Complete Works of Bram Stoker (515 page)

“And I have, ere this, spoken to you of love unchecked.”

“Yes, yes. Before this.”

“And now, wherefore not now? Do not tell me you are changed.”

“I am changed, Charles. Fearfully changed. The curse of God has fallen upon me, I know not why. I know not that in word or in thought I have done evil, except perchance unwittingly, and yet  —  the vampyre.”

“Let not that affright you.”

“Affright me! It has killed me.”

“Nay, Flora,  —  you think too much of what I still hope to be susceptible of far more rational explanation.”

“By your own words, then, Charles, I must convict you. I cannot, I dare not be yours, while such a dreadful circumstance is hanging over me, Charles; if a more rational explanation than the hideous one which my own fancy gives to the form that visits me can be found, find it, and rescue me from despair and from madness.”

They had now reached the summer-house, and as Flora uttered these words she threw herself on to a seat, and covering her beautiful face with her hands, she sobbed convulsively.

“You have spoken,” said Charles, dejectedly. “I have heard that which you wished to say to me.”

“No, no. Not all, Charles.”

“I will be patient, then, although what more you may have to add should tear my very heart-strings.”

“I  —  I have to add, Charles,” she said, in a tremulous voice, “that justice, religion, mercy  —  every human attribute which bears the name of virtue, calls loudly upon me no longer to hold you to vows made under different auspices.”

“Go on, Flora.”

“I then implore you, Charles, finding me what I am, to leave me to the fate which it has pleased Heaven to cast upon me. I do not ask you, Charles, not to love me.”

“‘Tis well. Go on, Flora.”

“Because I should like to think that, although I might never see you more, you loved me still. But you must think seldom of me, and you must endeavour to be happy with some other  —  ”

“You cannot, Flora, pursue the picture you yourself would draw. These words come not from your heart.”

“Yes  —  yes  —  yes.”

“Did you ever love me?”

“Charles, Charles, why will you add another pang to those you know must already rend my heart?”

“No, Flora, I would tear my own heart from my bosom ere I would add one pang to yours. Well I know that gentle maiden modesty would seal your lips to the soft confession that you loved me. I could not hope the joy of hearing you utter these words. The tender devoted lover is content to see the truthful passion in the speaking eyes of beauty. Content is he to translate it from a thousand acts, which, to eyes that look not so acutely as a lover’s, bear no signification; but when you tell me to seek happiness with another, well may the anxious question burst from my throbbing heart of, ‘Did you ever love me, Flora?’”

Her senses hung entranced upon his words. Oh, what a witchery is in the tongue of love. Some even of the former colour of her cheek returned as forgetting all for the moment but that she was listening to the voice of him, the thoughts of whom had made up the day dream of her happiness, she gazed upon his face.

His voice ceased. To her it seemed as if some music had suddenly left off in its most exquisite passage. She clung to his arm  —  she looked imploringly up to him. Her head sunk upon his breast as she cried,

“Charles, Charles, I did love you. I do love you now.”

“Then let sorrow and misfortune shake their grisly locks in vain,” he cried. “Heart to heart  —  hand to hand with me, defy them.”

He lifted up his arms towards Heaven as he spoke, and at the moment came such a rattling peal of thunder, that the very earth seemed to shake upon its axis.

A half scream of terror burst from the lips of Flora, as she cried,  — 

“What was that?”

“Only thunder,” said Charles, calmly.

“‘Twas an awful sound.”

“A natural one.”

“But at such a moment, when you were defying Fate to injure us. Oh! Charles, is it ominous?”

“Flora, can you really give way to such idle fancies?”

“The sun is obscured.”

“Ay, but it will shine all the brighter for its temporary eclipse. The thunder-storm will clear the air of many noxious vapours; the forked lightning has its uses as well as its powers of mischief. Hark! there again!”

Another peal, of almost equal intensity to the other, shook the firmament. Flora trembled.

“Charles,” she said, “this is the voice of Heaven. We must part  —  we must part for ever. I cannot be yours.”

“Flora, this is madness. Think again, dear Flora. Misfortunes for a time will hover over the best and most fortunate of us; but, like the clouds that now obscure the sweet sunshine, will pass away, and leave no trace behind them. The sunshine of joy will shine on you again.”

