When we started for our drive the sun was shining brightly on Munich, and the air was full of the joyousness of early summer. Just as we were about to depart, Herr Delbrück (the maître d’hôtel of the Quatre Saisons, where I was staying) came down, bareheaded, to the carriage and, after wishing me a pleasant drive, said to the coachman, still holding his hand on the handle of the carriage door:

Quando nos inchoava (*) (*) nostre cursa, le sol brillava luminose­mente sur Munich, e le aere era plen del gaudiosia (*) del estate precoce. Justo al momento del partita Herr Delbrück (le maître d’hôtel del Quatre Saisons, ubi io era allogiate) descendeva, a testa nude, al cochi, e post desiderar me un cursa amene, diceva al cochiero, qui ancora teneva le ansa del porta del cochi:

‘Remember (*) you are back by nightfall. The sky looks bright but there is a shiver in the north wind that says there may be a sudden storm. But I am sure you will not be late.’ Here he smiled, and added, ‘for you know what night it is.’

‘Certo retorna ante le crepusculo. Le celo sembla clar sed il ha un fremito in le boreas que predice un tempesta subite. Ma io confide que tu non sera tarde.’ Hic ille surrideva e addeva, ‘nam tu sape qual nocte il es.’

Johann answered with an emphatic, ‘Ja, mein Herr,’ and, touching his hat, drove off quickly. When we had cleared the town, I said, after signalling to him to stop:

Johann respondeva con un emphatic, ‘Ja, mein Herr,’ e, toccante su cappello, presto partiva. Quando nos habeva quitate le urbe, io diceva, post signalar le de stoppar:

‘Tell me, Johann, what is tonight?’

‘Dice me, Johann, que es iste nocte?’

He crossed himself, as he answered laconically: ‘Walpurgis nacht.’ Then he took out his watch, a great, old-fashioned German silver thing as big as a turnip, and looked at it, with his eyebrows gathered together and a little impatient shrug of his shoulders. I realised that this was his way of respectfully protesting against the unnecessary delay, and sank back in the carriage, merely motioning him to proceed. He started off rapidly, as if to make up for lost time. Every now and then the horses seemed to throw up their heads and sniffed the air suspiciously. On such occasions I often looked round in alarm. The road was pretty bleak, for we were traversing a sort of high, wind-swept plateau. As we drove, I saw a road that looked but little used, and which seemed to dip through a little, winding valley. It looked so inviting that, even at the risk of offending him, I called Johann to stop—and when he had pulled up, I told him I would like to drive down that road. He made all sorts of excuses, and frequently crossed himself as he spoke. This somewhat piqued my curiosity, so I asked him various questions. He answered fencingly, and repeatedly looked at his watch in protest. Finally I said:

Ille faceva le signo del cruce, dum ille respondeva laconicamente: ‘Walpurgis-nacht.’ Alora ille tirava su horologio german, que era grande, antiquate, e de argento, del dimension de un rapa, e lo consultava, su supercilios avicinante se, con un parve altiar impatiente del spatulas. Io comprendeva que isto esseva su maniera de respectuosemente protestar contra le retardo innecesse, e appoiava me in le cochi, mermente dante le signo a proceder. Ille partiva rapidemente, como pro reattrappar le tempore perdite. Alicun vices le cavallos levava su capites e aspirava le aere suspiciosemente. Io tunc reguardava circum me in alarma. Le cammino era satis desolate, nam nos transversava un sorta de plateau alte e ventose. Io notava un via poco usate, bassante a in un parve valle serpentante, que pareva tan invitante que, con le risco de offender le, io appellava Johann pro facer halto. Io le declarava mi desiro de sequer ille cammino. Ille dava iste e aquelle excusa, frequentemente faciente le signo del cruce. Isto alique piccava mi curiositate, ergo io le demandava alcun questiones. Ille respondeva con reticentia, reguardante plure vices su horologio in protesto. Finalmente io diceva:

‘Well, Johann, I want to go down this road. I shall not ask you to come unless you like; but tell me why you do not like to go, that is all I ask.’ For answer he seemed to throw himself off the box, so quickly did he reach the ground. Then he stretched out his hands appealingly to me, and implored me not to go. There was just enough of English mixed with the German for me to understand the drift of his talk. He seemed always just about to tell me something—the very idea of which evidently frightened him; but each time he pulled himself up, saying, as he crossed himself: ‘Walpurgis-Nacht!’

