VARNEY, THE VAMPYRE; OR, THE FEAST OF BLOOD. CHAPTER CLXX [sic] [Chapter 178] THE MIDNIGHT CRY OF ALARM. -- THE VAMPYRE'S MEAL. -- THE CHASE ACROSS THE FIELDS. -- THE DEATH OF THE LANDLORD'S DAUGHTER. The old inn was in a state of repose; its various parts were no longer vexed by the busy tramp of men, the noisy voice of the toper, or the untiring hands of the housewife, who does not spare any part of its edifice from her ablutions. The brush and the broom are sad intruders and disturbers, and yet they are in perpeutal requisition. However, the inhabitants were all steeped in slumber. Among those who lay in that house, there was not one, except one, indeed, who did not lie down to rest, and fall into a deep sleep; but that one exception was the stranger, who appeared to have other views. He threw himself into a chair, and there appeared to meditate upon the clouds which passed across the sky, in endless variety of shape and form. He sat motionless, and still his large, lustreless eyes were fully opened, and he was gazing earnestly for nearly an hour without motion. At length, as if his attention was of itself wearying to continue so long, he moved, then sighed deeply, or rather groaned. "How long is this hated life to last?" he muttered. "When shall I cease to be the loathsome creature I am?" There was some reflection in this that was very bitter to him. He shuddered, and buried his face in his hands, and remained in that state for some minutes; but then he lifted his head up agian, and turned towards the moon's rays, muttering, -- "But I am faint; I feel the want of my natural slumbers. Blood alone will restore me my strength. There is no resisting the dreadful appetite that goads me on. I must-- I must-- I will satisfy it." He arose suddenly, and drew himself up to his full height, and threw aloft his arms, as he growled out these words with frantic energy; but in a few seconds he became more calm, and said, -- "I saw the maiden enter the room next to mine. I can enter it by the same door, for I have the key, and that will place her at my mercy. Good fortune for once avail me, and then my wants will be satisfied." He walked softly to his own door, and undid it stealthily, and listened for some minutes. "They are all asleep," he said -- "all, save one. I alone walk through the place. All are in peaceful slumbers, while I, like the creatures of prey, seek those whom I may devour. I must on." He crept into the passage, and advanced to the door of the young girl, who lay soundly sleeping in innocence and peace, little dreaming of the fate that awaited her -- much less did she think that the destroyer was so close at hand. She might, indeed, have dreamed that there was some one in the house who was scarcely of her nature -- one that was loathsome and dreadful -- one who, in fact, lived upon the blood of the innocent and fairest. "She sleeps," he muttered -- "she sleeps!" He listened again, and then he gently put the key into the door, and found that it was not locked, and then, turning the handle, he found there was some impediment to its opening; but of what character he could not tell. "'Tis unlucky; but this must be moved." He place his hand and foot close to the door, and pressed it gradually and hardly against it, and he found that it gradually gave way, and that the impediment gave by degrees, and that, too, with hardly any noise. "Fortune favours me," he muttered; "she does not hear me. I shall win the chamber, and shall, before she can wake up, sieze upon the dear life-stream that is no less precious to me than to herself." He now had succeeded in effecting an entrance inot the room, and found that it was only an easy chair that had been placed against the door, because there was no other means of securing it, the key having unaccountably disappeared, and left her without any other means of securing her door. "I will lock it," he muttered; "if I be disturbed, I shall be better able to escape, and I shall be safe. My meal will be undisturbed; at least not before so much has been taken as will revive my strength." He now approached the bed, and with eager eyes devoured the fair form of the youthful and innocent sleeper. "How calm, and how unsuspicious she lies," he muttered; "'twere a pity, but I must, I must-- there is no help." He leaned over her. He bent his head till his ear almost touched the lips of the sleeper, as though he were listening to the breathing of the young girl. Something caused her to start. She opened her eyes, and endeavoured to rise up, but she was immediately thrust back, and the vampire seized her fair flesh with his fanged teeth, and having fleshed them, he was drawing that life current from her which ensanguined them both. Horror and fright for a moment deprived her of strength, or the power of uttering a sound of any kind; but when she did do so, it was one wild unearthly shriek, that was heard throughout the whole house, and awakened every human being within it in a moment. "Help! murder, murder!" she shrieked out, as soon as the first scream subsided, and she regained breath. These cries she uttered rapidly, as well as attempting a desperate resistance to her persecutor; but she was growing gradually more and more faint. * * * * * The landlord had just got out of an uncomfortable dream about some strange adventure he was having with some excisemen when he was young, when the heart-piercing shriek of Mary came upon him. "God bless me," he muttered, "what's that? I never heard anything so horrible in all my life. What can it be?" He sat up in bed, and pulled his nightcap off, while he listened, when he heard the cries of help issuing from his daughter's room. "Good God! it's Mary," he muttered, "What can be the matter?" He did not pause a moment, but huddled on his clothes, and then rushed out of his room with a light, to his