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"Oh, laddie rapazinho, I hae been so uneasy aboot ye all the nicht. I hae had dreams an' veesions an' a' sorts o' uncanny fancies. I fear that--"She was by now drawing back the curtain, and as her eyes took in the marks of wet all over the floor the current of her thoughts changed: "Why, laddie, whativer hae ye been doin' wi' yer baith? Oh, the mess ye hae made! 'Tis sinful to gie sic trouble an' waste . . . " And so she went on. I was glad to hear the tirade discurso, tirada, which was only what a good housewife, outraged in her sentiments of order, would have made.

I listened in patience--with pleasure when I thought of what she

would have thought (and said) had she known the real facts. I was well pleased to have got off livrar-se de so easily.

RUPERT'S JOURNAL--Continued.

April 10, 1907.

For some days after what I call "the episode" I was in a strange

condition of mind. I did not take anyone--not even Aunt Janet--into

confidence. Even she dear, and open-hearted and liberal-minded as

she is, might not have understood well enough to be just and tolerant; and I did not care to hear any adverse comment on my strange visitor. Somehow I could not bear the thought of anyone finding fault with her or in her, though, strangely enough, I was

eternally defending her to myself; for, despite my wishes, embarrassing thoughts WOULD come again and again, and again in all sorts and variants of queries pergunta, dúvida difficult to answer. I found myself defending her, sometimes as a woman hard pressed by spiritual fear and physical suffering, sometimes as not being amenable to laws that

govern the Living. Indeed, I could not make up my mind whether I looked on her as a living human being or as one with some strange existence in another world, and having only a chance oportunidade, hipótese, possibilidade foothold in our own. In such doubt imagination began to work, and thoughts of evil, of danger, of doubt, even of fear, began to crowd on me with such

persistence and in such varied forms that I found my instinct of reticence tendência para o silêncio, reserva, discrição growing into a settled purpose. The value of this instinctive precaution was promptly shown by Aunt Janet's state of mind, with consequent revelation of it. She became full of gloomy triste, melancólico prognostications and what I thought were morbid fears. For the first time in my life I discovered that Aunt Janet had nerves nervosismo, nervos! I had long had a secret belief that she was gifted, to some degree at any rate pelo menos, ao menos, with Second Sight, which quality, or whatever it is, skilled perita, apta in the powers if not the lore saber, sabedoria popular of superstition, manages to keep at stretch  em tensão (período de tempo) not only the mind disposição, inclinação, desejo of its immediate pathic instinto, but of others relevant to it. Perhaps this natural quality had received a fresh impetus from the arrival of some cases of her books sent on by Sir Colin. She appeared to read and reread reler these works, which were chiefly on occult

subjects, day and night, except when she was imparting to me choice

excerpts of the most baleful sinistro, terrível and fearsome kind. Indeed, before a week was over I found myself to be an expert in the history of the cult culto, seita, as well as in its manifestations, which latter I had been

versed in for a good many years.

The result of all this was that it set me brooding. Such, at least, I gathered was the fact when Aunt Janet took me to task sobrecarregar for it. She always speaks out according to her convictions, so that her thinking I brooded was to me a proof that I did; and after a personal

examination I came--reluctantly--to the conclusion that she was

right, so far até agora, at any rate pelo menos, as my outer conduct was concerned. The state of mind I was in, however, kept me from making any

acknowledgment of it--the real cause of my keeping so much to myself and of being so distrait distraído. And so I went on, torturing myself as before with introspective questioning; and she, with her mind set on

my actions, and endeavouring esforçar-se to find a cause for them, continued and

expounded comentar, expor her beliefs and fears.

Her nightly chats with me when we were alone after dinner--for I had

come to avoid her questioning at other times--kept my imagination at high pressure. Despite myself, I could not but find new cause for

concern in the perennial perpétuo, crónico founts fonte of her superstition. I had thought, years ago, that I had then sounded the depths of this branch of

psychicism; but this new phase of thought, founded on the really deep hold which the existence of my beautiful visitor and her sad and dreadful circumstances had taken upon me, brought me a new concern in

the matter of self-importance. I came to think that I must

reconstruct my self-values, and begin a fresh understanding of

ethical beliefs. Do what I would, my mind would keep turning on entusiasmar, interessar, excitar, seduzir the uncanny subjects brought before it. I began to apply them one by one to my own late experience, and unconsciously to try to fit them in turn como consequência to the present case.

