it what or who it may, I'll follow it." " No — no— do not," cried the lady.

" I must — I will. Let who will come with me, I follow that dreadful form." As he spoke, he took the road it took, and dashed through the window into the balcony. " And we, too, George," exclaimed Henry; "we will follow Mr. Marchdale. This dreadful affair concerns us more nearly than it does him." " Don't rise, Henry," he cried. " Lie still." Almost at the moment he uttered these words, he fired at the figure, which then occupied the window, as if it were a gigantic figure set in a frame. The report was tremendous in that chamber, for the pistol was no toy weapon, but one made for actual service, and of sufficient length and bore of barrel to carry destruction along with the bullets that came from it. The lady, who was the mother of these young men, and of the beautiful girl who had been so awfully visited, screamed aloud and implored of them to stay.

But tbe voice of Mr. Marchdale was heard ex claiming aloud — " I see it— I see it ; it makes for the wall." " If that has missed its aim," said Mr. Marchdale, " I'll never pull a trigger again." As he spoke, he dashed forward, and made a clutch at the figure he thought he had shot. They hesitated no longer, but at once rushed into the balcony, and from thence dropped into the garden. The mother approached the bed-side of the insensible, perhaps the murdered girl ; she saw her, to all appearance, weltering in blood, and, overcome by her emotions, she fainted on the floor of the room. The tall form turned upon bim, and when he got a full view of the face, which he did at that moment, from the opportune circumstance of the lady returning at the instant with a light she had been to her own chamber to procure, even he, March dale, with all his courage, and that was great, and all his nervous energy, recoiled a step or two, and uttered the exclamation of, "Great God!"

That face was one never to be forgotten. It was hideously flushed with colour — the colour of fresh blood ; the eyes had a savage and remarkable lustre ; whereas, before, they had looked liked polished tin — they now wore a ten times brighter aspect, and flashes of light seemed to dart from them. The mouth was open, as if, When the two young men reached the garden, they found it much lighter than might have been fairly expected ; for not only was the morning rapidly approaching, but the mill was still burning, and those mingled lights made almost every object plainly visible, except when deep shadows were thrown from some gigantic trees that had stood for centuries in that sweetly wooded spot. They heard the voice of Mr. Marchdale, aa he cried — " There — there — towards the wall. There — there — God ! how it bounds along !"

The joung men hastily dashed through a thicket in the direction from whence the full at the tall form, with a steady aim. He pulled the trigger — the explosion followed, and that the bullet did its office there could be no manner of doubt, for the figure gave a howling shriek, and fell headlong from tho wa1], on the outside. '■ I have shot him," cried Henry, " I have shot him." vin'ce sounded, and then they found him looking wild and terrified, and with some thing in his hand which looked like a por tion of clothing. " Which way — which way V they both cried in a breath. Ifo leant heavily on the arm of George, as he pointed along a vista of trees, and said, in a low voice — " God help us all ! It is not human. Look there — look there— do you not see it?"

Chapter III

, They looked in the direction he indi cated. At the end of this vista was the wall of the garden. At that point it was full twelve feet in height, and as they looked, they saw the hideous, monstrous form they had traced from the chamber of their sister, making frantic efforts to clear the obstacle. THE DISAPPEARANCE OP THE BODY. — FLORA'S RECOVERY AND MADNESS. — THE OFFER OF ASSISTANCE FROM SIR FBAN- CIS VARNEY. ie is human 1" j cried Henry ; j "I have surely 5 killed bim." Then they saw it bound from the ground to the top of the wall, which it very nearly reached, and then each time it fell back again into the garden with such a dull, heavy sound, that the earth seemed to shake again with the concussion. They trembled— well indeed they might, and sor some minutes they watched tbe figure making its fruitless efforts to leave the place.

"What— what is it?" wbisped Henry, in hoarse accents. " God, what can it possibly be?" " I know not," replied Mr. Marchdale, " I did seize it. It was cold and clammy like a corpse. It cannot be human." "Not human?" "It would seem so," said Mr. March dale. " Let us hurry round to the outside of the wall, and see where he lies." This was at once agreed to, and the whole three of them made what expedition they could to wards a gate which led into a paddock, across which they hurried, and soon found themselves clear of the garden-wall, so that they could make way towards where they fully expected to find the body of him who had worn so unearthly an aspect, but who it would be an excessive reUef to find was human. " Look at it now. It will surely escape now." " No, no — we will not be terrified thus — ■there is Heaven above us.