‘Ora, Johann, io vole descender iste cammino. Io non te demanda accompaniar me; ma dice me proque tu non vole vader, isto es toto que io demanda.’ Como responsa ille sembla lancear se del sedia, tan presto ille arrivava al solo. Ille extendeva su manos in appello, implorante me de non vader. Il habeva justo assatis anglese mixte con germano que io poteva comprehender le tenor de su parlar. Semper ille semblava esser al puncto de contar me alco – le mer idea del qual evidentemente espaventava le; sed cata vice ille contineva se e diceva, faciente le signo del cruce: ‘Walpurgis-Nacht!’

I tried to argue with him, but it was difficult to argue with a man when I did not know his language. The advantage certainly rested with him, for although he began to speak in English, of a very crude and broken kind, he always got excited and broke into his native tongue—and every time he did so, he looked at his watch. Then the horses became restless and sniffed the air. At this he grew very pale, and, looking around in a frightened way, he suddenly jumped forward, took them by the bridles and led them on some twenty feet. I followed, and asked why he had done this. For answer he crossed himself, pointed to the spot we had left and drew his carriage in the direction of the other road, indicating a cross, and said, first in German, then in English: ‘Buried him—him what killed themselves.’

Io essayava argumentar con ille, ma il es difficile argu­mentar con un homine sin saper su lingua. Le avantage certo era con ille, nam ben que ille comenciava in anglese, un anglese multo crude e defectuose, ille semper deveniva excitate e recadeva in su lingua native – e cata vice ille lo faceva, ille consultava su horologio. Le cavallos agitava se e flairava le aere. Per isto Johann pallidiva, e, reguardante circum se in un maniera espaventate, subito saliva avante, sasiva le redinas e guidava le cavallos circa cinque metros in avante. Io sequeva, e le demandava le ration de facer lo. Como responsa ille de novo signava se, indicava le loco que nos habeva quitate e tirava su cochi in le direction del altere via, indicante un cruce, e diceva, primo in germano, pois in anglese: ‘Interrat le – le que occideva se.’

I remembered (*) the old custom of burying suicides at cross-roads: ‘Ah! I see, a suicide. How interesting!’ (*) But for the life of me, I could not make out why the horses were frightened.

Io memorava le vetule costume de interrar suicidas a cruciatas: ‘Ah! Io comprende, un suicida. Que interessante!’ Ma ancora io habeva necun idea proque le cavallos esseva tan anxiose.

Whilst we were talking, we heard a sort of sound between a yelp and a bark. It was far away; but the horses got very restless, and it took Johann all his time to quiet them. He was pale, and said, ‘It sounds like a wolf—but yet there are no wolves here now.’

Durante que nos parlava, nos audiva un sono inter ulular e latrar. (*) Era lontan, ma faceva le cavallos multo inquiete, e Johann debeva dar se pena calmar les. Ille era pallide, e diceva, ‘Sona como un lupo – ma tamen il non ha lupos ora qui.’

‘No?’ I said, questioning him; ‘isn’t it long since the wolves were so near the city?’

‘No?’ io diceva, questionante le; ‘non es ante multe tempore que le lupos era tan presso le citate?’

‘Long, long,’ he answered, ‘in the spring and summer; but with the snow the wolves have been here not so long.’

‘Multe, multe,’ ille respondeva, ‘in le ver e estate; ma con le nive le lupos non ha essite qui tan longe.’

Whilst he was petting the horses and trying to quiet them, dark clouds drifted rapidly across the sky. The sunshine passed away, and a breath of cold wind seemed to drift past us. It was only a breath, however, and more in the nature of a warning than a fact, for the sun came out brightly again. Johann looked under his lifted hand at the horizon and said:

Ille caressava le cavallos pro tranquillisar los, quando nubes obscur approchava, tegente le sol. Un sufflo de vento frigido nos passava, ma solo un sufflo, plus tosto un advertimento que un facto, proque le sol retornava a brillar. Johann sub su mano levate mirava le horizonte, e diceva:

‘The storm of snow, he comes before long time.’ Then he looked at his watch again, and, straightway holding his reins firmly—for the horses were still pawing the ground restlessly and shaking their heads—he climbed to his box as though the time had come for proceeding on our journey.

