severely punished, and had a nervous fever that brought him to the brink
of the grave.
"I was there when this happened, said Mademoiselle G., and it was the
talk of the town; almost everybody laughed at him; but five days
afterwards the Duke fell suddenly ill, and was found to be in so
dangerous a state, that the physicians forbade his being removed into
the town. He finally died at the Belvedere, and was buried in the
Russian chapel, exactly in the manner pourtrayed by the shadowy forms
seen by the sentinel, and there buried."
We all agreed that these rehearsals, if we may so call them, are amongst
the most perplexing of these very perplexing phenomena; a very curious
case of this description will be found in one of the letters inserted in
the Appendix.
"My sister-in-law, Lady S.," said Lady R., "Told me, the other day,
that during her late residence in St. Petersburg, she was intimately
acquainted with a Prussian lady of high rank, to whom the following
strange events occurred, an account of which she herself gave to my
sister. This Prussian lady was sitting one morning in her boudoir, when
she heard a rustling sound in the ante-room, which was divided by a
_portiere_ from the boudoir. The sound continuing, she rose and drew
aside the curtain to ascertain the cause, when, to her surprise, she saw
a very pale man, in a Chasseur's uniform, standing in the middle of the
room. She was about to speak to him, and inquire what he was doing
there, when he retreated towards the window and vanished. Greatly
alarmed, she sought her husband, and related what had occurred; but he
laughed at her, and desired her not to expose herself to ridicule by
talking of it. Some days afterwards, whilst in the boudoir, she heard
the same rustling noise near her, and on looking up, she saw the figure
of the Chasseur suspended in the air between the ceiling and the floor,
with his legs dangling in the air. A scream brought her husband, who was
in the adjoining room, and he saw the figure as well as herself.
Nevertheless, the fear of ridicule kept them silent; but some time
afterwards, when they had a party, one of the company exclaimed, 'Good
Heavens! This, I remember, is the very room that unfortunate Chasseurs
hung himself in!' And then they learned that the house had been
previously occupied by the Danish minister, and that a Chasseur in his
service had, from some cause or other, committed suicide."
"I don't know whether dreams are admissible," said Miss M.; "but the
sort of occurrences just related appear to me to be little removed from
waking dreams. I know two cases of extraordinary dreaming, the
authenticity of which I can answer for, if you would like to hear them."
We accepted gladly, and the lady began as follows:--
"My father was intimate with Mr. S.--whose name, perhaps, is known to
you as the particular friend of Mr. Spencer Percival. This gentleman,
Mr. S., when he was a young man, had one night a remarkable dream, that
he could not in any way account for--the circumstances having no
relation to any previous event, train of thought, or conversation
whatever.
"He found himself, in his dream, on horseback, in a very extensive
forest; he was alone, evening was drawing on, and he sought some place
where he could pass the night. After riding a little farther, he espied
an inn; he rode up to it and alighted, asking if they could give him
lodging for the night, and stabling for his horse. They said 'yes,' and
conducted him to an upper chamber. He ordered some refreshments, when it
occurred to him that he should like to see how his horse was faring; and
he descended, in order to find his way to the stables; in doing so, he
got a glimpse of some very ill-looking men in a side chamber, who seemed
in close conference; moreover, he thought he saw weapons lying on the
table, and there were other circumstances which I do not precisely
remember, the effect of which was to create alarm, and lead him to
suspect he had fallen into a _repaire de voleurs_.
"He saw his horse rubbed down and fed, and then re-ascended to take his
refreshment; betraying no suspicion of evil, but secretly resolved on
flight. After his supper, he went down again, stood at the door, and
pretended to stroll about. When he saw an opportunity, he went round to
the stable, saddled his horse, and cautiously rode away. But he had not
gone far, when he heard the tramp of horses' feet behind him, and from
the pace they came, he felt sure he was pursued. He urged his horse
forward, but the animal was not fresh--he had done his day's work
already, and the pursuers were gaining on him, when he saw he was
approaching a spot where two roads met. Which of the two should he
follow? He had nothing to guide him in his choice, and his life probably
depended on his decision! Suddenly, a voice whispered in his ear, 'Take
the right!' He did so, and shortly reached a house where he obtained
shelter and protection.
