THE HAUNTED AND THE HAUNTERS: OR, THE HOUSE AND THE BRAIN. [THIS tale first appeared in Blackwood's Magazine, August, 1859. A portion of it as then published is now suppressed, because encroaching too much on the main plot of the "Strange Story." As it stands, however, it may be considered the preliminary outline of that more elaborate attempt to construct an interest akin to that which our forefathers felt in tales of witchcraft and ghostland, out of ideas and beliefs which have crept into fashion in the society of our own day. There has, perhaps, been no age in which certain phenomena that in all ages have been produced by, or upon, certain physical temperaments, have excited so general a notice, -more perhaps among the educated classes than the uneducated. Nor do I believe that there is any age in which those phenomena have engendered throughout a wider circle a more credulous superstition. But, on the other hand, there has certainly been no age in which persons of critical and inquisitive intellect -seeking to divest what is genuine in these apparent vagaries of Nature from the cheats of venal impostors and the exaggeration of puzzled witnesses-have more soberly endeavoured to render such exceptional thaumaturgia of philosophical use, in enlarging our conjectural knowledge of the complex laws of being-sometimes through physiological, sometimes through metaphysical research. Without discredit, however, to the many able and distinguished speculators on so vague a subject, it must be observed that their explanations as yet have been rather ingenious than satisfactory. Indeed, the first requisites for conclusive theory are at present wanting. The facts are not sufficiently generalized, and the evidences for them have not been sufficiently tested. It is just when elements of the marvellous are thus struggling between superstition and philosophy, that they fall by right to the domain of Art-the art of poet or tale-teller. They furnish the constructor of imaginative fiction with materials for mysterious terror of a character not exhausted by his predecessors, and not foreign to the notions that float on the surface of his own time; while they allow him to wander freely over that range of conjecture which is favourable to his purposes, precisely because science itself has not yet disenchanted that debateable realm of its haunted shadows and goblin lights.] A FRIEND of mine, who is a man of letters and a philosopher, said to me one day, as if between jest and earnest,-"Fancy! since we last met, I have discovered a haunted house in the midst of London." "Really haunted ?—and by what? ghosts ?" "Well, I can't answer that question; all I know is this-six weeks ago I and my wife were in search of a furnished apartment. Passing a quiet street, we saw on the window of one of the houses a bill, Apartments Furnished.' The situation suited us: we entered the house ་ liked the rooms-engaged them by the week-and left them the third day. No power on earth could have reconciled my wife to stay longer; and I don't wonder at it." "What did you see ?" The woman spoke with so dreary a calmness, that really it was a sort of awe that prevented my conversing with her further. I paid for my week, and too happy were I and my wife to get off so cheaply." "You excite my curiosity," said I; "nothing I should like better than to sleep in a haunted house. Pray give me the address of the one which you left so ignominiously." It is situated on the north side of Oxford Street, in a dull but respectable thoroughfare. I found the house shut up-no bill at the window, and no response to my knock. As I was turning away, a beer-boy, collecting pewter pots at the neighbouring areas, said to me, "Do you want any one at that house, sir?" "Excuse me-I have no desire to be ridiculed as a superstitious dreamer-nor, on the other hand, could I ask you to accept on my affirmation what you would hold to be incredible without the evi- My friend gave me the address; dence of your own senses. Let me and when we parted, I walked only say this, it was not so much straight towards the house thus what we saw or heard (in which indicated. you might fairly suppose that we were the dupes of our own excited fancy, or the victims of imposture in others) that drove us away, as it was an undefinable terror which seized both of us whenever we passed by the door of a certain unfurnished room, in which we neither saw nor heard anything. And the strangest marvel of all was, that for once in my life I agreed with my wife, silly woman though she be-and allowed, after the third night, that it was impossible to stay a fourth in that house. Accordingly, on the fourth morning I summoned the woman who kept the house and attended on us, and told her that the rooms did not quite suit us, and we would not stay out our week. She said, dryly, 'I know why; you have stayed longer than any other lodger. Few ever stayed a second night; none before you a third. But I take it they have been very kind to you.' "They-who?' I asked, affecting "Yes, I heard it was to be let.” "Let!-why, the woman who kept it is dead-has been dead these three weeks, and no one can be found to stay there, though Mr. J offered ever so much. He offered mother, who chars for him, £1 a week just to open and shut the windows, and she would not." "Would not !