The Lady of the Shroud

"Rupert Sent Leger, before we go a step further I must say something toyou, ask you something, and I charge you, on your most sacred honour andbelief, to answer me truly. Do you believe me to be one of those unhappybeings who may not die, but have to live in shameful existence betweenearth and the nether world, and whose hellish mission is to destroy, bodyand soul, those who love them till they fall to their level? You are agentleman, and a brave one. I have found you fearless. Answer me insternest truth, no matter what the issue may be!"

She stood there in the glamorous moonlight with a commanding dignitywhich seemed more than human. In that mystic light her white shroudseemed diaphanous, and she appeared like a spirit of power. What was Ito say? How could I admit to such a being that I had actually had atmoments, if not a belief, a passing doubt? It was a conviction with methat if I spoke wrongly I should lose her for ever. I was in a desperatestrait. In such a case there is but one solid ground which one may reston--the Truth.

I really felt I was between the devil and the deep sea. There was noavoiding the issue, and so, out of this all-embracing, all-compellingconviction of truth, I spoke.

For a fleeting moment I felt that my tone was truculent, and almosthesitated; but as I saw no anger or indignation on my Lady's face, butrather an eager approval, I was reassured. A woman, after all, is gladto see a man strong, for all belief in him must be based on that.

"I shall speak the truth. Remember that I have no wish to hurt yourfeelings, but as you conjure me by my honour, you must forgive me if Ipain. It is true that I had at first--ay, and later, when I came tothink matters over after you had gone, when reason came to the aid ofimpression--a passing belief that you are a Vampire. How can I fail tohave, even now, though I love you with all my soul, though I have heldyou in my arms and kissed you on the mouth, a doubt, when all theevidences seem to point to one thing? Remember that I have only seen youat night, except that bitter moment when, in the broad noonday of theupper world, I saw you, clad as ever in a shroud, lying seemingly dead ina tomb in the crypt of St. Sava's Church . . . But let that pass. Suchbelief as I have is all in you. Be you woman or Vampire, it is all thesame to me. It is _you_ whom I love! Should it be that you are--you arenot woman, which I cannot believe, then it will be my glory to break yourfetters, to open your prison, and set you free. To that I consecrate mylife." For a few seconds I stood silent, vibrating with the passionwhich had been awakened in me. She had by now lost the measure of herhaughty isolation, and had softened into womanhood again. It was reallylike a realization of the old theme of Pygmalion's statue. It was withrather a pleading than a commanding voice that she said:

"And shall you always be true to me?"

"Always--so help me, God!" I answered, and I felt that there could be nolack of conviction in my voice.

Indeed, there was no cause for such lack. She also stood for a littlewhile stone-still, and I was beginning to expand to the rapture which wasin store for me when she should take me again in her arms.

But there was no such moment of softness. All at once she started as ifshe had suddenly wakened from a dream, and on the spur of the momentsaid:

"Now go, go!" I felt the conviction of necessity to obey, and turned atonce. As I moved towards the door by which I had entered, I asked:

"When shall I see you again?"

"Soon!" came her answer. "I shall let you know soon--when and where.Oh, go, go!" She almost pushed me from her.

When I had passed through the low doorway and locked and barred it behindme, I felt a pang that I should have had to shut her out like that; but Ifeared lest there should arise some embarrassing suspicion if the doorshould be found open. Later came the comforting thought that, as she hadgot to the roof though the door had been shut, she would be able to getaway by the same means. She had evidently knowledge of some secret wayinto the Castle. The alternative was that she must have somesupernatural quality or faculty which gave her strange powers. I did notwish to pursue that train of thought, and so, after an effort, shut itout from my mind.

When I got back to my room I locked the door behind me, and went to sleepin the dark. I did not want light just then--could not bear it.

This morning I woke, a little later than usual, with a kind ofapprehension which I could not at once understand. Presently, however,when my faculties became fully awake and in working order, I realizedthat I feared, half expected, that Aunt Janet would come to me in a worsestate of alarm than ever apropos of some new Second-Sight experience ofmore than usual ferocity.

