Book Read Free

Works of Robert W Chambers

Page 1207

by Robert W. Chambers


  I saw that he could not escape even if he had the strength, for before him, almost at his very feet, lay a deep, shining swamp.

  As I stepped forward my foot broke a twig. At the sound the figure started a little, then its head fell forward again. Its face was masked. Walking up to the man, I bade him tell where he was wounded. Durand and the others broke through the thicket at the same moment and hurried to my side.

  “Who are you who hide a masked face in a priest’s robe?” said the gendarme loudly.

  There was no answer.

  “See — see the stiff blood all over his robe,” muttered Le Bihan to Fortin.

  “He will not speak,” said I.

  “He may be too badly wounded,” whispered Le Bihan.

  “I saw him raise his head,” I said, “my wife saw him creep up here.”

  Durand stepped forward and touched the figure.

  “Speak!” he said.

  “Speak!” quavered Fortin.

  Durand waited a moment, then with a sudden upward movement he stripped off the mask and threw back the man’s head. We were looking into the eye sockets of a skull. Durand stood rigid; the mayor shrieked. The skeleton burst out from its rotting robes and collapsed on the ground before us. From between the staring ribs and the grinning teeth spurted a torrent of black blood, showering the shrinking grasses; then the thing shuddered, and fell over into the black ooze of the bog. Little bubbles of iridescent air appeared from the mud; the bones were slowly engulfed, and, as the last fragments sank out of sight, up from the depths and along the bank crept a creature, shiny, shivering, quivering its wings.

  It was a death’s-head moth.

  I wish I had time to tell you how Lys outgrew superstitions — for she never knew the truth about the affair, and she never will know, since she has promised not to read this book. I wish I might tell you about the king and his coronation, and how the coronation robe fitted. I wish that I were able to write how Yvonne and Herbert Stuart rode to a boar hunt in Quimperle, and how the hounds raced the quarry right through the town, overturning three gendarmes, the notary, and an old woman. But I am becoming garrulous and Lys is calling me to come and hear the king say that he is sleepy. And his highness shall not be kept waiting.

  THE KING’S CRADLE SONG

  Seal with a seal of gold

  The scroll of a life unrolled;

  Swathe him deep in his purple stole;

  Ashes of diamonds, crystalled coal,

  Drops of gold in each scented fold.

  Crimson wings of the Little Death,

  Stir his hair with your silken breath;

  Flaming wings of sins to be,

  Splendid pinions of prophecy,

  Smother his eyes with hues and dyes,

  While the white moon spins and the winds arise,

  And the stars drip through the skies.

  Wave, O wings of the Little Death!

  Seal his sight and stifle his breath,

  Cover his breast with the gemmed shroud pressed;

  From north to north, from west to west,

  Wave, O wings of the Little Death!

  Till the white moon reels in the cracking skies,

  And the ghosts of God arise.

  THE END

  The Short Stories

  Chambers’ house at Broadalbin, New York

  LIST OF SHORT STORIES IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

  THE REPAIRER OF REPUTATIONS

  THE MASK

  IN THE COURT OF THE DRAGON

  THE YELLOW SIGN

  THE DEMOISELLE D’YS

  THE PROPHETS’ PARADISE

  THE STREET OF THE FOUR WINDS

  THE STREET OF THE FIRST SHELL

  THE STREET OF OUR LADY OF THE FIELDS

  RUE BARRÉE

  THE MAKER OF MOONS.

  THE SILENT LAND.

  THE BLACK WATER.

  IN THE NAME OF THE MOST HIGH.

  THE BOY’S SISTER.

  THE CRIME.

  A PLEASANT EVENING.

  THE MAN AT THE NEXT TABLE.

  THE PURPLE EMPEROR.

  POMPE FUNÈBRE.

  THE MESSENGER.

  THE WHITE SHADOW.

  PASSEUR.

  THE KEY TO GRIEF.

  A MATTER OF INTEREST.

  ENVOI.

  THE GOD OF BATTLES

  PICKETS.

  AN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIR

  SMITH’S BATTERY

  AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY.

  YO ESPERO

  COLLECTOR OF THE PORT

  THE WHISPER

  THE LITTLE MISERY

  ENTER THE QUEEN

  ANOTHER GOOD MAN.

  ENVOI.