There was a small break in the clouds, like a window looking into Heaven. From it streamed one beam of sunlight, so bright, so dazzling, and so beautiful, that it was a sight of wonder to look upon. It fell upon the face of Flora; it warmed her cheek; it lent lustre to her pale lips and tearful eyes; it illumined that little summer-house as if it had been the shrine of some saint.

“Behold!” cried Charles, “where is your omen now?”

“God of Heaven!’” cried Flora; and she stretched out her arms.

“The clouds that hover over your spirit now,” said Charles, “shall pass away. Accept this beam of sunlight as a promise from God.”

“I will  —  I will. It is going.”

“It has done its office.”

The clouds closed over the small orifice, and all was gloom again as before.

“Flora,” said Charles, “you will not ask me now to leave you?”

She allowed him to clasp her to his heart. It was beating for her, and for her only.

“You will let me, Flora, love you still?”

Her voice, as she answered him, was like the murmur of some distant melody the ears can scarcely translate to the heart.

“Charles we will live, love, and die together.”

And now there was a wrapt stillness in that summer-house for many minutes  —  a trance of joy. They did not speak, but now and then she would look into his face with an old familiar smile, and the joy of his heart was near to bursting in tears from his eyes.

A shriek burst from Flora’s lips  —  a shriek so wild and shrill that it awakened echoes far and near. Charles staggered back a step, as if shot, and then in such agonised accents as he was long indeed in banishing the remembrance of, she cried,  — 

“The vampyre! the vampyre!”

CHAPTER XVII.

THE EXPLANATION.  —  THE ARRIVAL OF THE ADMIRAL AT THE HOUSE.  —  A SCENE OF CONFUSION, AND SOME OF ITS RESULTS.

So sudden and so utterly unexpected a cry of alarm from Flora, at such a time might well have the effect of astounding the nerves of any one, and no wonder that Charles was for a few seconds absolutely petrified and almost unable to think.

Mechanically, then, he turned his eyes towards the door of the summer-house, and there he saw a tall, thin man, rather elegantly dressed, whose countenance certainly, in its wonderful resemblance to the portrait on the panel, might well appal any one.

The stranger stood in the irresolute attitude on the threshold of the summer-house of one who did not wish to intrude, but who found it as awkward, if not more so now, to retreat than to advance.

Before Charles Holland could summon any words to his aid, or think of freeing himself from the clinging grasp of Flora, which was wound around him, the stranger made a very low and courtly bow, after which he said, in winning accents,  — 

“I very much fear that I am an intruder here. Allow me to offer my warmest apologies, and to assure you, sir, and you, madam, that I had no idea any one was in the arbour. You perceive the rain is falling smartly, and I made towards here, seeing it was likely to shelter me from the shower.”

These words were spoken in such a plausible and courtly tone of voice, that they might well have become any drawing-room in the kingdom.

Flora kept her eyes fixed upon him during the utterance of these words; and as she convulsively clutched the arm of Charles, she kept on whispering,  — 

“The vampyre! the vampyre!”

“I much fear,” added the stranger, in the same bland tones, “that I have been the cause of some alarm to the young lady!”

“Release me,” whispered Charles to Flora. “Release me; I will follow him at once.”

“No, no  —  do not leave me  —  do not leave me. The vampyre  —  the dreadful vampyre!”

“But, Flora  —  ”

“Hush  —  hush  —  hush! It speaks again.”

“Perhaps I ought to account for my appearance in the garden at all,” added the insinuating stranger. “The fact is, I came on a visit  —  ”

Flora shuddered.

“To Mr. Henry Bannerworth,” continued the stranger; “and finding the garden-gate open, I came in without troubling the servants, which I much regret, as I can perceive I have alarmed and annoyed the lady. Madam, pray accept of my apologies.”

“In the name of God, who are you?” said Charles.

“My name is Varney.”

“Oh, yes. You are the Sir Francis Varney, residing close by, who bears so fearful a resemblance to  —  ”

“Pray go on, sir. I am all attention.”

“To a portrait here.”

“Indeed! Now I reflect a moment, Mr. Henry Bannerworth did incidentally mention something of the sort. It’s a most singular coincidence.”