daughter's bedroom. "What is the matter?" inquired one of the highwaymen, who had been disturbed by the dreadful shriek. "I don't know; but-- but help me." "Help you to what?" "To burst open this door; 'tis my daughter's room, and the noise comes from that place. Hark!" "Help, help!" said a faint voice. "Damnation!" said the highwayman, "something's wrong there; somebody's sucking; surely the stranger is not there?" "Burst the door open." "Then lend a hand; it must give," said Ned; and they all three made a rush at the door, and in it went, for their weight carried it all before them, and they all three went into the apartment without any hindrance, for the frail lock gave immediately, and the other impediment only served to add to the noise. Though they went in easily, yet they did not do so quickly enough, for they all rolled over each other, and before they could rise they distinctly saw the figure of the stranger start up and rush out of the room with Mary in his arms. "Help! help! mercy!" she shrieked out. "'Tis she," said the landlord. "Mary----" "Yes, after her boys-- after her; for Heaven's sake, after her." "We will not leave her," said the highwaymen in concert, and at the same moment all three rushed after her. "The stranger has made his way down into the kitchen, and I think he has her with him," said the landlord. "I will after him," said Ned; "I saw her in his arms. She was all over blood. Good Heavens! what can he mean? does he want to murder her?" "Help! help! murder!" shouted the girl, and at that moment they heard the stranger attempting the kitchen door below. In a moment they all three ran down stairs as fast as they could, to seize the villain before he could escape; but they had hardly got into the kitchen before they saw the door swing to after him. "He's gone," said the landlord; "he's gone." "We'll after them; come on, never mind a chase; she's in white, and the moon's up, so we shall have them in sight." "Away after them, lads; save my girl-- save my Mary!" Away they went with great speed, but the stranger somehow or other kept ahead of them; his great height gave him an advantage in length of stride; but then he bore the landlord's daughter in his arms, which was more than enough to balance their powers; for though she was not heavy, comparatively speaking, yet she was heavy to be borne along in this manner; but the stranger appeared to possess superhuman strength, and moved along safely until they lost sight of him among some hay-stacks, for which they made. "There, he's gone into Jackson's rick-yard," said the landlord; "get up; push on; we may be yet in time to prevent mischief." The highwaymen ran hard; they had been out of breath for some time, and cold hardly move their feet, but they made a sudden effort, or spirt, and away they ran, and, in less than a minute, came up to the rick-yard." [sic] They rushed into the yard, and then beheld the stranger seated upon some partially cut hay with the helpless maiden on his lap, but his fanged teeth were fleshed in her fair neck, and he was exerting himself in drawing the life stream from her veins. As soon as he saw the highwaymen he arose, and the unfortunate girl rolled to the earth, and he started up and fled, the highwaymen firing a parting shot after him, with pretty good aim, yet it took no effect. The landlord's daughter was picked up warm, but lifeless. Whether it was in consequence of her wound and loss of blood, which was doubted, or from sheer fright, is not known, but the latter was considered most probable. -+- Next Time: The Hotel. -- The Fashionable Arrival. -- The Young Heiress. +=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+ | This Varney the Vampyre e-text was entered by members of the | | Science Fiction Round Table #1 (SFRT1) on the Genie online | | service. | | The Varney Project, a reincarnation of this "penny dreadful" bit | | of fiction, was begun in November of 1993 by James Macdonald and | | should take about four years for re-serialization. | | These chapters are being posted once a week to the Round Table | | Bulletin Board and are also being placed in the Round Table File | | Library. | | For further information concerning Varney e-texts, please send | | email to: | | h.liu@juno.com | +=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+ ============================================================================== The Varney Project Chapter 178 Ver 1.00 05/25/1997 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ General notes on this chapter Source: H.Liu entry from the Arno edition, 1970, text is reprint of 1847 edition Drop capital: No Figures in source: 0 Page numbers in source: 732-734 Sections: 2 Approximate number of characters: Number of paragraphs: Comments: Chapter appears mis-numbered as CLXX. Activity at the inn had quieted, and yet the mysterious stranger remains awake. He laments some as to his perpetual yet loathsome existence, but, in the end, finds he cannot resist his instinct to feed his blood hunger. He has, indeed, noticed the landlord's pretty young daughter, Mary, and to her room he goes. He breaks in and begins his ghoulish feast! Mary screams, and awakens the whole of the inn. The landlord and the two highwaymen break into Mary's room, but the vampyre is able to make his escape carrying the poor girl. A chase ensues, and eventually the vampyre is found in a rick-house, finishing his feast upon poor Mary. He then flees, leaving the body of the lifeless girl. A shot is fired at the vampyre, but he escapes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Modification History Version Date Who What changes made -------- -------- ------------- ---------------------------------- 1.00 05/25/1997 H.Liu Initial gold version, rough proof read. ==================================End of File=================================