The author passes the summer pleasantly--Hears the voices in
the winter--Ventures out--Sees a strange sight on the lake--
His uneasiness at it--His dream--Soliloquy--Hears the
voices again, and perceives a great shock on his building--
Takes up a beautiful woman--He thinks her dead, but recovers
her--A description of her--She stays with him
I passed the summer (though I had never yet seen the sun's body) very
much to my satisfaction: partly in the work I have been describing (for
I had taken two more of the beast-fish, and had a great quantity of oil
from them); partly in building me a chimney in my ante-chamber of mud
and earth burnt on my own hearth into a sort of brick; in making a
window at one end of the abovesaid chamber, to let in what little light
would come through the trees when I did not choose to open my door;
in moulding an earthen lamp for my oil; and, finally, in providing and
laying in stores, fresh and salt (for I had now cured and dried many
more fish), against winter. These, I say, were my summer employments
at home, intermixed with many agreeable excursions. But now the winter
coming on, and the days growing very short, or indeed there being no
day properly speaking, but a kind of twilight, I kept mostly in my
habitation, though not so much as I had done the winter before, when I
had no light within doors, and slept, or at least lay still, great
part of my time; for now my lamp was never out. I also turned two of
my beast-fish skins into a rug to cover my bed, and the third into a
cushion, which I always sat upon, and a very soft and warm cushion
it made. All this together rendered my life very easy, yea, even
comfortable.
An indifferent person would now be apt to ask, What would this man
desire more than he had? To this I answer, that I was contented while my
condition was such as I have been describing; but a little while after
the darkness or twilight came on, I frequently heard the voices again;
sometimes a few only at a time, as it seemed, and then again in great
numbers. This threw me into new fears, and I became as uneasy as ever,
even to the degree of growing quite melancholy; though, otherwise, I
never received the least injury from anything. I foolishly attempted
several times, by looking out of my window, to discover what these odd
sounds proceeded from, though I knew it was too dark to see anything
there.
I was now fully convinced, by a more deliberate attention to them, that
they could not be uttered by the beast-fish, as I had afore conjectured,
but only by beings capable of articulate speech; but then, what or where
they were, it galled me to be ignorant of.
At length, one night or day, I cannot say which, hearing the voices very
distinctly, and praying very earnestly to be either delivered from the
uncertainty they had put me under, or to have them removed from me, I
took courage, and arming myself with gun, pistols, and cutlass, I went
out of my grotto and crept down the wood. I then heard them plainer
than before, and was able to judge from what point of the compass they
proceeded. Hereupon I went forward towards the sound, till I came to the
verge of the wood, where I could see the lake very well by the dazzle of
the water. Thereon, as I thought, I beheld a fleet of boats, covering a
large compass, and not far from the bridge. I was shocked hereat beyond
expression. I could not conceive where they came from, or whither they
would go; but supposed there must be some other passage to the lake than
I had found in my voyage through the cavern, and that for certain they
came that way, and from some place of which as yet I had no manner of
knowledge.
Whilst I was entertaining myself with this speculation, I heard the
people in the boats laughing and talking very merrily, though I was too
distant to distinguish the words. I discerned soon after all the boats
(as I still supposed 'em) draw up, and push for the bridge; presently
after, though I was sure no boat entered the arch, I saw a multitude of
people on the opposite shore all marching towards the bridge; and what
was the strangest of all, there was not the least sign of a boat now
left upon the whole lake. I then was in a greater consternation than
before; but was still much more so when I saw the whole posse of people,
that as I have just said were marching towards the bridge, coming over
it to my side of the lake. At this my heart failed, and I was just going
to run to my grotto for shelter; but taking one look more, I plainly
discovered that the people, leaping one after another from the top of
the bridge, as if into the water, and then rising again, flew in a
long train over the lake, the lengthways of it, quite out of my sight,
laughing, hallooing, and sporting together; so that looking back again
to the bridge and on the lake, I could neither see person nor boat,
nor anything else, nor hear the least noise or stir afterwards for that
time.
I returned to my grotto brimful of this amazing adventure, bemoaning my
misfortune in being at a place where I was like to remain ignorant of
what was doing about me. For, says I, if I am in a land of spirits, as
now I have little room to doubt, there is no guarding against them. I am
never safe, even in my grotto; for that can be no security against such
beings as can sail on the water in no boats, and fly in the air on no
wings, as the case now appears to me, who can be here and there and
wherever they please. What a miserable state, I say, am I fallen to!