"When he awoke, the circumstances of his dream were so vividly impressed
on his mind, that he could hardly believe the thing had not actually
happened. He related it to his friends; and, for some days, thought a
good deal of it; but he was just entering into active life, and the
impression soon faded before the varied interests that absorbed him; and
the strange dream was entirely forgotten.
"Many years afterwards, when he had reached middle age, he was
travelling in Germany, and in the course of an excursion he was making
to see the country, he had occasion to cross a part of the
Schwarzwald--the Black Forest. He was on horseback and alone; he reached
an inn, the aspect of which he fancied was familiar to him. Here he
thought he might conveniently pass the night; so he alighted, ordered
his supper, and then went to see his horse fed. On further acquaintance
with the place, he did not like the look of it, and he saw
suspicious-looking men hanging about. He resolved to seek another
resting-place; and leaving some money on the table to pay for what he
had had, he went down stairs, and after lounging about a little,
strolled to the stable, saddled his horse, and rode off as quietly as he
could. But he was missed and pursued, he heard the tramp of the horses
as they gained upon him. At this critical moment, he saw he was
approaching a place where the roads divided; his life depended on which
of the two he should take; suddenly, and strange to say, though he had
misty recollections of the scene, now for the first time, the dream of
his youth clearly and vividly recurred to him. He remembered the voice
that whispered, 'Take the right!' He obeyed the hint, and his pursuers
soon gave up the chase. He found a chateau about half-a-mile from the
turning; the owner of which hospitably received him. His host said there
had been for some time unpleasant suspicions with regard to the inn in
question; and that, if he had taken the left hand road, he would have
been quite at their mercy."
This very curious dream reminded us of that of Dr. W., which I have
related in the "Night Side of Nature;" who in the same manner was saved
from the attack of an infuriated bull, in his dream, having been shown
where to fly for safety; but the case is less remarkable than that of
Mr. S., as the dream occurred only the night before the danger presented
itself.
"The other dream I alluded to," said Miss M., "is less curious on that
account. Some friends of mine, who reside in the country, had an old
nurse who had lived in the family many years, and for whom they had a
great regard. When her services ceased to be required, she was settled
in a cottage on the estate, where she lived very comfortably with her
only daughter. The daughter, however, married a man who kept a turnpike
some miles distant; and one morning, just as the family were leaving
home on some expedition, the old woman arrived in considerable
agitation, saying that she had had a frightful dream about her daughter,
and that she was going off immediately to the place where she lived. The
ladies endeavoured to dissuade her from walking all that way, merely on
account of a dream. But she said she could not rest, and must go. They
even promised that if she would wait till the following day they would
drive her there in the carriage, in which there was now no room; if
there had been they would have taken her, as their road lay not far from
the spot.
"With this offer they left her and went their way; but her anxiety would
not permit her to wait; and shortly afterwards she set off and walked
all the distance to the turnpike. The moment she arrived she saw reason
to rejoice in her determination; she found her daughter alone, her
husband having been called away on business; and, said the young woman,
I am dreadfully alarmed, for there is a quantity of money in the house.
The farmers are accustomed to bring the money for their rent here twice
a year, as it save them several miles, and the agent always comes to
fetch it on the same day. But a letter to my husband has just arrived
from the agent to say, he can't come till to-morrow. Knowing his hand, I
opened it; and I am terrified, for the custom of leaving the money here
is no secret; and if it should get wind that it has not been fetched
away, heaven knows what may happen.
"The old woman then told her daughter that she had dreamed on the
preceding night that some thieves had broken into the turnpike house,
and robbed and murdered the inhabitants.