‘Le tempesta de nive, ille veni ante longe tempore.’ Ille consultava de novo su horologio, e subito tenente fortemente le bridas – le cavallos ancora grattava le terra agitatemente con su ungulas, e succuteva su testas – Johann montava super su sedia como si le momento habeva venite de continuar le viage.

I felt a little obstinate and did not at once get into the carriage.

Io sentiva un poco obstinate e non entrava in le cochi ja.

‘Tell me,’ I said, ‘about this place where the road leads,’ and I pointed down.

‘Conta me’, io diceva, ‘de iste placia al qual mena le via,’ e io indicava a basso.

Again he crossed himself and mumbled a prayer, before he answered, ‘It is unholy.’

De novo ille signava se e murmurava un prece, ante que respondeva, ‘Es maledicte.’

‘What is unholy?’ I enquired.

‘Que es maledicte?’ io inquireva.

‘The village.’

‘Le village.’

‘Then there is a village?’

‘Dunque il ha la un village?’

‘No, no. No one lives there hundreds of years.’ My curiosity was piqued, ‘But you said there was a village.’

‘No, no. (*) Nemo vive ibi centenas de annos.’ Mi curiositate era piccate, ‘Ma tu diceva que il habeva un village.’

‘There was.’

‘Habeva, si.’

‘Where is it now?’

‘Ubi id es ora?’ (*)

Whereupon he burst out into a long story in German and English, so mixed up that I could not quite understand exactly what he said, but roughly I gathered that long ago, hundreds of years, men had died there and been buried in their graves; and sounds were heard under the clay, and when the graves were opened, men and women were found rosy with life, and their mouths red with blood. And so, in haste to save their lives (aye, and their souls!—and here he crossed himself) those who were left fled away to other places, where the living lived, and the dead were dead and not—not something. He was evidently afraid to speak the last words. As he proceeded with his narration, he grew more and more excited. It seemed as if his imagination had got hold of him, and he ended in a perfect paroxysm of fear—white-faced, perspiring, trembling and looking round him, as if expecting that some dreadful presence would manifest itself there in the bright sunshine on the open plain. Finally, in an agony of desperation, he cried:

A qual puncto ille erumpeva in un longe historia in germano e anglese, tanto confuse que io non exactemente comprendeva que ille diceva, ma io succedeva inferer que ante longe tempore, centenas retro, gente habeva morite la e esseva interrate in lor fossas; e ruitos era audite sub le argilla, e quando le fossas era aperite, on ha trovate homines e feminas a carnation vive, con lor buccas rubie de sanguine. E assi, in haste pro salvar lor vita (ay, e lor animas! – e ille faceva le signo del cruce) illes qui habeva remanite fugiva a alibi, ubi le viventes viveva, e le mortes era morte e non – non qualcosa. Evidentemente ille timeva dicer iste ultime parolas. Quando ille procedeva con su narration, ille deveniva plus e plus excitate. Il semblava que su imagination le habeva attrappate, e ille finiva in un paroxysmo perfecte de pavor – con visage pallide, sudante, tremulante e mirante circum se, como si ille expectava que alcun presentia terribile se manifestarea ibi in le clar brillantia del sol sur le plana aperte. Finalmente, in un agonia de desperation, ille critava:

‘Walpurgis nacht!’ and pointed to the carriage for me to get in. All my English blood rose at this, and, standing back, I said:

‘Walpurgis-nacht!’ e gesticulava me a montar in le cochi. Tote mi sanguine anglese insurgeva se contra isto, e io analysava:

‘You are afraid, Johann—you are afraid. Go home; I shall return alone; the walk will do me good.’ The carriage door was open. I took from the seat my oak walking-stick—which I always carry on my holiday excursions—and closed the door, pointing back to Munich, and said, ‘Go home, Johann—Walpurgis-nacht doesn’t concern Englishmen.’

