Descending

f
r
t would be vain my attempting to tell you the horror
with which, even now, I recall the occurrence of that
night. It was no such transitory terror as a dream leaves
behind it. It seemed to deepen by time, and commu-
nicated itself to the room and the very furniture that
had encompass the apparition.
I could not bear next day to be alone for a moment.
I should have told papa, but for two opposite reasons.
At one time I thoughf he would laugh at my story, and
I could not bear itt b.ittg treated as a jest; and at
another I thought he might fancy that I had been
attacked by the-mysterious complaint which had in-
vaded our neighborhood. I had myself no misgiving
of the kind, tnd tt he had been rather an invalid for
some time, I was afraid of alarming him.
I was comfortable enough with my good-natured
companions, Madame Perrodon, and the vivacious
Madimoiselle Lafontaine. They both perceived that I
was out of spirits and nervous, and at length I told
them what lay so heavy at mY heart.
Mademoiselle laughed, but I fancied that Madame
Perrodon looked anxious.
74 Carmilla ). Sheridan LeFanu 75

"By-the-by," said Mademoiselle, laughing, "the lons earnestly.

lime tree *"11, behind Carmilla's b.dr"o"rJwindow, ii "No, I had dropped it into a china vase in the
haunted!" drawing room, but I shall certainly take it with me
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Madame, who probably tonight, as you have so much faith in it."
thought the theme rather inopportune, "and who tells At this distance of time I cannot tell you, or even
that story, my dear?" understand, how I overcame my horror so effectually
"Martin says that he came up twice, when the old as to lie alone in my room that night. I remember
yard gate was being repaired, before sunrise, and twice distinctly that I pinned the charm to my pillow. I fell
saw the same female figure walking down the lime tree asleep almost immediately, and slept even more
avenue.tt soundly than usual all night.
"So he well might, as long as there are cows to milk Next night I passed as well. My sleep was delightfully
cleep and ir.r-l.r, e^a^a'x-
in the river fields," said Madame. ,-\4aek- "(
"l daresay; but Martin chooses to be frightened, and But I wakened with a sense of lassitude and melan-
never did I see fool more frightened." choly, which, however, did not exceed a degree that was
"You must not say a word about it to Carmilla, almost luxurious.
"W'ell, I told you so," said Carmilla, when I described
because she can see down that walk from her room
window," I interposed, "and she is, if possible, a greater my quiet sleep, "I had such delightful sleep myself last
coward than I." night; I pinned the charm to the breast of my nighr
Carmilla came down rather later than usual that day. dress. It was too far away the night before. I am quite
"I was so frightened last night," she said, so soon as sure it was all fancy, except the dreams. I used to think
were together, "and I am sure I should have seen that evil spirits made dreams, but our doctor told me
something dreadful if it had not been for that charm it is no such thing. Only a fever passing by, or some
I bought fi'om the poor little hunchback whom I called other malady, as they often do, he said, knocks at the
such hard names. I had a dream of something black door, and not being able to get in, passes on, with that
corning round my bed, and I awoke in a perfect horror, alafm."
and I really thought, for some seconds, I saw a dark "And what do you think the charm is?" said I.
figure near the chimneypiece, but I felt under my "It has been fumigated or immersed in some drug,
pillow for my charm, and the moment my fingers and is an antidote against the malaria," she answered.
touched it, the figure disappeared, and I felt quite "Then it acts only on the body?"
certain, only that I had it by me, that something "Certainly; you don't suppose that evil spirits are
frightful would have made its appearance, and, per- frightened by bits of ribbon, or the perfumes of a
haps, throttled me, as it did those poor people we heard druggist's shop? No, these complaints, wandering in
of." the air, begin by trying the nerves, and so infect the
"W'ell, listen to me," I began, and recounted my brain, but before they can seize upon you, the antidote
adventure, at the recital of which she appeared horri- repels them. That I am sure is what the charm has done
fied. for us. It is nothing magical, it is simply natural.
"And had you the charm near you?" she asked, I should have been happier if I could have quite
 7 6 Carmillo
agreed with Carmilla, but I did my best, and the im-
T |. Sheridan LeFanu
were so vague that I could never recollect their scenery
77

pression was a little losing its force. and persons, or any one connected portion of their
For some nights I slept profoundly; but still every action. But they left an awful impression, and a sense
morning I felt the same lassitude, and a languor of exhaustion, as if I had passed through a long period
weighed upon me all day. I felt myself a changed girl. of great mental exertion and danger.
A strange melancholy was stealing over me, a melan- After all these dreams there remained on waking a
choly that I would not have interrupted. Dim thoughts remembrance of having been in a place very nearly
of death began to open, and an idea that I was slowly dark, and of having spoken to people whom I could
sinking took gentle, and, somehow, not unwelcome, not see;_an-d gspegially,of o*ne.9le41v9ig9, of .? female's,
possession of me. If it was sad, the tone of mind which very -d,eep-, tlrat sp-okg ii if tt a. distan.e, s!owly-, gnd
this induced was also sweet. proa".inS alWlyi the same sensation of indescribable
'W'hatever
it might be, my soul acquiesced in it. . !-o-lem!ifi a.-d fiai. Sometim. tii.t. came t i.tttition \