The effect of this brooding was that I was, despite my own will,

struck by the similarity of circumstances bearing on relacionar-se com my visitor visita, convidado, and the conditions apportioned «distribuir» by tradition and superstition to such

strange survivals from earlier ages as these partial existences which

are rather Undead than Living--still walking the earth, though claimed by the world of the Dead. Amongst them are the Vampire, or

the Wehr-Wolf lobisomem??. To this class also might belong in a measure the

Doppelganger duplo, sósia--one of whose dual existences commonly belongs to the

actual world around it. So, too, the denizens of the world of Astralism. In any of these named worlds there is a material presence--which must be created, if only for a single or periodic purpose. It matters not whether a material presence already created

can be receptive of a disembodied soul, or a soul unattached can have a body built up for it or around it; or, again, whether the body of a

dead person can be made seeming parecer quick vivo, activo, dinâmico through some diabolic influence manifested in the present, or an inheritance or result of some baleful ameaçador, maligno, sinistro use of malefic power in the past. The result is the same in

each case, though the ways be widely different: a soul and a body which are not in unity but brought together for strange purposes through stranger means and by powers still more strange.

Through much thought and a process of exclusions the eerie misterioso, estranho, sinistro form which seemed to be most in correspondence with my adventure, and most suitable to my fascinating visitor, appeared to be the Vampire.

Doppelganger duplo, sósia, Astral creations, and all such-like, did not comply agir de acordo with the conditions of my night experience. The Wehr-Wolf is but a variant of the Vampire, and so needed not to be classed or examined

at all. Then it was that, thus focussed realçar, focar, concentrar, the Lady of the Shroud (for so I came to hold her in my mind) began to assume a new force. Aunt Janet's library afforded me clues which I followed with avidity. In my secret heart I hated the quest procura, busca (caça, perseguição), and did not wish to go on with it.

But in this I was not my own master. Do what I would--brush away varrer (limpar com escova) doubts never so often muitas e muitas vezes, continuadamente, new doubts and imaginings came in their stead lugar.

The circumstance incidente, facto almost repeated the parable parábola, alegoria of the Seven Devils who took the place of the exorcised one. Doubts I could stand.

Imaginings I could stand. But doubts and imaginings together made a

force so fell feroz, cruel, impiedoso, terrível that I was driven to accept any reading of the mystery

which might presumably afford a foothold ponto de apoio for satisfying thought. And

so I came to accept tentatively the Vampire theory--accept it, at

least, so far as to examine it as judicially com sensatez as was given me to do.

As the days wore on passar, avançar, prosseguir, so the conviction grew. The more I read on the subject, the more directly the evidences pointed towards this view.

The more I thought, the more obstinate became the conviction. I ransacked revistar, rebuscar (saquear, pilhar) Aunt Janet's volumes again and again to find anything to the contrary; but in vain. Again, no matter how obstinate were my

convictions at any given time em qualquer altura, unsettlement incerteza came with fresh thinking over the argument assunto, tema, so that I was kept in a harassing maçador, chato state of

uncertainty.

Briefly, the evidence in favour of accord consenso, harmonia between the facts of the case and the Vampire theory were:

Her coming was at night--the time the Vampire is according to the

theory, free to move at will.

She wore her shroud--a necessity of coming fresh from grave or tomb;

for there is nothing occult about clothing which is not subject to astral or other influences.

She had to be helped into my room--in strict accordance with what one

sceptical critic of occultism has called "the Vampire etiquette."

She made violent haste in getting away at cock-crow.

She seemed preternaturally sobrenaturalmente cold; her sleep was almost abnormal in

intensity, and yet the sound of the cock-crowing came through it.

These things showed her to be subject to SOME laws, though not in exact accord within those which govern human beings. Under the

stress of such circumstances as she must have gone through, her

vitality seemed more than human--the quality of vitality which could outlive sobreviver a ordinary burial. Again, such purpose as she had shown in donning vestir, under stress of some compelling direction, her ice-cold wet

shroud, and, wrapt in it, going out again into the night, was hardly normal for a woman.