  A YOUNG MAN IN A HURRY

  A PILGRIM

  THE SHINING BAND

  ONE MAN IN A MILLION

  THE FIRE-WARDEN

  THE MARKET-HUNTER

  THE PATH-MASTER

  IN NAUVOO

  MARLITT’S SHOES

  PASQUE FLORIDA

  THE CARPET OF BELSHAZZAR

  THE SIGN OF VENUS

  THE CASE OF MR. HELMER

  THE TREE OF DREAMS

  THE BRIDAL PAIR

  EX CURIA

  THE GOLDEN POOL

  OUT OF THE DEPTHS

  THE SWASTIKA

  THE GHOST OF CHANCE

  POLICE!!!

  THE THIRD EYE

  THE IMMORTAL

  THE LADIES OF THE LAKE

  ONE OVER

  UN PEU D’AMOUR

  THE EGGS OF THE SILVER MOON

  THE PROGRESS OF JANET

  A LYNX PEAK PASTORAL

  WILDRICK’S DUMP

  HELL’S ASHES

  THE FIRE-BIRD

  THE BETTER MAN

  THE GERM OF MADNESS

  LUCILLE’S LEGS

  A NURSERY TALE

  NUMBER SEVEN

  DOWN AND OUT

  CARONDELET

  OWL’S HEAD

  OLE HAWG

  THE REAL THING

  A STORY OF PRIMITIVE LOVE

  THE MESSENGER

  LIST OF SHORT STORIES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER

  A LYNX PEAK PASTORAL

  A MATTER OF INTEREST.

  A NURSERY TALE

  A PILGRIM

  A PLEASANT EVENING.

  A STORY OF PRIMITIVE LOVE

  A YOUNG MAN IN A HURRY

  AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY.

  AN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIR

  ANOTHER GOOD MAN.

  CARONDELET

  COLLECTOR OF THE PORT

  DOWN AND OUT

  ENTER THE QUEEN

  ENVOI.

  ENVOI.

  EX CURIA

  HELL’S ASHES

  IN NAUVOO

  IN THE COURT OF THE DRAGON

  IN THE NAME OF THE MOST HIGH.

  LUCILLE’S LEGS

  MARLITT’S SHOES

  NUMBER SEVEN

  OLE HAWG

  ONE MAN IN A MILLION

  ONE OVER

  OUT OF THE DEPTHS

  OWL’S HEAD

  PASQUE FLORIDA

  PASSEUR.

  PICKETS.

  POLICE!!!

  POMPE FUNÈBRE.

  RUE BARRÉE

  SMITH’S BATTERY

  THE BETTER MAN

  THE BLACK WATER.

  THE BOY’S SISTER.

  THE BRIDAL PAIR

  THE CARPET OF BELSHAZZAR

  THE CASE OF MR. HELMER

  THE CRIME.

  THE DEMOISELLE D’YS

  THE EGGS OF THE SILVER MOON

  THE FIRE-BIRD

  THE FIRE-WARDEN

  THE GERM OF MADNESS

  THE GHOST OF CHANCE

  THE GOD OF BATTLES

  THE GOLDEN POOL

  THE IMMORTAL

  THE KEY TO GRIEF.

  THE LADIES OF THE LAKE

  THE LITTLE MISERY

  THE MAKER OF MOONS.

  THE MAN AT THE NEXT TABLE.

  THE MARKET-HUNTER

  TH
E MASK

  THE MESSENGER

  THE MESSENGER.

  THE PATH-MASTER

  THE PROGRESS OF JANET

  THE PROPHETS’ PARADISE

  THE PURPLE EMPEROR.

  THE REAL THING

  THE REPAIRER OF REPUTATIONS

  THE SHINING BAND

  THE SIGN OF VENUS

  THE SILENT LAND.

  THE STREET OF OUR LADY OF THE FIELDS

  THE STREET OF THE FIRST SHELL

  THE STREET OF THE FOUR WINDS

  THE SWASTIKA

  THE THIRD EYE

  THE TREE OF DREAMS

  THE WHISPER

  THE WHITE SHADOW.

  THE YELLOW SIGN

  UN PEU D’AMOUR

  WILDRICK’S DUMP

  YO ESPERO

  Broadalbin Mayfield Rural Cemetery – Chambers’ final resting place

  Chambers’ grave

 

 

 


‹ Prev