Page:Hoffmann's Strange Stories - Hoffman - 1855.djvu/125

 little confidence in the success of my first appearance. This whole visit nauseated me. Wholly under the impression of the incidents that had agitated me the night before, I was (one could not be more so) disposed to see witches under the finery with which these two ladies of R—sitten were spangled like church banners.

Then strange faces, their little eyes bordered with a bloody red, their pointed noses, and their nasal accents, could only legitimately belong to people from the other world.

The evening of this first day, as I was with my great uncle seated in our chamber, my feet on the fender, and my chin reclining on my breast,

"What the devil has bewitched thee since yesterday?" exclaimed the excellent counsellor. "Thou dost neither eat nor drink, and thou look'st like a grave digger."

I thought that it was my duty not to hide from my great uncle what caused my uneasiness. Whilst listening to me he became very serious.

"That is very strange," exclaimed he, "I saw in a dream all that thou hast just told me. I saw a hideous phantom enter the room, drag himself to the walled-up door, and scratch at that door with such fury, that its fingers were all torn and bleeding; then it descended, took a horse from the stable and put him back again immediately. It was at this time you awoke me, and that, come to myself, I surmounted the secret horror which always springs from the least communication with the invisible world."

I dared not question the old gentleman. He perceived it.

"Cousin," said he to me, "hast thou the courage to wait with me, with open eyes, the next visit of the phantom?"

I accepted resolutely this proposition.

"Very well, then, to-night," continued he; "I have confidence in the pious motive which leads me to wrestle with the evil genius of this castle. Whatever may be the result of my project, I wish that you may be present at all that may happen, in order to be able to bear witness to it. I hope, with God's aid, to 11