The Lady of the Shroud

The result of all this was that it set me brooding. Such, at least, Igathered was the fact when Aunt Janet took me to task for it. She alwaysspeaks out according to her convictions, so that her thinking I broodedwas to me a proof that I did; and after a personal examination Icame--reluctantly--to the conclusion that she was right, so far, at anyrate, as my outer conduct was concerned. The state of mind I was in,however, kept me from making any acknowledgment of it--the real cause ofmy keeping so much to myself and of being so _distrait_. And so I wenton, torturing myself as before with introspective questioning; and she,with her mind set on my actions, and endeavouring to find a cause forthem, continued and expounded her beliefs and fears.

Her nightly chats with me when we were alone after dinner--for I had cometo avoid her questioning at other times--kept my imagination at highpressure. Despite myself, I could not but find new cause for concern inthe perennial founts of her superstition. I had thought, years ago, thatI had then sounded the depths of this branch of psychicism; but this newphase of thought, founded on the really deep hold which the existence ofmy beautiful visitor and her sad and dreadful circumstances had takenupon me, brought me a new concern in the matter of self-importance. Icame to think that I must reconstruct my self-values, and begin a freshunderstanding of ethical beliefs. Do what I would, my mind would keepturning on the uncanny subjects brought before it. I began to apply themone by one to my own late experience, and unconsciously to try to fitthem in turn to the present case.

The effect of this brooding was that I was, despite my own will, struckby the similarity of circumstances bearing on my visitor, and theconditions apportioned by tradition and superstition to such strangesurvivals from earlier ages as these partial existences which are ratherUndead than Living--still walking the earth, though claimed by the worldof the Dead. Amongst them are the Vampire, or the Wehr-Wolf. To thisclass also might belong in a measure the Doppelganger--one of whose dualexistences commonly belongs to the actual world around it. So, too, thedenizens of the world of Astralism. In any of these named worlds thereis a material presence--which must be created, if only for a single orperiodic purpose. It matters not whether a material presence alreadycreated can be receptive of a disembodied soul, or a soul unattached canhave a body built up for it or around it; or, again, whether the body ofa dead person can be made seeming quick through some diabolic influencemanifested in the present, or an inheritance or result of some balefuluse of malefic power in the past. The result is the same in each case,though the ways be widely different: a soul and a body which are not inunity but brought together for strange purposes through stranger meansand by powers still more strange.

Through much thought and a process of exclusions the eerie form whichseemed to be most in correspondence with my adventure, and most suitableto my fascinating visitor, appeared to be the Vampire. Doppelganger,Astral creations, and all such-like, did not comply with the conditionsof my night experience. The Wehr-Wolf is but a variant of the Vampire,and so needed not to be classed or examined at all. Then it was that,thus focussed, the Lady of the Shroud (for so I came to hold her in mymind) began to assume a new force. Aunt Janet's library afforded meclues which I followed with avidity. In my secret heart I hated thequest, and did not wish to go on with it. But in this I was not my ownmaster. Do what I would--brush away doubts never so often, new doubtsand imaginings came in their stead. The circumstance almost repeated theparable of the Seven Devils who took the place of the exorcised one.Doubts I could stand. Imaginings I could stand. But doubts andimaginings together made a force so fell that I was driven to accept anyreading of the mystery which might presumably afford a foothold forsatisfying thought. And so I came to accept tentatively the Vampiretheory--accept it, at least, so far as to examine it as judicially as wasgiven me to do. As the days wore on, so the conviction grew. The more Iread on the subject, the more directly the evidences pointed towards thisview. The more I thought, the more obstinate became the conviction. Iransacked Aunt Janet's volumes again and again to find anything to thecontrary; but in vain. Again, no matter how obstinate were myconvictions at any given time, unsettlement came with fresh thinking overthe argument, so that I was kept in a harassing state of uncertainty.

Briefly, the evidence in favour of accord between the facts of the caseand the Vampire theory were:

Her coming was at night--the time the Vampire is according to the theory,free to move at will.

She wore her shroud--a necessity of coming fresh from grave or tomb; forthere is nothing occult about clothing which is not subject to astral orother influences.

She had to be helped into my room--in strict accordance with what onesceptical critic of occultism has called "the Vampire etiquette."

She made violent haste in getting away at cock-crow.

She seemed preternaturally cold; her sleep was almost abnormal inintensity, and yet the sound of the cock-crowing came through it.

These things showed her to be subject to _some_ laws, though not in exactaccord within those which govern human beings. Under the stress of suchcircumstances as she must have gone through, her vitality seemed morethan human--the quality of vitality which could outlive ordinary burial.Again, such purpose as she had shown in donning, under stress of somecompelling direction, her ice-cold wet shroud, and, wrapt in it, goingout again into the night, was hardly normal for a woman.

