On my arrival, I consequently found all the friends around him remarkably attentive and duteous in their behaviour, though it was very evident, that a good deal of the affection was assumed for the occasion. Shortly after my arrival, he fell into a kind of a doze, and we all retired, save an attendant or two. Peggy, the servant who had lived with my uncle fourteen or fifteen years, now insisted on my taking some refreshment, and accordingly set meat before me. But I was too much agitated to feel any thing like pleasure in my repast, and what I ate was more to please the faithful old domestic, than from any inclination of my own. Accordingly, when my slight meal was over, I got up and went to the window, in a serious and reflecting mood. The afternoon was far advanced, and the scenery without was wrapped in tranquillity.
The sunshine cloudless, bright, and still,
Slept on the lawn and heathy hill,
And gently stole from leaf and flower,
The moisture of the morning shower.
At times the soft and zephyry breeze
Moved the light branches of the trees,
And while they shifted to and fro,
Waved as exact their shades below:
Then taking o’er the lawn its course
The waving grass confess’d its force,
And every flow’ret on the mead
Bent, while it pass’d, a trembling head.
I was soon summoned from my station to the parlour; my uncle had somewhat revived, and his speech had returned. He told us death was making rapid advances, and that we might soon expect the moment of his dissolution. He informed us where we should find his will, and gave us some excellent advice on our future -conduct.
Some things he requested us to perform, which I thought were a little odd. He wished us to read the will in the room where he was, immediately after he had expired. He desired that he might not be laid out, as it is commonly called, until at least twelve hours after his departure; and that his large two-armed oaken chair might be placed in all order and solemnity, at the head of the table every meal, and that it should remain unoccupied till after his funeral. He also wished to be interred in a very deep grave. All these requests we promised faithfully to observe, when after taking an affectionate farewell of each, he quietly resigned himself to his pillow; his breathing became more and more faint, till at last we could perceive it no more.
During the foregoing transactions, my mind was in a state I cannot well describe; my thoughts were all confusion, while, at the same time, I struggled to be calm and composed.
Poignant as were my feelings, I gazed on my dying relative with a sort of apathy of grief; and, at the moment when nature was yielding up the contest, I could not shed a tear; in a short time, all quitted the apartment, and I was left alone. The branches of the huge elm trees, with their thickening foliage partially screening the window, made the scene, under such circumstances, awfully gloomy and tranquil. I took several turns about the room; and, with a soft step, I approached the bed, gazed a moment, turned away, and then going up to the window, strove to divert my thoughts, by looking at the surrounding landscape.
Twilight was descending, and the sober hues of evening gradually enveloped the lofty hills; no sound struck my ear, except the faint and low murmurs of the brook, which brawled down the valley, at the bottom of the Flinty Knowe; the shout, softened by distance, of the peasant, committing his steeds to the pasture; and now and then, the solitary barking of a shepherd’s dog, among echoing dales, attendant on his master folding the charge for the night.
I had not stood at the casement many minutes, when my cousins, all talking in a rude, noisy, and indecorous manner, came into the room with the will, which, it seems, they had departed in search of, the moment the testator had expired. I was a good deal shocked at the frivolity they manifested, and could not help reproving them, though in a mild and gentle manner, for the little respect they paid to the memory of the deceased. “Why, ye ken,” said one, “he tauld us to read the will amaist as soon as he died.”
“Aye,” cried another, “and sae, in conformity wi’ his command, we went straught up the stairs, and rummaged o’er his auld kist, till we found it.”
“Mind your ain concerns, glide man, and we’ll mind our’s,” rejoined a third, rather gruffly; so that my well-meant admonitions had no better effect, than to cause me to be more disliked by the party; for I could perceive, before this, that they looked upon me in the light of an unwelcome intruder.
