“Yes, sir. You shall hear how it occurred. It appears that one night Miss Flora Bannerworth, a young lady of great beauty, and respected and admired by all who knew her was visited by a strange being who came in at the window.” “My eye,” said Jack, “it waren’t me, I wish it had a been.” “So petrified by fear was she, that she had only time to creep half out of the bed, and to utter one cry of alarm, when the strange visitor seized her in his grasp.” “D—n my pig tail,” said Jack, “what a squall there must have been, to be sure.” “Do you see this bottle?” roared the admiral. “To be sure, I does; I think as it’s time I seed another.” “You scoundrel, I’ll make you feel it against that d——d stupid head of yours, if you interrupt this gentleman again.” “Don’t be violent.” “Well, as I was saying,” continued the attorney, “she did, by great good fortune, manage to scream, which had the effect of alarming the whole house. The door of her chamber, which was fast, was broken open.” “Yes, yes——” “Ah,” cried Jack. “You may imagine the horror and the consternation of those who entered the room to find her in the grasp of a fiend-like figure, whose teeth were fastened on her neck, and who was actually draining her veins of blood.” “The devil!” “Before any one could lay hands sufficiently upon the figure to detain it, it had fled precipitately from its dreadful repast. Shots were fired after it in vain.” “And they let it go?” “They followed it, I understand, as well as they were able, and saw it scale the garden wall of the premises; there it escaped, leaving, as you may well imagine, on all their minds, a sensation of horror difficult to describe.” “Well, I never did hear anything the equal of that. Jack, what do you think of it?” “I haven’t begun to think, yet,” said Jack. “But what about my nephew, Charles?” added the admiral. “Of him I know nothing.” “Nothing?” “Not a word, admiral. I was not aware you had a nephew, or that any gentleman bearing that, or any other relationship to you, had any sort of connexion with these mysterious and most unaccountable circumstances. I tell you all I have gathered from common report about this vampyre business. Further I know not, I assure you.” “Well, a man can’t tell what he don’t know. It puzzles me to think who could possibly have written me this letter.” “That I am completely at a loss to imagine,” said Crinkles. “I assure you, my gallant sir, that I am much hurt at the circumstance of any one using my name in such a way. But, nevertheless, as you are here, permit me to say, that it will be my pride, my pleasure, and the boast of the remainder of my existence, to be of some service to so gallant a defender of my country, and one whose name, along with the memory of his deeds, is engraved upon the heart of every Briton.”