‘Tu ha timor, Johann – tu ha timor. Va al casa. Io retornara sol. Le camminata me facera ben.’ Le porta del cochi esseva aperte. Io prendeva del sede mi baston de querco – que io semper prende con me durante mi excursiones de vacantias – e claudeva le porta. Con le digito in le direction de Munich io diceva, ‘Retorna, Johann – Walpurgis-nacht non concerne angleses.’

The horses were now more restive than ever, and Johann was trying to hold them in, while excitedly imploring me not to do anything so foolish. I pitied the poor fellow, he was deeply in earnest; but all the same I could not help laughing. His English was quite gone now. In his anxiety he had forgotten that his only means of making me understand was to talk my language, so he jabbered away in his native German. It began to be a little tedious. After giving the direction, ‘Home!’ I turned to go down the cross-road into the valley.

Le cavallos era ora plus restive que unquam, e Johann essayava constringer los, implorante me in excitation de non facer alco tan insensate. Io commiserava con le povre homine, qui esseva profundemente seriose; nonobstante io non poteva supprimer un riso. Su anglese esseva nunc absente. In su anxietate ille habeva oblidate que le sol maniera de lassar me comprender alco, era parlar mi lingua. Ille garrulava in su germano nativo, sin cessar. Interim id me enoiava. Io le dava le instruction ‘Retorna!’, e io tornava e descendeva le via lateral al valle.

With a despairing gesture, Johann turned his horses towards Munich. I leaned on my stick and looked after him. He went slowly along the road for a while: then there came over the crest of the hill a man tall and thin. I could see so much in the distance. When he drew near the horses, they began to jump and kick about, then to scream with terror. Johann could not hold them in; they bolted down the road, running away madly. I watched them out of sight, then looked for the stranger, but I found that he, too, was gone.

Con un gesto desperate, Johann tornava su cavallos erga Munich. Io appoiava me a mi baston, e sequeva le con le vista. Alcun tempore ille avantiava lentemente. Tunc veniva trans le cresta del collina un homine alte e magre. A causa del distantia io poteva a pena vider lo. (*) Quando ille approchava le cavallos, illes comenciava a se cabrar e a colpar, alora a hinnir de terror. Johann non poteva retener les; illes escampava, follemente currente. Io spectava usque illes habeva disparite de vista, cercava le estraniero, ma ecce, ille anque era via.

With a light heart I turned down the side road through the deepening valley to which Johann had objected. There was not the slightest reason, that I could see, for his objection; and I daresay I tramped for a couple of hours without thinking of time or distance, and certainly without seeing a person or a house. So far as the place was concerned, it was desolation itself. But I did not notice this particularly till, on turning a bend in the road, I came upon a scattered fringe of wood; then I recognised that I had been impressed unconsciously by the desolation of the region through which I had passed.

Alacremente io comenciava descender le cammina trans­verse a in le valle, al qual Johann habeva objectate. Il non habeva mesmo un micrissime ration, como io videva, pro iste objection; dunque io camminava alcun horas, pensante ni de tempore ni distantia. Il non habeva gente o casas. Quanto al loco, id esseva le essentia de desolation. Sed io non remarcava lo, usque, post un curva del via, io arrivava a un frangia passim de silva; alora io recognosceva quanto habeva im­pres­sionate me inconscientemente le desolation del region.

I sat down to rest myself, and began to look around. It struck me that it was considerably colder than it had been at the commencement of my walk—a sort of sighing sound seemed to be around me, with, now and then, high overhead, a sort of muffled roar. Looking upwards I noticed that great thick clouds were drifting rapidly across the sky from North to South at a great height. There were signs of coming storm in some lofty stratum of the air. I was a little chilly, and, thinking that it was the sitting still after the exercise of walking, I resumed my journey.

