Page:Hoffmann's Strange Stories - Hoffman - 1855.djvu/142

 wife is so delicately organized, that the least excess of sensation might cause her death. I had brought her here with the hope that this rude climate, joined to the occupations of a rough and strong mode of life, would produce on her a fortunate reaction: but you have taken it upon yourself to enervate her the more with your languishing melodies. Her exalted imagination was predisposed and subject to any shock, when you dealt her a fatal blow, in relating before her, I know not what stupid ghost story. Your great uncle has told me all; so you can deny nothing; I only wish you to repeat to me yourself all that you pretend to have seen."

The turn that our conversation took, re-assured me sufficiently, to enable me to obey the orders of the baron. He only interrupted my very detailed narration by short exclamations, which he immediately restrained. When I came to the scene in which my great uncle had so powerfully conjured the invisible phantom, he raised his joined hands to heaven and exclaimed,

"Yes, that was truly the tutelary genius of the family; and when God shall call back his soul, I wish that his remains may sleep with honor by the side of my ancestors!"

Then, as I remained silent, he took my hand and added,

"Young man, it was you who caused unwittingly the illness of my wife; from you must come her cure."

I felt the color come into my face at these words. The baron, who was observing me, smiled at my embarrassment, and continued in a tone which bordered upon irony,

"You are not called upon to attend a very sick person, and this is the service that I expect from you. The baroness is entirely under the influence of your music; it would be cruel to suppress it. I authorize you then, to continue it, but I require you to change the style of the pieces that you execute before her. Make a gradual choice of sonatas more and more energetic; mix skilfully the gay and the serious; and then, above all, speak to her often of the apparition which you have related to her. She will gradually become familiar