"But what were these two helpless women to do, mutually confirmed in
their apprehensions as they naturally were? It was already late in the
day; there was no help near at hand, and besides they did not dare to
separate in search of any. They watched anxiously for a traveller,
resolved to confide in the first respectable one that passed, and beg
him to send assistance. But none came that they thought it safe to
trust. Night approached; and it being a little frequented road, except
on market days, every moment their hope of help declined. So they did
the best they could in this extremity; they shut and barricaded the
lower part of the house, stopping up the door and windows with every
piece of furniture they had, and locked themselves up, with the money,
in an upper chamber, put out the light, and with a chink of the window
open, they set themselves down to listen for the marauders whom they
confidently expected to arrive.
"Nor were they disappointed; about eleven o'clock their anxious ears
distinguished the sound of approaching footsteps. Presently, they heard
voices and the door was attempted; the men said they had lost their way,
and on receiving no answer they attempted to force an entrance. Then,
the poor women knowing their poor defences would soon yield to violence,
began to scream lustily from the window above; and luckily not in vain.
"It happened, that the family, who had gone on some expedition of
pleasure in the morning, was just then returning; their road lay within
a quarter of a mile of the turnpike; and in the silence of the night,
the women's shrill voice reached their ears. They immediately desired
the coachman to turn his horses heads in the direction the cries came
from, and before the thieves had effected an entrance into the little
fortification, they were scared by the sound of approaching wheels and
took to flight."
"A dream of a very singular nature occurred to a young friend of mine,"
said Mr. S. "She was about fifteen at the time, and a schoolfellow who
was going to be married had promised her that she should be one of the
bridesmaids. The intended wedding was near at hand; insomuch that the
dresses and everything was prepared--in short, the fixing of the day was
only delayed by some small matter of business that was not completed. My
young friend, to whom the whole thing was an exciting novelty, while
impatiently waiting for the affair to come off, dreamt, one night, that
a person in a very unusual costume, presented himself at her bedside and
informed her that he was Brutus; and that he would reveal to her
anything that she particularly desired to know; whereupon she begged him
to tell when Miss L. would be married. Brutus answered 'Paulo post
Graecas Kalendas.' When she awoke in the morning, she perfectly
remembered the words; but not having the most distant idea of their
meaning she ran to her brother to enquire if he could explain them. He
told her that they were equivalent to _never_. The prophecy was
fulfilled; obstacles entirely unforseen arose, and the couple were never
united."
"Some years ago," said Dr. Forster, "two young friends of mine were
staying at Naples, when one of them told the other that he had on the
preceding night, seen in his sleep, the face of a beautiful woman; but
the features were disfigured by a horrible expression--and that it was,
somehow, impressed on his mind that he was in danger, and that he must
be on his guard against her. The conviction was so strong as to create
considerable uneasiness, and he never went out without scrutinizing
every female face he saw; but some weeks past without any fulfilment of
his dream or vision, and gradually the impression faded. However, he was
one day on the Chiaja, surrounded by several people, who like himself,
were observing a gang of convicts going to the Castle of St. Elmo; when
something occasioned him suddenly to turn his head, and there, close
behind him, he recognized the beautiful face of his dream. By an
instinctive impulse, he sprang aside, and at the same moment felt
himself wounded in the back. The woman was seized and did not attempt to
deny the act, but alleged that she had mistaken the young Englishman for
another person who had done her an irreparable injury, expressing great
regret at having wounded an unoffending stranger, and also at having
failed in the revenge she sought. He told me that the dream saved his
life; for that, had he not sprung aside, the wound would in all
probability have been mortal."
ROUND THE FIRE.
FIFTH EVENING.
"I have but one experience to relate," said Miss D., the next speaker.
"When I was a child, I and my elder sister slept in two beds, placed
close beside each other. We were in the country, and one night my
father, going to the door, perceived an unusual light in the sky, and
learnt on inquiry that there was a great fire a mile or two off. He said
he'd go to see it, and the night being fine, my mother accompanied him,
having first seen us safe in bed. She locked the chamber door, and took
the key, thinking that every body would be out looking at the fire, and
we might take the opportunity of playing tricks, for we were quite young
at the time--not more than six or seven years old.