The will was now read, to which all paid the greatest attention; a mute anxiety, and deep interest sat upon every countenance; their aspects were, however, instantly changed into those of intense disappointment and vexation, on hearing that my uncle had made a stranger, whom none of us knew, the heir of all his property, real and personal. For my own part, this circumstance did not affect me in the least; I had not had any expectation of inheriting the smallest portion, therefore could not feel disappointed on the occasion. But with the others it was different; they had clung to him like so many leeches, or like the ivy to an old ruin; and with about as much affection as the two before-mentioned things have, for the objects to which they so closely adhere. A most appalling and disgusting scene now took place, among the disappointed legacy hunters: they abused the old man in the most shocking terms; they taxed him with injustice and villany, and even proceeded to call down imprecations upon his lifeless corpse. I shuddered at the conduct of the unprincipled villains; I trembled at the impiety of men, who could, at a time the most solemn and impressive to a human being, act in a manner sufficient to call down upon them immediate and divine vengeance. I was chilled with horror; I almost expected to see the lifeless corpse of my uncle start from the bed on which it lay, to take vengeance on the audacious wretches: once, indeed, I actually thought I saw his lips quiver with rage, his eyebrows knit together, and all the muscles of his countenance contract into a dreadful frown. — I shuddered at the sight, and withdrew my gaze.
At length, they went into the kitchen, and left me, once more, alone in the chamber of death. I went to the bed-side, and the scene I had just witnessed operated so upon my feelings, that I burst into tears, and uttered aloud my lamentations over my lifeless relative. When this ebullition had somewhat subsided, I began to reflect a little where I was, and a sort of timidity came creeping over me. There is an undefinable apprehension which we feel, while we are in company with the dead. We imagine, in spite of the efforts of reason, that the departed spirit is hovering near its former tenement; at least, it is the case with myself. It now being quite dark, and having these feelings in a strong degree, it is no wonder that I rather preferred the company of the wretches in the kitchen, than remaining alone where I was.
I proceeded thither, where I found them all carousing round a large table; on which was placed the fragments of the dinner, and plenty of liquor. I reminded them of our promise, to place my uncle’s old two-armed chair at the head of the table, as he had requested, which they had neglected to do, and which they now strenuously opposed me in doing. I was, however, resolutely determined to have it done, and at length succeeded. I then retired to the fire-side, where I sat, without taking any part in the conversation, or in any thing that passed during the whole evening. I shall pass over the several succeeding hours, the whole of which they sat drinking, till they were all, in a more or less degree, intoxicated, and generally brawling, wrangling, and swearing, in a loud and boisterous manner. The night became stormy as it advanced; the wind rose, and at intervals, moaned, sighed, and whistled shrilly without, roared in the wide chimney, and, as it furiously bent the trees, in which the house was embosomed, made a sound similar to the dashing of waves on the shore of the ocean. The rain fell in torrents, and the large drops pattered against the window, with a ceaseless and melancholy cadence.
It was now getting nigh the “witching time o’ night,” and I saw no signs of the revellers quitting the table; on the contrary, they grew more loud and boisterous. In obedience to their imperious commands, yet, evidently, wit
h the greatest reluctance, Peggy kept replenishing the exhausted vessels with more liquor, and their demands increased, in proportion to the reluctance with which they were satisfied. At length, however, on receiving an intimation from me that I would interpose, she absolutely refused to draw any more liquor for them, telling them, they had had plenty, and that it was time to retire to bed. The scene that now ensued was such, as it is impossible for me to describe.
Maddened and inflamed with rage at being thus refused, the wretches began to throw the fur niture up and down the house; break the glasses and jugs, and to abuse the servant, from whom they attempted to wrest the key of the cellar, yelling out, at the same time, the most horrid oaths and imprecations.
The table was shortly overset, and the lights put out in the scuffle; in a few moments, we should, in all probability, have had blood-shed, as I felt myself roused to a pitch of fury, and was advancing with the large heavy-headed fire poker to the assistance of the servant, who was loudly shrieking for help. Just then, the old clock struck twelve rapid strokes, and the bell had not ceased to vibrate, when we heard three heavy knocks, as if given by a mallet, upon the wall which separated the kitchen from the parlour where my uncle lay.