Io sedeva me pro reposar, e mirava circum me. Io notava que il faceva considerabilemente plus frigide que al comen­cia­mento de mi promenada – un sorta de sono suspirante sem­blava ambir me, con, a vices, alte supra, un sorta de rugito assurdate. Mirante in alto io notava nubes grande e grosse flottante rapidemente trans le celo del nord al sud a grande altura. Un tempesta annunciava se in un strato multo alte in le aere. Io habeva un poco frigido, e, pensante que id esseva a causa del restar sedite post le exercitio del ambular, io prosequeva mi viage.

The ground I passed over was now much more picturesque. There were no striking objects that the eye might single out; but in all there was a charm of beauty. I took little heed of time and it was only when the deepening twilight forced itself upon me that I began to think of how I should find my way home. The brightness of the day had gone. The air was cold, and the drifting of clouds high overhead was more marked. They were accompanied by a sort of far-away rushing sound, through which seemed to come at intervals that mysterious cry which the driver had said came from a wolf. For a while I hesitated. I had said I would see the deserted village, so on I went, and presently came on a wide stretch of open country, shut in by hills all around. Their sides were covered with trees which spread down to the plain, dotting, in clumps, the gentler slopes and hollows which showed here and there. I followed with my eye the winding of the road, and saw that it curved close to one of the densest of these clumps and was lost behind it.

Le solo super le qual io avantiava era ora plus pictoresc. Il non habeva objectos ostentative que le oculo poterea indivi­duar; ma generalmente il habeva un charme de beltate. Io habeva date pauc attention al hora, e solo quando le crepusculo approfundante se imponeva a me, io initiava pensar de como trovar le cammino retro al hotel. Le claritate del die era via. Le aere era frigide, e le passage del nubes alte plus pesante. Con illos il habeva un typo de sono susurrante lontan, per le qual intermittentemente veniva le crito mysteriose que secundo le cochiero veniva de un lupo. Alcun momentos io hesitava. Mi projecto esseva vider le village abandonate, ergo ora continua! Il habeva nunc un grande area discoperte, con collinas a omne lateres. Lor flancas era coperite de arbores, usque le plana, dispersate in gruppos sur le flancas declive e le cavitates que il habeva in alcun partes. Io sequeva con mi oculos le sinuar del via, e videva que id serpeva presso un del gruppos le plus dense de arbores, e dispareva post illo.

As I looked there came a cold shiver in the air, and the snow began to fall. I thought of the miles and miles of bleak country I had passed, and then hurried on to seek the shelter of the wood in front. Darker and darker grew the sky, and faster and heavier fell the snow, till the earth before and around me was a glistening white carpet the further edge of which was lost in misty vagueness. The road was here but crude, and when on the level its boundaries were not so marked, as when it passed through the cuttings; and in a little while I found that I must have strayed from it, for I missed underfoot the hard surface, and my feet sank deeper in the grass and moss. Then the wind grew stronger and blew with ever increasing force, till I was fain to run before it. The air became icy-cold, and in spite of my exercise I began to suffer. The snow was now falling so thickly and whirling around me in such rapid eddies that I could hardly keep my eyes open. Every now and then the heavens were torn asunder by vivid lightning, and in the flashes I could see ahead of me a great mass of trees, chiefly yew and cypress all heavily coated with snow.

Durante que io reguardava, un fremito frigide veniva in le aere, e il comenciava a nivar. Io pensava del multe kilometros de terreno salvage que io habeva percurrite, e hastava me pro ir refugiar me in le bosco ante me. Sempre plus obscur deveniva le celo, e sempre plus floccos major de nive cadeva, faciente le solo ante e circum me un tapete scintillante, le orlo del qual esseva perdite in indistinction nebulose. Le via hic esseva crude, e in le plana su limites esseva non tanto marcate como ubi ia per le vegetation; tosto io notava que io debeva haber deviate del via, proque il mancava sub mi pedes le superficie dur, e illos affundava plus que antea in le herba e bryo. Tunc le vento deveniva plus intense, e con sempre plus fortia id ultimemente me propulsava. Le aere sentiva nunc glacial, e mi exercitio non averteva mi patir del frigido. Le nive spisse ancora cadente torneava circum me, in vortices tanto celere que a pena io poteva tener aperte mi oculos. De tempore in tempore le celos esseva eventrate per fulgures vivide, cuje fulmines me lassava apperciper un grande massa de arbores, in su major parte taxos e cypressos, totes coperite per multe nive.