"After they were gone, we lay chattering, as children do, about our own
little concerns, when our voices were suddenly arrested by terror. At
the foot of my bed I perceived a figure, apparently kneeling, for I saw
only the head--but that I saw distinctly--it looked dark and sad, and
the eyes were intently fixed on me. I crept into my sister's bed, and
neither of us dared to look up again till my mother returned, and came
to see if we were asleep. We had not closed our eyes, and we told her
what we had seen, agreeing perfectly in our account of it. The room was
searched, but nothing unusual found. The incident made a lasting
impression on my sister and myself, and we both remember the face as if
we had seen it but yesterday."
One of the ladies present mentioned a very similar circumstance
occurring to herself, but as she was alone at the time, she had always
endeavoured to believe it an illusion.
"The first part of the story I am going to relate to you," said Dr. S.,
"was told me by an eminent man in my own profession, who had every
opportunity of testing the truth of it; the latter part I give you on my
own word.
"Some years ago there was a house in the suburbs of Dublin that had
remained a long time unoccupied, in consequence, it was said, of its
evil reputation--the report was, that it was haunted. People who had
taken it got rid of it as soon as they could, and those who lived in the
neighbourhood affirmed that they saw lights moving about the interior,
and, sometimes, a lady in white standing at the window with a child in
her arms, when they knew there was no living creature, except rats and
mice, within the walls. The wise and learned laughed at these rumours;
but still the house remained empty, and was getting into a very
dilapidated state.
"The former owner of the house was dead. He was a miser or a
misanthrope, or both; at all events, for several years he had lived in
it utterly alone, and scarcely ever seen by any body. It was rumoured
that for a short time a young female had been occasionally observed by
the neighbours, but she disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared, and
nobody knew whence she came, nor whither she was gone. His life was a
mystery, and whether merely on this account, or whether there were
better grounds for it, there had certainly existed a prejudice against
him. However, as I said, he had been dead some years, and the relative
to whom the property had fallen on his decease was naturally very
anxious to let the house, and offered it to any occupant at an extremely
low rent.
"At length, a gentleman who wanted to establish a manufactory, seeing
that it would answer his purpose--for the premises were extensive, and
there was some garden ground behind--took it, and erected buildings on
this waste ground for his workmen to inhabit. Between the new part and
the old there was a long vestibule, or covered passage, by which they
might pass from one to the other without exposing themselves to the
weather. A large door, which was open by day and closed at night,
divided this passage in two, and on one side there was a small room or
office, where a clerk sat and kept the books and memoranda, of various
sorts, incident to a considerable business.
"However, the thing was scarcely set going and established before it
reached the ears of the master that the workmen objected to pass the
night on the premises; the reason alleged being that they were disturbed
and alarmed by various sounds, especially footsteps, and the banging of
the heavy door in the vestibule which divided the sleeping places from
the workrooms. At first, the objection being thought absurd, was not
attended to; next, it was supposed to be a trick of some of the workmen
to frighten the others; but when it became serious, and they began to
act upon it, and steady, respectable men declared they heard these
things, the master, still persuaded it was some practical jokers amongst
them mystifying the more simple, took measures, first, to ascertain if
such sounds as they described were audible; and next, to discover who
made them. For this purpose he sat up himself, and his clerks sat up,
and exactly as had been described, at one o'clock this clatter and
banging of doors commenced--that is, there was the sound; for the doors
remained immovable, and though they heard footsteps they could see
nobody.
"'Still,' said the manufacturer, who was not willing to be made the
victim of this mischievous conspiracy, 'we must discover who it is; and
we shall, when they are more off their guard,' and for this purpose it
was arranged that a relation of his own, a young man in whose discretion
and courage he had great confidence should sleep in the office.
"Accordingly, a bed was prepared there; and he arranged himself for that
night or as many future nights as it might be necessary; determined not
to relinquish the investigation till he had unravelled the mystery.