The sound of approaching footsteps was now plainly heard, and in a few moments Henry and George, along with Mr. Marchdale, reached the spot. Their appearance showed that they had made haste, and Henry at once exclaimed,  — 

“We heard, or fancied we heard, a cry of alarm.”

“You did hear it,” said Charles Holland. “Do you know this gentleman?”

“It is Sir Francis Varney.”

“Indeed!”

Varney bowed to the new comers, and was altogether as much at his ease as everybody else seemed quite the contrary. Even Charles Holland found the difficulty of going up to such a well-bred, gentlemanly man, and saying, “Sir, we believe you to be a vampyre”  —  to be almost, if not insurmountable.

“I cannot do it,” he thought, “but I will watch him.”

“Take me away,” whispered Flora. “‘Tis he  —  ’tis he. Oh, take me away, Charles.”

“Hush, Flora, hush. You are in some error; the accidental resemblance should not make us be rude to this gentleman.”

“The vampyre!  —  it is the vampyre!”

“Are you sure, Flora?”

“Do I know your features  —  my own  —  my brother’s? Do not ask me to doubt  —  I cannot. I am quite sure. Take me from his hideous presence, Charles.”

“The young lady, I fear, is very much indisposed,” remarked Sir Francis Varney, in a sympathetic tone of voice. “If she will accept of my arm, I shall esteem it a great honour.”

“No  —  no  —  no!  —  God! no,” cried Flora.

“Madam, I will not press you.”

He bowed, and Charles led Flora from the summer-house towards the hall.

“Flora,” he said, “I am bewildered  —  I know not what to think. That man most certainly has been fashioned after the portrait which is on the panel in the room you formerly occupied; or it has been painted from him.”

“He is my midnight visitor!” exclaimed Flora. “He is the vampyre;  —  this Sir Francis Varney is the vampyre.”

“Good God! What can be done?”

“I know not. I am nearly distracted.”

“Be calm, Flora. If this man be really what you name him, we now know from what quarter the mischief comes, which is, at all events, a point gained. Be assured we shall place a watch upon him.”

“Oh, it is terrible to meet him here.”

“And he is so wonderfully anxious, too, to possess the Hall.”

“He is  —  he is.”

“It looks strange, the whole affair. But, Flora, be assured of one thing, and that is, of your own safety.”

“Can I be assured of that?”

“Most certainly. Go to your mother now. Here we are, you see, fairly within doors. Go to your mother, dear Flora, and keep yourself quiet. I will return to this mysterious man now with a cooler judgment than I left him.”

“You will watch him, Charles?”

“I will, indeed.”

“And you will not let him approach the house here alone?”

“I will not.”

“Oh, that the Almighty should allow such beings to haunt the earth!”

“Hush, Flora, hush! we cannot judge of his allwise purpose.”

‘“Tis hard that the innocent should be inflicted with its presence.”

Charles bowed his head in mournful assent.

“Is it not very, very dreadful?”

“Hush  —  hush! Calm yourself, dearest, calm yourself. Recollect that all we have to go upon in this matter is a resemblance, which, after all, may be accidental. But leave it all to me, and be assured that now I have some clue to this affair, I will not lose sight of it, or of Sir Francis Varney.”

So saying, Charles surrendered Flora to the care of her mother, and then was hastening back to the summer-house, when he met the whole party coming towards the Hall, for the rain was each moment increasing in intensity.

“We are returning,” remarked Sir Francis Varney, with a half bow and a smile, to Charles.

“Allow me,” said Henry, “to introduce you, Mr. Holland, to our neighbour, Sir Francis Varney.”

Charles felt himself compelled to behave with courtesy, although his mind was so full of conflicting feelings as regarded Varney; but there was no avoiding, without such brutal rudeness as was inconsistent with all his pursuits and habits, replying in something like the same strain to the extreme courtly politeness of the supposed vampyre.

“I will watch him closely,” thought Charles. “I can do no more than watch him closely.”

Sir Francis Varney seemed to be a man of the most general and discursive information. He talked fluently and pleasantly upon all sorts of topics, and notwithstanding he could not but have heard what Flora had said of him, he asked no questions whatever upon that subject.

This silence as regarded a matter which would at once have induced some sort of inquiry from any other man, Charles felt told much against him, and he trembled to believe for a moment that, after all, it really might be true.