But if so, and if she was indeed a Vampire, might not whatever it may be that holds such beings in thrall servidão be by some means or other exorcised? To find the means must be my next task. I am actually pining to pine-ansiar to see her again. Never before have I been stirred to my depths by anyone. Come it from Heaven or Hell, from the Earth or the Grave, it does not matter; I shall make it my task to win her back to

life and peace. If she be indeed a Vampire, the task may be hard and long; if she be not so, and if it be merely that circumstances have so gathered round her as to produce that impression, the task may be

simpler and the result more sweet. No, not more sweet; for what can be more sweet than to restore the lost or seemingly lost soul of the

woman you love! There, the truth is out at last! I suppose that I have fallen in love with her. If so, it is too late for me to fight against it. I can only wait with what patience I can till I see her again. But to that end I can do nothing. I know absolutely nothing

about her--not even her name. Patience!

RUPERT'S JOURNAL--Continued.

April 16, 1907.

The only relief I have had from the haunting anxiety regarding the Lady of the Shroud has been in the troubled state of my adopted country. There has evidently been something up which I have not been

allowed to know. The mountaineers are troubled and restless; are wandering about, singly and in parties, and holding meetings in

strange places. This is what I gather used to be in old days when intrigues were on foot with Turks, Greeks, Austrians, Italians, Russians. This concerns me vitally, for my mind has long been made up to share the fortunes of the Land of the Blue Mountains. For good

or ill I mean to stay here: J'y suis, j'y reste. I share henceforth daqui em diante, doravante the lot sorte, destino, fado of the Blue Mountaineers; and not Turkey, nor Greece, nor

Austria, nor Italy, nor Russia--no, not France nor Germany either; not man nor God nor Devil shall drive me from my purpose. With these patriots I throw in my lot juntar-se a determinado grupo! My only difficulty seemed at first to be with the men themselves. They are so proud that at the beginning I

feared they would not even accord atribuir, conceder, outorgar, chegar a acordo me the honour of being one of them!

However, things always move on evoluir, avançar, prosseguir, continuar somehow, no matter what difficulties there be at the beginning. Never mind! When one looks back at an

accomplished fact the beginning is not to be seen--and if it were it would not matter. It is not of any account importância, valor, influência, anyhow.

I heard that there was going to be a great meeting near here yesterday afternoon, and I attended assistir a, frequentar it. I think it was a success.

If such is any proof, I felt elated enlevado, embevecido as well as satisfied when I came

away vir embora. Aunt Janet's Second Sight on the subject was comforting,

though grim deprimente, triste, and in a measure disconcerting. When I was saying goodnight she asked me to bend down my head. As I did so, she laid her hands on it and passed them all over it. I heard her say to herself: "Strange! There's nothing there; yet I could have sworn I saw it!"

I asked her to explain, but she would not. For once she was a little obstinate, and refused point blank to even talk of the subject. She

was not worried nor unhappy; so I had no cause for concern. I said nothing, but I shall wait and see. Most mysteries become plain or disappear altogether in time. But about the meeting--lest I forget!

When I joined the mountaineers who had assembled, I really think they were glad to see me; though some of them seemed adverse, and others did not seem over well satisfied. However, absolute unity is very seldom to be found. Indeed, it is almost impossible; and in a free community is not altogether to be desired. When it is apparent evidente, manifesto, notório, the

gathering lacks that sense of individual feeling which makes for contribuir para, ter como resultado the real consensus of opinion--which is the real unity of purpose. The

meeting was at first, therefore por isso, portanto, a little cold and distant. But

presently it began to thaw melhorar, descontrair, relaxar, and after some fiery harangues arenga, discussão, discurso I was asked to speak. Happily, I had begun to learn the Balkan language as soon as ever Uncle Roger's wishes had been made known to me, and as I have some facility of tongues and a great deal of experience, I soon began to know something of it. Indeed, when I had been here a few weeks, with opportunity of speaking daily with the people themselves, and learned to understand the intonations and vocal inflexions, I felt quite easy in speaking it. I understood every word which had up to then been por eles julgadas e faladas no encontro spoken at the meeting, and when I spoke myself I felt that they understood. That is an experience which every speaker has in a certain way and up to a certain point. He knows by some kind of instinct if his hearers are with him; if they respond reagir, corresponder, they must certainly have understood. Last night this was marked nítido, manifesto, evidente (marcado, assinalado). I felt it every instant I was talking and when I came to realize that the men were in strict accord with my general views, I took them into confidence confidência (confiança) with regard to my own personal purpose. It was the