But if so, and if she was indeed a Vampire, might not whatever it may bethat holds such beings in thrall be by some means or other exorcised? Tofind the means must be my next task. I am actually pining to see heragain. Never before have I been stirred to my depths by anyone. Come itfrom Heaven or Hell, from the Earth or the Grave, it does not matter; Ishall make it my task to win her back to life and peace. If she beindeed a Vampire, the task may be hard and long; if she be not so, and if

it be merely that circumstances have so gathered round her as to producethat impression, the task may be simpler and the result more sweet. No,not more sweet; for what can be more sweet than to restore the lost orseemingly lost soul of the woman you love! There, the truth is out atlast! I suppose that I have fallen in love with her. If so, it is toolate for me to fight against it. I can only wait with what patience Ican till I see her again. But to that end I can do nothing. I knowabsolutely nothing about her--not even her name. Patience!

RUPERT'S JOURNAL--_Continued_.

_April_ 16, 1907.

The only relief I have had from the haunting anxiety regarding the Ladyof the Shroud has been in the troubled state of my adopted country.There has evidently been something up which I have not been allowed toknow. The mountaineers are troubled and restless; are wandering about,singly and in parties, and holding meetings in strange places. This iswhat I gather used to be in old days when intrigues were on foot withTurks, Greeks, Austrians, Italians, Russians. This concerns me vitally,for my mind has long been made up to share the fortunes of the Land ofthe Blue Mountains. For good or ill I mean to stay here: _J'y suis_,_j'y reste_. I share henceforth the lot of the Blue Mountaineers; andnot Turkey, nor Greece, nor Austria, nor Italy, nor Russia--no, notFrance nor Germany either; not man nor God nor Devil shall drive me frommy purpose. With these patriots I throw in my lot! My only difficultyseemed at first to be with the men themselves. They are so proud that atthe beginning I feared they would not even accord me the honour of beingone of them! However, things always move on somehow, no matter whatdifficulties there be at the beginning. Never mind! When one looks backat an accomplished fact the beginning is not to be seen--and if it wereit would not matter. It is not of any account, anyhow.

I heard that there was going to be a great meeting near here yesterdayafternoon, and I attended it. I think it was a success. If such is anyproof, I felt elated as well as satisfied when I came away. Aunt Janet'sSecond Sight on the subject was comforting, though grim, and in a measuredisconcerting. When I was saying good-night she asked me to bend down myhead. As I did so, she laid her hands on it and passed them all over it.I heard her say to herself:

"Strange! There's nothing there; yet I could have sworn I saw it!" Iasked her to explain, but she would not. For once she was a littleobstinate, and refused point blank to even talk of the subject. She wasnot worried nor unhappy; so I had no cause for concern. I said nothing,but I shall wait and see. Most mysteries become plain or disappearaltogether in time. But about the meeting--lest I forget!

When I joined the mountaineers who had assembled, I really think theywere glad to see me; though some of them seemed adverse, and others didnot seem over well satisfied. However, absolute unity is very seldom tobe found. Indeed, it is almost impossible; and in a free community isnot altogether to be desired. When it is apparent, the gathering lacksthat sense of individual feeling which makes for the real consensus ofopinion--which is the real unity of purpose. The meeting was at first,therefore, a little cold and distant. But presently it began to thaw,and after some fiery harangues I was asked to speak. Happily, I hadbegun to learn the Balkan language as soon as ever Uncle Roger's wisheshad been made known to me, and as I have some facility of tongues and agreat deal of experience, I soon began to know something of it. Indeed,when I had been here a few weeks, with opportunity of speaking daily withthe people themselves, and learned to understand the intonations andvocal inflexions, I felt quite easy in speaking it. I understood everyword which had up to then been spoken at the meeting, and when I spokemyself I felt that they understood. That is an experience which everyspeaker has in a certain way and up to a certain point. He knows by somekind of instinct if his hearers are with him; if they respond, they mustcertainly have understood. Last night this was marked. I felt it everyinstant I was talking and when I came to realize that the men were instrict accord with my general views, I took them into confidence withregard to my own personal purpose. It was the beginning of a mutualtrust; so for peroration I told them that I had come to the conclusionthat what they wanted most for their own protection and the security andconsolidation of their nation was arms--arms of the very latest pattern.Here they interrupted me with wild cheers, which so strung me up that Iwent farther than I intended, and made a daring venture. "Ay," Irepeated, "the security and consolidation of your country--of _our_country, for I have come to live amongst you. Here is my home whilst Ilive. I am with you heart and soul. I shall live with you, fightshoulder to shoulder with you, and, if need be, shall die with you!"Here the shouting was terrific, and the younger men raised their guns tofire a salute in Blue Mountain fashion. But on the instant the Vladika{1} held up his hands and motioned them to desist. In the immediatesilence he spoke, sharply at first, but later ascending to a high pitchof single-minded, lofty eloquence. His words rang in my ears long afterthe meeting was over and other thoughts had come between them and thepresent.