I should have been glad to have had human converse, and to have found
inhabitants in this place; but there being none, as I supposed hitherto,
I contented myself with thinking that I was at least safe from all those
evils mankind in society are obnoxious to. But now, what may be the
consequence of the next hour I know not; nay, I am not able to say but
whilst I speak, and show my discontent, they may at a distance conceive
my thoughts, and be hatching revenge against me for my dislike of them.
The pressure of my spirits inclining me to repose, I laid me down, but
could get no rest; nor could all my most serious thoughts, even of the
Almighty Providence, give me relief under my present anxiety: and all
this was only from my state of uncertainty concerning the reality of
what I had heard and seen, and from the earnestness with which I coveted
a satisfactory knowledge of those beings who had just taken their flight
from me.
I really believe the fiercest wild beast, or the most savage of mankind
that had met me, and put me upon my defence, would not have given me
half the trouble that then lay upon me; and the more, for that I had no
seeming possibility of ever being rid of my apprehensions: so finding I
could not sleep, I got up again; but as I could not fly from myself, all
the art I could use with myself was but in vain to obtain me any quiet.
In the height of my distress I had recourse to prayer, with no small
benefit; begging that if it pleased not the Almighty Power to remove
the object of my fears, at least to resolve my doubts about them, and to
render them rather helpful than hurtful to me. I hereupon, as I always
did on such occasions, found myself much more placid and easy, and began
to hope the best, till I had almost persuaded myself that I was out of
danger; and then laying myself down, I rested very sweetly till I was
awakened by the impulse of the following dream.
Methought I was in Cornwall, at my wife's aunt's; and inquiring after
her and my children, the old gentlewoman informed me, both my wife
and children had been dead some time, and that my wife, before her
departure, desired her (that is, her aunt) immediately upon my arrival
to tell me she was only gone to the lake, where I should be sure to see
her, and be happy with her ever after. I then, as I fancied, ran to
the lake to find her. In my passage she stopped me, crying, "Whither so
fast, Peter? I am your wife, your Patty." Methought I did not know her,
she was so altered; but observing her voice, and looking more wistfully
at her, she appeared to me as the most beautiful creature I ever
beheld. I then went to seize her in my arms; but the hurry of my spirits
awakened me.
When I got up, I kept at home, not caring even to look out at my door.
My dream ran strangely in my head, and I had now nothing but Patty in my
mind. "Oh!" cries I, "how happy could I be with her, though I had only
her in this solitude. Oh! that this was but a reality, and not a dream."
And indeed, though it was but a dream, I could scarce refrain from
running to the lake to meet my Patty. But then I checked my folly, and
reasoned myself into some degree of temper again. However, I could not
forbear crying out, "What, nobody to converse with! Nobody to assist,
comfort, or counsel me! This is a melancholy situation indeed." Thus I
ran on lamenting till I was almost weary, when on a sudden I again
heard the voices. "Hark!" says I, "here they come again. Well, I am now
resolved to face them, come life, come death! It is not to be alone I
thus dread; but to have company about me, and not know who or what, is
death to me worse than I can suffer from them, be they who or what they
will."
During my soliloquy the voices increased, and then by degrees diminished
as usual; but I had scarce got my gun in my hand, to pursue my
resolution of showing myself to those who uttered them, when I felt such
a thump upon the roof of my ante-chamber as shook the whole fabric and
set me all over into a tremor. I then heard a sort of shriek, and a
rustle near the door of my apartment; all which together seemed very
terrible. But I, having before determined to see what and who it was,
resolutely opened my door and leaped out I saw nobody; all was quite
silent, and nothing that I could perceive but my own fears amoving. I
went then softly to the corner of the building, and there looking down,
by the glimmer of my lamp which stood in the window, I saw something in
human shape lying at my feet. I gave the word, "Who is there?" Still no
one answered. My heart was ready to force a way through my side. I was
for a while fixed to the earth like a statue. At length, recovering, I
stepped in, fetched my lamp, and returning saw the very beautiful face
my Patty appeared under in my dream; and not considering that it was
only a dream, I verily thought I had my Patty before me; but she seemed
to be stone dead. Upon viewing her other parts (for I had never yet
removed my eyes from her face), I found she had a sort of brown chaplet,
like lace, round her head, under and about which her hair was tucked up
and twined; and she seemed to me to be clothed in a thin hair-coloured
silk garment, which, upon trying to raise her, I found to be quite warm,
and therefore hoped there was life in the body it contained. I then took
her into my arms, and treading a step backwards with her, I put out my
lamp; however, having her in my arms, I conveyed her through the doorway
in the dark into my grotto; here I laid her upon my bed, and then ran
out for my lamp.
