Love stories; Nobility -- Great Britain -- Fiction; Switzerland -- Fiction
At the same time he was really fond of Miss Ogilvy, and what she said
about being ill touched him. Also there was something that drew him; it
might be Eleanor, or it might be Madame Riennes. At any rate he felt a
great longing to go. Putting everything else aside, these
investigations had their delights. What other young fellow of his age
could boast an Eleanor, who said she had been fond of him tens of
thousands of years before?
Moreover, here was one of the gates to that knowledge which he desired
so earnestly, and how could he find the strength to shut it in his own
face?
Of course the end of the matter was that by the following Sunday, his
toothache had departed, and the carriage did not return empty to the
Villa Ogilvy.
He found his hostess looking white and ethereal, an appearance that she
had acquired increasingly ever since their first meeting. Her delight
at seeing him was obvious, as was that of the others. For this he soon
discovered the reason. It appeared that the sitting on the previous
Sunday, when he was overcome by toothache, had been an almost total
failure. Professor Petersen had tried to fill his place as medium, with
the result that when he fell under the influence, the only spirit that
broke through his lips was one which discoursed interminably about
lager beer and liqueurs of some celestial brew, which, as Madame
Riennes, a lady not given to mince her words, told him to his face
afterwards, was because he drank too much. Hence the joy of these
enthusiasts at the re-appearance of Godfrey.
With considerable reluctance that youth consented to play his usual
rôle, and to be put into a charmed sleep by Madame. This time he saw
no Eleanor, and knew nothing of what happened until he awoke to be
greeted by the horrific spectacle of Miss Ogilvy lying back in her
chair bathed in blood. General confusion reigned in the midst of which
Madame Riennes alone was calm.
“It is hæmorrhage from the lungs,” she said, “which is
common among _poitrinaires_. Brother Petersen, do what you can, and you,
Brother Smith, fly for Mademoiselle’s doctor, and if he is not at
home, bring another.”
Later Godfrey heard what had chanced. It seemed that the wraith, or
emanation, or the sprite, good or evil, or whatever it may have been,
which called itself Eleanor, materialized in a very ugly temper. It
complained that it had not been allowed to appear upon the previous
Sunday and had been kept away from its brother, i.e. Godfrey. Then it
proceeded to threaten all the circle, except Godfrey, who was the real
culprit, with divers misfortunes, especially directing its wrath
against Miss Ogilvy.
“You will die soon,” it said, “and in the spirit world I will
pay you back.” Thrice it repeated this: “You will die,” to
which Miss Ogilvy answered with calm dignity:
“I am not afraid to die, nor am I at all afraid of you, Eleanor, who,
as I now see, are not good but evil.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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