There appeared to be something supernatural in this. The whole house seemed to shake to its very foundation. A deep silence ensued. I stood still; the wretches instantly became sober. We all gazed earnestly and wildly at the place from whence the noise proceeded. Scarcely had we recovered from the shock, when we were again thunderstruck with a noise in the parlour; it was unlike any sound that I had ever heard before; it seemed as if all the furniture of the room was violently crashed together, mingled with the noise of fire-arms; shrieks and exclamations burst from all.
The windows shook, and every door of the habitation gave a momentary jar. I trembled with awe; I felt every hair of my head bristling upwards; my knees smote against each other; a deadly paleness sat upon each countenance, and all eyes were fixed in an intense gaze on the door, at the upper part of the kitchen, which led to the staircase, buttery, and parlour; when, to complete the horror of the scene, the door burst wide open, dashed against the wall, and, in gliding, at slow pace, came a dreadful apparition. Its countenance was that of death; it seemed to have been long the inhabitant of that dark and narrow house — the grave; the worms had revelled upon its eyes, and left nothing but the orbless sockets. The rest of the skeleton was enveloped in a long and white sheet.
This horrid spectre advanced into the middle of the room. I involuntarily shrunk back — the heavy weapon dropped from my hand, and rang loudly upon the stone floor; and, overcome with terror, I sunk into a chair. A cold sweat burst from my forehead, and I had well nigh fainted. On its first appearance, the others had tumbled one over the other, in the greatest horror and confusion, and now lay, as if dead, in all directions.
The spectre gazed wildly around for a moment at the clock, at the fire, and then turned its eyeless sockets upon each individual; motioning, at the same time, with its long arm, and pointing to the outer door, seemingly directing to an outlet for escape, and wishing for their exit. They were not long in obeying this intimation, but severally crawled away upon their hands and knees, with all the speed they could possibly make, none of them daring to stand upright. The spectre, all the while, was standing in the middle of the floor, eyeing, or rather appearing to eye them, through the void socket where eyes had once glistened, as they retreated, one by one, in the greatest fear and trepidation. When Peggy and I offered to decamp along with the rest, the spectre motioned us to remain where we were, and we durst not, for our lives, disobey. When the last of the crew was making his exit, and had crawled nearly to the door, the spectre, who had hitherto stood motionless, except waving its arms, and slowly turning its eyeless countenance upon the wretches, as they crept successively out of the door, bounded, with the rapidity of lightning, after the terrified wretch. But, swift as the flights of spirits are, in this case, that of the mortal was swifter; the fellow gave a thrilling scream, made a convulsive spring, his heels struck violently against the lintel of the door in his course, and he vanished from my sight, and the spectre after him. “Gude defend us!” said Peggy. For my part, much as I was frightened, I could scarcely forbear laughing outright, at the last incident, so comic and farcical.
Half a minute had not elapsed, when I heard a step, and, in another instant — (I still kept my eyes upon the door) — in came the very form of MY UNCLE, muttering—” Villains! rascals! hypocrites!”
He fastened the door after him, and shut out his nephews; and the spectre then came towards the fire. At this I was more amazed than ever. He, however, gave me to understand that he was alive, and well, and all that I had seen transacted, in the afternoon and evening, was nothing but a stratagem he had made use of, to try the sincerity of his relations; and if he found them, as he conjectured, false in their professions, to get rid of them. The scheme answered nobly, and, it must be confessed, the stratagem was well planned, and exceedingly well executed.
I could not, at first, believe what I saw, nor conceive but that all was the illusion of a dream.
In a little time, however, I recovered my recollection; and, on a further development of the plot, I could enter into all its parts, and reconcile almost every thing to my entire satisfaction.