-and why ?" "The house is haunted; and the old woman who kept it was found dead in her bed, with her eyes wide open. They say the devil strangled her." "Pooh!-you speak of Mr. J- "Where does he live ?" "What is he ?-in any business?" "No, sir-nothing particular; a single gentleman." I gave the pot-boy the gratuity earned by his liberal information, and proceeded to Mr. J—, in G-Street, which was close by the street that boasted the haunted house. I was lucky enough to find Mr. J. at home-an elderly man, with intelligent countenance and prepossessing manners. 66 to any one who would pay its rates and taxes." "How long is it since the house acquired this sinister character ?" "That I can scarcely tell you, but I very many years since. The old I communicated my name and woman I spoke of said it was my business frankly. I said I heard haunted when she rented it between the house was considered to be thirty and forty years ago. The fact haunted-that I had a strong desire is, that my life has been spent in the to examine a house with so equivo- East Indies, and in the civil service cal a reputation-that I should be of the Company. I returned to greatly obliged if he would allow me England last year, on inheriting the to hire it, though only for a night. fortune of an uncle, among whose I was willing to pay for that privi- possessions was the house in queslege whatever he might be inclined tion. I found it shut up and uninto ask. Sir," said Mr. J-, with habited. I was told that it was great courtesy, "the house is at your haunted, that no one would inhabit service, for as short or as long a time it. I smiled at what seemed to me as you please. Rent is out of the so idle a story. I spent some money question-the obligation will be on in repairing it-added to its oldmy side should you be able to dis- fashioned furniture a few modern cover the cause of the strange phe-articles-advertised it, and obtained nomena which at present deprive it of all value. I cannot let it, for I cannot even get a servant to keep it in order or answer the door. Unluckily the house is haunted, if I may use that expression, not only by night, but by day; though at night the disturbances are of a more unpleasant and sometimes of a more alarming character. The poor old woman who died in it three weeks ago was a pauper whom I took out of a workhouse, for in her childhood she had been known to some of my family, and had once been in such good circumstances that she had rented that house of my uncle. She was a woman of superior education and strong mind, and was the only person I could ever induce to remain in the house. Indeed, since her death, which was sudden, and the coroner's inquest, which gave it a notoriety in the neighbourhood, I have so despaired of finding any person to take charge of the house, much more a tenant, that I would willingly let it rent-free for a year a lodger for a year. He was a colonel retired on half-pay. He came in with his family, a son and a daughter, and four or five servants: they all left the house the next day; and, although each of them declared that he had seen something different from that which had scared the others, a something still was equally terrible to all. I really could not in conscience sue, nor even blame, the colonel for breach of agreement. Then I put in the old woman I have spoken of, and she was empowered to let the house in apartments. I never had one lodger who stayed more than three days. I do not tell you their stories-to no two lodgers have there been exactly the same phenomena repeated. It is better that you should judge for yourself, than enter the house with an imagination influenced by previous narratives; only be prepared to see and to hear something or other, and take whatever precautions you yourself please." "Have you never had a curiosity yourself to pass a night in that house ?" "Oh, sir! pray trust me," answered F, grinning with delight. "Very well; then here are the keys of the house-this is the address. Go now,-select for me any bedroom you please; and since the house has not been inhabited for weeks, make up a good fire-air the "Yes. I passed not a night, but three hours in broad daylight alone in that house. My curiosity is not satisfied, but it is quenched. I have no desire to renew the experiment. You cannot complain, you see, sir, that I am not sufficiently candid; and unless your interest be exceed-bed well-see, of course, that there ingly eager and your nerves un- are candles as well as fuel. Take usually strong, I honestly add, that with you my revolver and my I advise you not to pass a night in dagger-so much for my weaponsthat house." arm yourself equally well; and if we are not a match for a dozen ghosts, we shall be but a sorry couple of Englishmen." "My interest is exceedingly keen," said I," and though only a coward will boast of his nerves in situations wholly unfamiliar to him, yet my nerves have been seasoned in such variety of danger that I have the right to rely on them-even in a haunted house." I was engaged for the rest of the day on business so urgent that I had not leisure to think much