beginning of a mutual trust; so for peroration parte final de um discurso I told them that I had

come to the conclusion that what they wanted most for their own protection and the security and consolidation of their nation was arms--arms of the very latest pattern. Here they interrupted me with wild cheers, which so strung me up pressionar that I went farther than I intended, and made a daring venture «empreendimento arriscado». "Ay," I repeated, "the security and consolidation of your country--of OUR country, for I have come to live amongst you. Here is my home whilst I live. I am with you heart and soul. I shall live with you, fight shoulder to shoulder with you, and, if need be, shall die with you!" Here the shouting was terrific, and the younger men raised their guns to fire a salute in Blue Mountain fashion. But on the instant the Vladika {1} held up

his hands and motioned them to desist parar, cessar. In the immediate silence he spoke, sharply at first, but later ascending to a high pitch of single-minded resoluto, decidido, sério, lofty elevado eloquence. His words rang in my ears long after the meeting was over and other thoughts had come between them and the present.

"Silence!" he thundered. "Make no echoes in the forest or through the hills at this dire terrível time of stress and threatened danger to our land. Bethink lembrar-se de ye vós of this meeting, held here and in secret, in order

that no whisper of it may be heard afar à distância. Have ye all, brave men of the Blue Mountains, come hither through the forest like shadows that some of you, thoughtless, may enlighten your enemies as to our secret purpose? The thunder of your guns would doubtless sound well in the

ears of those who wish us ill and try to work us wrong. Fellowcountrymen amigos compatriotas, know ye vós not that the Turk is awake once more for our harming? The Bureau of Spies has risen from the torpor which came on aparecer, começar it when the purpose against our Teuta roused our mountains to such anger that the frontiers blazed with passion, and were swept with fire and sword. Moreover, there is a traitor somewhere in the land, or else ou então incautious carelessness falta de cuidado has served the same base purpose.

Something of our needs motivo--our doing esforço, whose secret we have tried to hide, has gone out. The myrmidons lacaio of the Turk are close on our borders, and it may be that some of them have passed our guards and are amidst us unknown. So it behoves convir, competir us doubly to be discreet.

Believe me that I share with you, my brothers, our love for the gallant Englishman who has come amongst us to share our sorrows and

ambitions--and I trust it may be our joys alegria, contentamento. We are all united in the wish to do him honour--though not in the way by which danger might be carried on the wings of love. My brothers, our newest brother comes

to us from the Great Nation which amongst the nations has been our only friend, and which has ere antes de now helped us in our direst terrível, horrível need—that mighty Britain whose hand has ever been raised in the cause of freedom. We of the Blue Mountains know her best as she stands with

sword in hand face to face with our foes. And this, her son and now our brother, brings further to our need the hand of a giant and the

heart of a lion. Later on mais tarde, when danger does not ring us round, when silence is no longer our outer guard; we shall bid him welcome in

true fashion of our land. But till then he will believe--for he is great-hearted--that our love and thanks and welcome are not to be

measured by sound. When the time comes, then shall be sound in his honour--not of rifles alone, but bells and cannon and the mighty

voice of a free people shouting as one. But now we must be wise and

silent, for the Turk is once again at our gates. Alas! the cause of his former coming may not be, for she whose beauty and nobility and

whose place in our nation and in our hearts tempted him to fraud fraude and violence is not with us to share even our anxiety."

Here his voice broke, and there arose from all a deep wailing sound, which rose and rose till the woods around us seemed broken by a mighty and long-sustained sob. The orator saw that his purpose was

accomplished, and with a short sentence finished his harangue: "But the need of our nation still remains!" Then, with an eloquent

gesture to me to proceed, he merged «fundir-se», misturar-se, desvanecer-se in the crowd and disappeared.

How could I even attempt to follow such a speaker with any hope of success? I simply told them what I had already done in the way of

help, saying:

"As you needed arms, I have got them. My agent sends me word through

the code between us that he has procured for me--for us—fifty thousand of the newest-pattern rifles, the French Ingis-Malbron,

which has surpassed all others, and sufficient ammunition to last for

a year of war. The first section is in hand, and will soon be ready for consignment remessa, envio. There are other war materials, too, which, when they arrive, will enable capacitar, habilitar, possibilitar every man and woman--even the children—of our land to take a part in its defence should such be needed. My brothers, I am with you in all things, for good or ill!"