My uncle concluded his relation with assuring me that, excepting a good legacy for his faithful servant, Peggy, I should inherit all that he possessed, as some little acknowledgment for the fright he had caused me; and, as for the wretches he had expelled from his house in so singular a manner, they should never more cross the threshold of his door. We all three now sat down to a little supper, of which my uncle stood in great need, and, after taking a cheerful glass, retired to bed.
Notwithstanding the fatigue of my journey, and sitting up so late, my sleep was far from being sound and refreshing; I was disturbed with fearful dreams the whole night: sometimes I was among groups of ruffians, fighting and mangling: each other — then I was haunted with horrid spectres (such as I had seen the night before) which grasped at me, and I but just escaped their clutches. Headless men, and monsters of various horrid forms, flitted in endless variety before my fancy, and I frequently started awake in dreadful agonies.
At length, the cocks begin to crow; the clouds of the eastern sky to break asunder, and the morning to dawn. When it was tolerably light, I started up, resolved upon a stroll over the meadows. Before going, I, however, went into the parlour, where I found every thing in the utmost confusion; chairs, tables, walking-sticks, and logs of wood lay all over the floor, and every thing upset, or in a wrong position. I then proceeded to the outer door, which I opened; but started back in horror, on perceiving a human scull, lying on a sheet, at my right hand.
Recovering from my fright, I went and gathered it up. I could not restrain my laughter, when I discovered it to be nothing more than a mask, representing a death’s head. It seems, while we were all wrangling the night before, my uncle had stepped out of bed, dressed himself, piled all the furniture, logs of wood, and timber he could, in the apartment, in a heap, crowning the pyramid with a dozen or more walking-sticks, which had lain, time out of mind, on the top of an old cupboard. Then he had gone up stairs, and put on the horrid mask, brought down a pistol, and enveloped himself, from his feet to his chin, in a clean white sheet. After alarming us, just as the clock struck the awful hour of twelve, by striking three heavy blows against the wall, with a huge log of wood, he contrived to tumble down the whole mass of furniture at once, fired his pistol at the same moment, and then burst in upon us, in the maimer before described; and I really think, that had old Hornie himself been there, he would have yelled with dismay. I attributed the flapping of the doors up stairs, and the jarring of those below, to nothing but a boisterous gust of wind, that happened to blow just at the critical moment; and in the repercussion of the air, when the pistol was fired, I accounted for the shaking of the windows. The whimsical orders and requests of m
y uncle were absolutely necessary to the design. By having his will read in the room where he was, he heard our undisguised sentiments; and his next request saved him from the alternative of either being laid with a slight covering, near some chilling window, or of developing the plot before a proper time. The other requests were, I suppose, made for the sake of consistency, and to make it impossible that we could suspect any thing. I now went out.
As I was crossing the yard, I discovered several drops of blood upon a stone, which I could no way account for, but by supposing some of my good cousins had received, in their hasty retreat, a severe fall; and, a little further, I discovered a pair of shoes. A receptacle for the filth of the byre, in another part of the yard, bore evident marks of some one having had therein a severe struggle.
Indeed, the adventures of the flying heroes had been various and woful: one of them, he at whom the spectre made such a sudden bound, as I afterwards ascertained, actually ran seven miles without stopping; and, with his shrieks, supposing the grim monster at his heels, almost raised the whole country. I now proceeded onwards, over the fields, listening to the warbling lark, “springing blithely up to greet the purpling east.” The air was fresh and pure, and, in the beauties of Nature, I awhile forgot the events of the preceding evening. With hasty steps I roved over the faintly-recollected scenes, where I had, in childhood, spent some of my happiest hours, until, weary with my rambles, I returned to breakfast.
[I wish I could have given the above tale as it was related to me by my friend Laird Izaak Mac Farragon — I might then have presented my reader with a treat; the one before him is the mere shade, the bare outline of the droll yet fearful story he made of it. The beseeming gravity with which he went through the first part, — and the ‘cast of his eye’ towards the conclusion, were perfectly inexpressible — inimitable.]
The Works of William Harrison Ainsworth Page 834