on the nocturnal adventure to which I had plighted my honour. I dined alone, Mr. J said very little more; and very late, and while dining, read, he took the keys of the house out of as is my habit. I selected one of the his bureau, gave them to me,-and, volumes of Macaulay's Essays. I thanking him cordially for his frank-thought to myself that I would take ness, and his urbane concession to the book with me; there was so my wish, I carried off my prize. Impatient for the experiment, as soon as I reached home, I summoned my confidential servant -a young man of gay spirits, fearless temper, and as free from superstitious prejudice as any one I could think of. "F," said I, "you remember in Germany how disappointed we were at not finding a ghost in that old castle, which was said to be haunted by a headless apparition ? Well, I have heard of a house in London which, I have reason to hope, is decidedly haunted. I mean to sleep there to-night. From what I hear, there is no doubt that something will allow itself to be seen or to be heard-something, perhaps, excessively horrible. Do you think, if I take you with me, I may rely on your presence of mind, whatever nay happen ?" much of healthfulness in the style, and practical life in the subjects, that it would serve as an antidote against the influences of superstitious fancy. Accordingly, about half-past nine, I put the book into my pocket, and strolled leisurely towards the haunted house. I took with me a favourite dog, - an exceedingly sharp, bold, and vigilant bullterrier,-a dog fond of prowling about strange ghostly corners and passages at night in search of ratsa dog of dogs for a ghost. It was a summer night, but chilly, the sky somewhat gloomy and overcast. Still there was a moon-faint and sickly, but still a moon-and if the clouds permitted, after midnight it would be brighter. I reached the house, knocked, and my servant opened with a cheerful smile. "Oh!" said I, rather disappointed; "have you not seen nor heard anything remarkable?" "Well, sir, I must own I have heard something queer." "What?-what?" "The sound of feet pattering behind me; and once or twice small noises like whispers close at my ear -nothing more." 66 "You are not at all frightened?" "I! not a bit of it, sir ;" and the man's bold look reassured me on one point-viz., that, happen what might, he would not desert me. "All right, sir, and very com- | myself in this strange abode. I saw, fortable." just before me, the print of a foot suddenly form itself, as it were. I stopped, caught hold of my servant, and pointed to it. In advance of that footprint as suddenly dropped another. We both saw it. I advanced quickly to the place; the footprint kept advancing before me, a small footprint the foot of a child: the impression was too faint thoroughly to distinguish the shape, but it seemed to us both that it was the print of a naked foot. This phenomenon ceased when we arrived at the opposite wall, nor did it repeat itself on returning. We We were in the hall, the street- remounted the stairs, and entered door closed, and my attention was the rooms on the ground floor, a now drawn to my dog. He had at dining parlour, a small back-parlour, first run in eagerly enough, but had and a still smaller third room that sneaked back to the door, and was had been probably appropriated to scratching and whining to get out. a footman-all still as death. We After patting him on the head, and then visited the drawing-rooms, encouraging him gently, the dog which seemed fresh and new. In seemed to reconcile himself to the the front room I seated myself in situation, and followed me and an arm-chair. F― placed on the F-through the house, but keep-table the candlestick with which he ing close at my heels instead of had lighted us. I told him to shut hurrying inquisitively in advance, the door. As he turned to do so, which was his usual and normal a chair opposite to me moved from habit in all strange places. first visited the subterranean apartments, the kitchen and other offices, and especially the cellars, in which last there were two or three bottles of wine still left in a bin, covered with cobwebs, and evidently, by their appearance, undisturbed for many years. It was clear that the ghosts were not winebibbers. For the rest we discovered nothing of interest. There was a gloomy little backyard, with very high walls. The stones of this yard were very damp; and what with the damp, and what with the dust and smokegrime on the pavement, our feet left a slight impression where we passed. And now appeared the first strange phenomenon witnessed by We the wall quickly and noiselessly, and dropped itself about a yard from my own chair, immediately fronting it. "Why, this is better than the turning-tables," said I, with a halflaugh; and as I laughed, my dog put back his head and howled. F, coming back, had not observed the movement of the chair. He employed himself now in stilling the dog. I continued to gaze on the chair, and fancied I saw on it a pale blue misty outline of a human figure, but an outline so indistinct that I could only distrust my own vision. The dog now was quiet. "Put back that chair opposite to me," said I to F; "put it back to the wall." |