"At dawn of day, the next morning, there was a violent knocking at the
outer door; an early passenger had found this young man in the street,
with nothing on but his night dress, and in a state of delirium. He was
taken home and Dr. W. was sent for. The result was a brain fever; but
when he recovered, he said that he had gone to bed and to sleep, that he
was wakened by a loud noise, and that just as he was about to rise to
ascertain the cause, his door opened, and the apparition of a female
dressed in white entered, and approached his bed side. He remembered no
more, but being seized with horror, supposed he had got out of the
window into the street, where he was found.
"This was, certainly, very extraordinary and very serious; still the
persuasion that it was some mystification prevailed; and Dr. W.'s offer
to pass a night in the office himself, was gladly accepted. He had
informed me of the young man's illness and the cause of it; and when I
heard of his intention, I requested leave to bear him company.
"The noise had not been interrupted by the catastrophe that had
occurred, and nobody had slept in the office during the young man's
confinement. The bed had been removed, but we declined having it
re-placed, for we wished our intention to remain a secret; besides, we
preferred watching through the night. It was not till the workmen had
all retired that we took up our position, accompanied by a sharp little
terrier of mine, and each armed with a pistol. We took care to go over
the house, to make sure that nobody was concealed in it; and we examined
every door and window to ascertain that it was secure. We had provided
ourselves with refreshments also, to sustain our courage; and we entered
upon our vigil with great hopes of detecting the imposition.
"Dr. W. is a most enlightened and agreeable companion, and we soon fell
into a lively discussion that carried us away so entirely, that, I
believe, we had both ceased to think of the object of our watch, when we
were recalled to it by the clock in the vestibule striking one; and the
loud bang that immediately followed, accompanied by the barking of our
little dog, who had been aroused from a tranquil sleep by the uproar. W.
and I seized our pistols, and rushed into the passage, followed by the
terrier. We saw nothing to account for the noise; but we distinctly
heard receding footsteps, which we hastened to pursue, at the same time
urging on the dog; but instead of running forward, he slunk behind, with
his tail between his legs, and kept at our heels the whole way. On we
went, distinctly hearing the footsteps preceding us along the vestibule,
down some steps, and, finally, down some stairs that led to an unused
cellar--in one corner of which lay a heap of rubbish. Here the sound
ceased. We removed the rubbish, and under it lay some bones, which we
recognised at once as parts of a human skeleton. On further examination,
we ascertained that they were the remains of a female and a new-born
infant.
"They were buried, and the men were no more disturbed with these
mysterious noises. Who the woman was, was never ascertained; nor was any
further light thrown upon these strange circumstances."
Some remarks on the terror displayed by animals, on these occasions,
elicited a curious story from Mrs. L. "They not only seem to see
sometimes," she said, "what we do not; but occasionally to be gifted
with a singular foreknowledge.
"Many years ago," she continued, "I and my husband went to pay a visit
in the north. I am very fond of animals, and my attention was soon
attracted by a dog that was not particularly handsome, but seemed gifted
with extraordinary intelligence.
"'I see,' said my hostess, 'you are struck with that dog. Well, he is
the most mysterious creature; he not only opens and shuts the door, and
rings the bell, and does all sorts of wonderful things, but I am sure he
understands every word we say, and that he knows as well what I am
saying now as you do. Moreover, we got him in a very unaccountable
manner.
"'One night, not long ago, we had been out to dinner; and on returning
at a pretty late hour, we found the gentleman stretched out comfortably
on the dining-room rug. Where in the world did this dog come from? I
said to the servants. They couldn't tell; they declared the doors had
been long shut, and that they had never set eyes on him till that
minute.'
"'Well,' I said, 'don't turn him out; he'll no doubt be claimed by some
one in the neighbourhood--for he had quite the manners and air of a dog
accustomed to good society; and I liked his large, expressive eyes. He
made himself quite at home; and now we have discovered what a strangely
intelligent creature he is, I hope no one will claim him, for I should
be very sorry to part with him. But,' added she, 'poor Mrs. X. can't
endure him.' Mrs. X., I must mention, was a widow lady, also on a visit
there, with an only son.
"'Why?' said I.