"Silence!" he thundered. "Make no echoes in the forest or through thehills at this dire time of stress and threatened danger to our land.Bethink ye of this meeting, held here and in secret, in order that nowhisper of it may be heard afar. Have ye all, brave men of the BlueMountains, come hither through the forest like shadows that some of you,thoughtless, may enlighten your enemies as to our secret purpose? Thethunder of your guns would doubtless sound well in the ears of those whowish us ill and try to work us wrong. Fellow-countrymen, know ye notthat the Turk is awake once more for our harming? The Bureau of Spieshas risen from the torpor which came on it when the purpose against ourTeuta roused our mountains to such anger that the frontiers blazed withpassion, and were swept with fire and sword. Moreover, there is atraitor somewhere in the land, or else incautious carelessness has servedthe same base purpose. Something of our needs--our doing, whose secretwe have tried to hide, has gone out. The myrmidons of the Turk are closeon our borders, and it may be that some of them have passed our guardsand are amidst us unknown. So it behoves us doubly to be discreet.Believe me that I share with you, my brothers, our love for the gallantEnglishman who has come amongst us to share our sorrows andambitions--and I trust it may be our joys. We are all united in the wishto do him honour--though not in the way by which danger might be carriedon the wings of love. My brothers, our newest brother comes to us fromthe Great Nation which amongst the nations has been our only friend, andwhich has ere now helped us in our direst need--that mighty Britain whosehand has ever been raised in the cause of freedom. We of the BlueMountains know her best as she stands with sword in hand face to facewith our foes. And this, her son and now our brother, brings further toour need the hand of a giant and the heart of a lion. Later on, whendanger does not ring us round, when silence is no longer our outer guard;we shall bid him welcome in true fashion of our land. But till then hewill believe--for he is great-hearted--that our love and thanks andwelcome are not to be measured by sound. When the time comes, then shallbe sound in his honour--not of rifles alone, but bells and cannon and themighty voice of a free people shouting as one. But now we must be wiseand silent, for the Turk is once again at our gates. Alas! the cause ofhis former coming may not be, for she whose beauty and nobility and whoseplace in our nation and in our hearts tempted him to fraud and violenceis not with us to share even our anxiety."

Here his voice broke, and there arose from all a deep wailing sound,which rose and rose till the woods around us seemed broken by a mightyand long-sustained sob. The orator saw that his purpose wasaccomplished, and with a short sentence finished his harangue: "But theneed of our nation still remains!" Then, with an eloquent gesture to meto proceed, he merged in the crowd and disappeared.

How could I even attempt to follow such a speaker with any hope ofsuccess? I simply told them what I had already done in the way of help,saying:

"As you needed arms, I have got them. My agent sends me word through thecode between us that he has procured for me--for us--fifty thousand ofthe newest-pattern rifles, the French Ingis-Malbron, which has surpassedall others, and sufficient ammunition to last for a year of war. Thefirst section is in hand, and will soon be ready for consignment. Thereare other war materials, too, which, when they arrive, will enable everyman and woman--even the children--of our land to take a part in itsdefence should such be needed. My brothers, I am with you in all things,for good or ill!"

It made me very proud to hear the mighty shout w

hich arose. I had feltexalted before, but now this personal development almost unmanned me. Iwas glad of the long-sustained applause to recover my self-control.

I was quite satisfied that the meeting did not want to hear any otherspeaker, for they began to melt away without any formal notificationhaving been given. I doubt if there will be another meeting soon again.The weather has begun to break, and we are in for another spell of rain.It is disagreeable, of course; but it has its own charm. It was during aspell of wet weather that the Lady of the Shroud came to me. Perhaps therain may bring her again. I hope so, with all my soul.

RUPERT'S JOURNAL--_Continued_.

_April_ 23, 1907.

The rain has continued for four whole days and nights, and the low-lyingground is like a quagmire in places. In the sunlight the whole mountainsglisten with running streams and falling water. I feel a strange kind ofelation, but from no visible cause. Aunt Janet rather queered it bytelling me, as she said good-night, to be very careful of myself, as shehad seen in a dream last night a figure in a shroud. I fear she was notpleased that I did not take it with all the seriousness that she did. Iwould not wound her for the world if I could help it, but the idea of ashroud gets too near the bone to be safe, and I had to fend her off atall hazards. So when I doubted if the Fates regarded the visionaryshroud as of necessity appertaining to me, she said, in a way that was,for her, almost sharp:

"Take care, laddie. 'Tis ill jesting wi' the powers o' time Unknown."