I would not admit that I was ill, I would not consent is if a hand was drawn sofily along my cheek aud neck. I
I
to tell my papa, or to have the doctor sent for. Sometimes it was as if warm lips kissed me, and longer I
I
I

Carmilla became more devoted to me than ever, and and longer and more lovingly as they reached my
her strange paroxysms of languid adoration more fre- throat, but there the caress fixed itself. My heart beat
quent. She used to gloat on me with increasing ardor faster, my breathing rose and fell rapidly and full
the more my strength and spirits waned. This always drawn; a sobbing, that rose into a sense of strangula-
shocked me like a momentary glare of insanity. tion, supervened, and turned into a dreadful convul-
\Without knowing it, I was now in a pretty advanced sion, in which my senses left me and I became uncon-
stage of the strangest illness under which mortal ever scious.
suffered. There was an unaccountable fascination in its It was now three weeks since the commencement of
earlier symptoms that more than reconciled me to the this unaccountable state.
b
incapacitating effect of that stage of the malady. This My suffbrings had, during the last week, told upon
fascination increased for a time, until it reached a my appearance. I had gl'own pale, my eyes were dilated
7 certain point,{hen gradually a sense of the horrible and darkened underneath, and the languor which I had
rningled itself with it, deepening, as you shall hear, long f'elt began to display itself in my countenance'
until it discolored and perverted the whole state of my My father asked me ofien whether I was ill; but, with
tif+ an obstinacy which now seems to me unaccolllltable,
fhe firstchange I experienced was rather agreeable. I persisted in assuring him that I was quite well.
It was verv near the turning point fronq yhich began-.^1.6ntr' I
In a sense this was trlle. had no pain, could I
complain of no bodily derangement. My complaint
Certain vague and strange sensations visited me in seemed to be one of the imagination, or the nerves,
my sleep. The prevailing one was of that pleasant, and, horrible as my suflerings were, I kept them, with
peculiar cold thrill which we feel in bathing, when we a morbid reserve, very nearly to myself.
move against the current of a river. This was soon It could not be that terrible complaint which the
accompanied by dreams that seemed interminable, and peasants called the oupire, for I had now been suft'ering
 78 Carmilla f. Sheridan LeFanu 79

for three weeks, and they were seldom ill for much hearing, and to reach him involved an excursion for
more than three days, when death put an end to their which we none of us had courage.
miseries. Servants, however, soon came running up the stairs;
Carmilla complained of dreams and feverish sensa- I had got on my dressing gown and slippers meanwhile,
tions, but by no means of so alarming a kind as mine. and my companions were already similarly furnished.
I say that mine were extremely alarming. Had I been Recognizing the voices of the servants on the lobby,
capable of comprehending my condition, I would have we sallied out together; and having renewed, as fruit-
invoked aid and advice on my knees. The narcotic of lessly, our summons at Carmilla's door, I ordered the
an unsuspected influence was acting upon me, and my men to force the lock. They did so, and we stood,
perceptions were benumbed. holding our lights aloft, in the doorway, and so stared
I am going to tell you now of a dream that led into the room.
im{nediately to an odd discovery. W'e called her by name; but there was still no reply.

fr-T". niglrt, instead of the voice I was accustomed to W'e looked round the room. Everything was undis-
I hear in the dark, I heard one, sweet and tender, and at turbed. It was exactly in the state in which I had left it
the same time terrible, which said, on bidding her good night. But Carmilla was gone.
"Your mother warns you to beware of the assassin."
At the same time a light unexpectedly sprang up, and
I saw Carmilla, standing, near the foot of my bed, in
her white nightdress, bathed, from her chin to her feet,
in one great stain of blood.
I wakened with a shriek, possessed with the one idea
that Carmilla was being murdered. I remember spring-
ing from my bed, and my next recollection is that of
standing on the lobby, crying for help.
Madame and Mademoiselle came scurrying out of
their rooms in alarm; a lamp burned always on the
lobbn and seeing ffie, they soon learned the cause of
my terror.
I insisted on our knocking at Carmilla's door. Our
knocking was unanswered.
It soon became a pounding and an uproar. W'e
shrieked her name, but all was vain.
We all grew frightened, for the door was locked. We
hurried back, in panic, to my room. There we rang the
bell long and furiously. If my father's room had been
at that side of the house, we would have called him up
at once to our aid. But, alas! he was quite out of