This, thinks I, is an amazing adventure. How could Patty come here, and
dressed in silk and whalebone too? Sure that is not the reigning fashion
in England now? But my dream said she was dead. Why, truly, says I, so
she seems to be. But be it so; she is warm. Whether this is the place
for persons to inhabit after death or not, I can't tell (for I see there
are people here, though I don't know them); but be it as it will, she
feels as flesh and blood; and if I can but bring her to stir and act
again as my wife, what matters it to me what she is? It will be a great
blessing and comfort to me; for she never would have come to this very
spot but for my good.
Top-full of these thoughts, I re-entered my grotto, shut my door and
lighted my lamp; when going to my Patty (as I delighted to fancy her),
I thought I saw her eyes stir a little. I then set the lamp farther off
for fear of offending them if she should look up; and warming the last
glass I had reserved of my Madeira, I carried it to her, but she never
stirred. I now supposed the fall had absolutely killed her, and was
prodigiously grieved; when laying my hand on her breast I perceived the
fountain of life had some motion. This gave me infinite pleasure; so,
not despairing, I dipped my finger in the wine and moistened her lips
with it two or three times, and I imagined they opened a little. Upon
this I bethought me, and taking a teaspoon, I gently poured a few drops
of the wine by that means into her mouth. Finding she swallowed it, I
poured in another spoonful, and another, till I brought her to herself
so well as to be able to sit up. All this I did by a glimmering light
which the lamp afforded from a distant part of the room, where I had
placed it, as I have said, out of her sight.
I then spoke to her, and asked divers questions, as if she had really
been Patty and understood me; in return of which she uttered a language
I had no idea of, though in the most musical tone, and with the sweetest
accent I ever heard. It grieved me I could not understand her. However,
thinking she might like to be on her feet, I went to lift her off the
bed, when she felt to my touch in the oddest manner imaginable; for
while in one respect it was as though she had been cased up in whalebone
it was at the same time as soft and warm as if she had been naked.
I then took her in my arms and carried her into my ante-chamber again,
where I would fain have entered into conversation, but found she and
I could make nothing of it together, unless we could understand one
another's speech. It is very strange my dream should have prepossessed
me so of Patty, and of the alteration of her countenance, that I could
by no means persuade myself the person I had with me was not she;
though, upon a deliberate comparison, Patty, as pleasing as she always
was to my taste, would no more come up to this fair creature than a
coarse ale-wife would to Venus herself.
You may imagine we stared heartily at each other, and I doubted not but
she wondered as much as I by what means we came so near each other. I
offered her everything in my grotto which I thought might please her;
some of which she gratefully received, as appeared by her looks and
behaviour. But she avoided my lamp, and always placed her back toward
it. I observing that, and ascribing it to her modesty in my company, let
her have her will, and took care to set it in such a position myself as
seemed agreeable to her, though it deprived me of a prospect I very much
admired.
After we had sat a good while, now and then, I may say, chattering to
one another, she got up and took a turn or two about the room. When I
saw her in that attitude, her grace and motion perfectly charmed me, and
her shape was incomparable; but the strangeness of her dress put me to
my trumps to conceive either what it was, or how it was put on.
Well, we supped together, and I set the best of everything I had before
her, nor could either of us forbear speaking in our own tongue, though
we were sensible neither of us understood the other. After supper I
gave her some of my cordials, for which she showed great tokens of
thankfulness, and often in her way, by signs and gestures, which were
very far from being insignificant, expressed her gratitude for my
kindness. When supper had been some time over, I showed her my bed and
made signs for her to go to it; but she seemed very shy of that, till I
showed her where I meant to lie myself, by pointing to myself, then to
that, and again pointing to her and to my bed. When at length I had made
this matter intelligible to her, she lay down very composedly; and after
I had taken care of my fire, and set the things I had been using for
supper in their places, I laid myself down too; for I could have no
suspicious thoughts or fear of danger from a form so excellent.
I treated her for some time with all the respect imaginable, and never
suffered her to do the least part of my work. It was very inconvenient
to both of us only to know each other's meaning by signs; but I could
not be otherwise than pleased to see that she endeavoured all in her
power to learn to talk like me. Indeed I was not behindhand with her in
that respect, striving all I could to imitate her. What I all the while
wondered at was, she never showed the least disquiet at her confinement;
for I kept my door shut at first, through fear of losing her, thinking
she would have taken an opportunity to run away from me; for little did
I then think she could fly.