It made me very proud to hear the mighty shout which arose. I had felt exalted before, but now this personal development almost unmanned comover me. I was glad of the long-sustained applause to recover my self-control.

I was quite satisfied that the meeting did not want to hear any other speaker, for they began to melt away without any formal notification having been given. I doubt if there will be another meeting soon

again. The weather has begun to break, and we are in for estar prestes a ter another spell período, temporada of rain. It is disagreeable, of course; but it has its own charm. It was during a spell of wet weather that the Lady of the

Shroud came to me. Perhaps the rain may bring her again. I hope so, with all my soul.

RUPERT'S JOURNAL--Continued.

April 23, 1907.

The rain has continued for four whole days and nights, and the lowlying

ground is like a quagmire charco, pântano in places. In the sunlight the whole mountains glisten with running streams and falling water. I feel a strange kind of elation exaltação, júbilo, but from no visible cause. Aunt Janet

rather queered estragar, escangalhar it by telling me, as she said good-night, to be very

careful of myself, as she had seen in a dream last night a figure in a shroud. I fear she was not pleased that I did not take it with all

the seriousness that she did. I would not wound her for the world if I could help it, but the idea of a shroud gets too near the bone to

be safe, and I had to fend her off desviar-se de, esquivar-se a at all hazards perigo, risco. So when I doubted if the Fates Deusas regarded dizer respeito a the visionary shroud as of necessity imposição appertaining referir-se, dizer respeito to me, she said, in a way that was, for her, almost sharp: "Take care, laddie. 'Tis ill jesting wi' the powers o' time Unknown."

Perhaps it was that her talk put the subject in my mind. The woman needed no such aid recurso, ajuda; she was always there; but when I locked myself into my room that night, I half expected to find her in the room. I was not sleepy, so I took a book of Aunt Janet's and began to read.

The title was "On the Powers and Qualities of Disembodied Spirits."

"Your grammar escrita," said I to the author, "is hardly attractive, but I may learn something which might apply to her. I shall read your book." Before settling down to it, however, I thought I would have a

look at the garden. Since the night of the visit the garden seemed to have a new attractiveness for me: a night seldom passed without my having a last look at it before turning in. So I drew the great

curtain and looked out.

The scene was beautiful, but almost entirely desolate. All was ghastly in the raw natural, rude (cru), hard gleams of moonlight coming fitfully irregularmente through the masses of flying cloud. The wind was rising, and the air was

damp and cold. I looked round the room instinctively, and noticed

that the fire was laid ready for lighting, and that there were smallcut logs of wood piled beside the hearth. Ever since that night I have had a fire laid ready. I was tempted to light it, but as I

never have a fire unless I sleep in the open, I hesitated to begin.

I went back to the window, and, opening the catch, stepped out on the

terrace. As I looked down the white walk and let my eyes range over the expanse of the garden, where everything glistened as the moonlight caught the wet, I half expected to see some white figure flitting amongst the shrubs and statues. The whole scene of the former visit came back to me so vividly that I could hardly believe that any time had passed since then. It was the same scene, and

again late in the evening. Life in Vissarion was primitive, and early de madrugada, cedo hours prevailed triunfar, predominar--though not so late as on that night.

As I looked I thought I caught a glimpse of something white far away.

It was only a ray of moonlight coming through the rugged edge of a cloud. But all the same mesmo assim it set me in a strange state of

perturbation. Somehow I seemed to lose sight of my own identity. It was as though I was hypnotized by the situation or by memory, or perhaps by some occult force. Without thinking of what I was doing, or being conscious of any reason for it, I crossed the room and set light to the fire. Then I blew out the candle and came to the window

again. I never thought it might be a foolish thing to do--to stand at a window with a light behind me in this country, where every man carries a gun with him always. I was in my evening clothes, too, with my breast well marked by a white shirt. I opened the window and stepped out on the terrace. There I stood for many minutes, thinking. All the time my eyes kept ranging over the garden. Once I thought I saw a white figure moving, but it was not followed up, so,

becoming conscious that it was again beginning to rain, I stepped back into the room, shut the window, and drew the curtain. Then I

realized the comforting appearance of the fire, and went over and stood before it.

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