But, strange to say, I had no such visit. Later on in the morning, when,after breakfast, we walked together through the garden, I asked her howshe had slept, and if she had dreamt. She answered me that she had sleptwithout waking, and if she had had any dreams, they must have beenpleasant ones, for she did not remember them. "And you know, Rupert,"she added, "that if there be anything bad or fearsome or warning indreams, I always remember them."

Later still, when I was by myself on the cliff beyond the creek, I couldnot help commenting on the absence of her power of Second Sight on theoccasion. Surely, if ever there was a time when she might have had causeof apprehension, it might well have been when I asked the Lady whom shedid not know to marry me--the Lady of whose identity I knew nothing, evenwhose name I did not know--whom I loved with all my heart and soul--myLady of the Shroud.

I have lost faith in Second Sight.

RUPERT'S JOURNAL--_Continued_.

_July_ 1, 1907.

Another week gone. I have waited patiently, and I am at last rewarded byanother letter. I was preparing for bed a little while ago, when I heardthe same mysterious sound at the door as on the last two occasions. Ihurried to the glass door, and there found another close-folded letter.But I could see no sign of my Lady, or of any other living being. Theletter, which was without direction, ran as follows:

"If you are still of the same mind, and feel no misgivings, meet me atthe Church of St. Sava beyond the Creek to-morrow night at a quarterbefore midnight. If you come, come in secret, and, of course, alone. Donot come at all unless you are prepared for a terrible ordeal. But ifyou love me, and have neither doubts nor fears, come. Come!"

Needless to say, I did not sleep last night. I tried to, but withoutsuccess. It was no morbid happiness that kept me awake, no doubting, nofear. I was simply overwhelmed with the idea of the coming rapture whenI should call my Lady my very, very own. In this sea of happyexpectation all lesser things were submerged. Even sleep, which is animperative force with me, failed in its usual effectiveness, and I laystill, calm, content.

With the coming of the morning, however, restlessness began. I did notknow what to do, how to restrain myself, where to look for an anodyne.Happily the latter came in the shape of Rooke, who turned up shortlyafter breakfast. He had a satisfactory tale to tell me of the armouredyacht, which had lain off Cattaro on the previous night, and to which hehad brought his contingent of crew which had waited for her coming. Hedid not like to take the risk of going into any port with such a vessel,lest he might be detained or otherwise hampered by forms, and had goneout upon the open sea before daylight. There was on board the yacht atiny torpedo-boat, for which provision was made both for hoisting on deckand housing there. This last would run into the creek at ten o'clockthat evening, at which time it would be dark. The yacht would then runto near Otranto, to which she would send a boat to get any message Imight send. This was to be in a code, which we arranged, and wouldconvey instructions as to what night and approximate hour the yacht wouldcome to the creek.

The day was well on before we had made certain arrangements for thefuture; and not till then did I feel again the pressure of my personalrestlessness. Rooke, like a wise commander, took rest whilst he could.Well he knew that for a couple of days and nights at least there would belittle, if any, sleep for him.

For myself, the habit of self-control stood to me, and I managed to getthrough the day somehow without exciting the attention of anyone else.The arrival of the torpedo-boat and the departure of Rooke made for me awelcome break in my uneasiness. An hour ago I said good-night to AuntJanet, and shut myself up alone here. My watch is on the table beforeme, so that I may make sure of starting to the moment. I have allowedmyself half an hour to reach St. Sava. My skiff is waiting, moored atthe foot of the cliff on the hither side, where the zigzag comes close tothe water. It is now ten minutes past eleven.

I shall add the odd five minutes to the time for my journey so as to makesafe. I go unarmed and without a light.

I shall show no distrust of anyone or anything this night.

RUPERT'S JOURNAL--_Continued_.

_July_ 2, 1907.