I was soon amongst the shelter of the trees, and there, in comparative silence, I could hear the rush of the wind high overhead. Presently the blackness of the storm had become merged in the darkness of the night. By-and-by the storm seemed to be passing away: it now only came in fierce puffs or blasts. At such moments the weird sound of the wolf appeared to be echoed by many similar sounds around me.

Bentosto io trovava le protection del arbores, e illac, in silentio comparative, io poteva audir le sufflo del vento in le alte celo. Presentemente le obscuritate del tempesta se habeva fusionate con le tenebras del nocte. Gradualmente le tempesta pareva passar: nunc remaneva solo sufflos e colpos feroce. In tal momentos le sono peculiar del lupo pareva esser echoate per multo sonos similar circum me.

Now and again, through the black mass of drifting cloud, came a straggling ray of moonlight, which lit up the expanse, and showed me that I was at the edge of a dense mass of cypress and yew trees. As the snow had ceased to fall, I walked out from the shelter and began to investigate more closely. It appeared to me that, amongst so many old foundations as I had passed, there might be still standing a house in which, though in ruins, I could find some sort of shelter for a while. As I skirted the edge of the copse, I found that a low wall encircled it, and following this I presently found an opening. Here the cypresses formed an alley leading up to a square mass of some kind of building. Just as I caught sight of this, however, the drifting clouds obscured the moon, and I passed up the path in darkness. The wind must have grown colder, for I felt myself shiver as I walked; but there was hope of shelter, and I groped my way blindly on.

De vice in quando, per le massa nigre de nubes a deriva, manava un radio de luna exclarante le firmamento, que me lassava vider ubi io era: al orlo de un dense massa de cypressos e taxos. Le nivar habeva cessate, dunque io quitava le refugio pro investigar le situation. Habente passate multe vetere fundamentos, io expectava poter trovar un casa ancora erecte, mesmo si un ruina, pro proteger me alcun tempore. Ambulante secundo le bordo del boscage, io incontrava un parapetto cingente lo, ma un que habeva un brecha. Hic le cypressos formava un allée que duceva al massa quadrate de un sorta de construction. Justo al momento que id veniva in vista, totevia, nubes occultava le luna, ergo io continuava al via in tenebras. Le vento certo habeva se refrigidate, proque al ambular io sentiva me tremer de frigido. Ma il habeva le spero de protection, e io avantiava, tastante e cec.

I stopped, for there was a sudden stillness. The storm had passed; and, perhaps in sympathy with nature’s silence, my heart seemed to cease to beat. But this was only momentarily; for suddenly the moonlight broke through the clouds, showing me that I was in a graveyard, and that the square object before me was a great massive tomb of marble, as white as the snow that lay on and all around it. With the moonlight there came a fierce sigh of the storm, which appeared to resume its course with a long, low howl, as of many dogs or wolves. I was awed and shocked, and felt the cold perceptibly grow upon me till it seemed to grip me by the heart. Then while the flood of moonlight still fell on the marble tomb, the storm gave further evidence of renewing, as though it was returning on its track. Impelled by some sort of fascination, I approached the sepulchre to see what it was, and why such a thing stood alone in such a place. I walked around it, and read, over the Doric door, in German:

Io faceva halto, nam il habeva un quiete subite. Le tempesta habeva passate; e, forsan in sympathia con le silentio del natura, mi corde semblava cessar de colpar. Ma isto era solo momentanee; nam subito le luce lunar reappareva per le nubes, monstrante me que io esseva in un cemeterio, e que le objecto quadrate ante me era un grande tumba massive de marmore, si blanc como le nive que era sur e circum id. Con le luce lunar veniva un forte colpo del tempesta, que semblava resumer su curso con un ululation longe e basse, como de multe canes o lupos. Io me sentiva stupite e impressionate, e le frigido me permeava e quasi sasiva mi corde. Ancora le fluxo de luce lunar exclarava le tumba de marmore, e le tempesta dava plus evidentia de renovar se, como si id retornava in le mesme pista. Impellite per un typo de fascination, io approchava le sepulcro pro vider que era, e proque un tal objecto era la, sol in un tal loco. Io contornava lo, e legeva, super le porta doric, in germano:

COUNTESS DOLINGEN OF GRATZ

CONTESSA DOLINGEN DE GRATZ

IN STYRIA

IN STYRIA (*)

SOUGHT AND FOUND DEATH

QUEREVA E TROVAVA LE MORTE

1801

1801

On the top of the tomb, seemingly driven through the solid marble—for the structure was composed of a few vast blocks of stone—was a great iron spike or stake. On going to the back I saw, graven in great Russian letters:

Al parte superior del tumba, apparentemente figite per le marmore solide – nam le monumento esseva composite de poc vaste blocos de lapide – esseva un grande palo o picca de ferro. Sur le parte posterior io videva, gravate in grande litteras russe:

‘The dead travel fast.’

‘Le mortes viagia cito.’

There was something so weird and uncanny about the whole thing that it gave me a turn and made me feel quite faint. I began to wish, for the first time, that I had taken Johann’s advice. Here a thought struck me, which came under almost mysterious circumstances and with a terrible shock. This was Walpurgis Night!

Il habeva alique tan insolite e ominose a tote isto, que il se levava in me un vertigine quasi evanescente. Io voleva, pro le prime vice, haber sequite le consilio de Johann. Ci un pensamento veniva, sub circumstantias quasi mysteriose e con un choc terribile. Isto es le nocte de Walpurgis!

Walpurgis Night, when, according to the belief of millions of people, the devil was abroad—when the graves were opened and the dead came forth and walked. When all evil things of earth and air and water held revel. This very place the driver had specially shunned. This was the depopulated village of centuries ago. This was where the suicide lay; and this was the place where I was alone—unmanned, shivering with cold in a shroud of snow with a wild storm gathering again upon me! It took all my philosophy, all the religion I had been taught, all my courage, not to collapse in a paroxysm of fright.

Le nocte de Walpurgis, quando, secundo le credentia de milliones, le diabolo vaga – quando le fossas es aperite e le mortes se leva e marcha. Quando toto festea que es mal, del terra, del aere e del aqua. Iste mesme loco le cochiero voleva specialmente evitar. Isto esseva le village depopulate de seculos retro. Il esseva qui ubi le suicida jaceva; e ubi io esseva sol – incerte, tremulante de frigido, coperte de nive, con un tempesta furiose de novo battente me! Era necesse tote mi philosophia, tote le religion que on me ha inseniate, tote mi corage, pro non collaber in un paroxysmo de terror.

And now a perfect tornado burst upon me. The ground shook as though thousands of horses thundered across it; and this time the storm bore on its icy wings, not snow, but great hailstones which drove with such violence that they might have come from the thongs of Balearic slingers—hailstones that beat down leaf and branch and made the shelter of the cypresses of no more avail than though their stems were standing-corn. At the first I had rushed to the nearest tree; but I was soon fain to leave it and seek the only spot that seemed to afford refuge, the deep Doric doorway of the marble tomb. There, crouching against the massive bronze door, I gained a certain amount of protection from the beating of the hailstones, for now they only drove against me as they ricocheted from the ground and the side of the marble.

E nunc un ver tornado discatenava se, que succuteva le solo como si mille cavallos sur isto esseva a galopar; e iste vice le tempesta portava sur su alas glacial, non nive, sed grande granos de grandine, que volava con tal violentia que illos poterea haber venite del corregias de lanceatores de funda ab le Baleares – granos de grandine que abbate folio e branca, faciente le protection del cypressos tanto inadequate como lo de spicas. Al prime granos io me habeva hastate al plus proxime arbore; ma bentosto io prefereva abandonar lo pro le sol loco con promissa de refugio: le profunde entrata doric del tumba marmoree. Ibi, quattante contra le porta de bronzo massive, io obteneva qualque protection del batter del granos de grandine, nam ora solo illos me attingeva que resaltava del solo e del flancos de marmore.

As I leaned against the door, it moved slightly and opened inwards. The shelter of even a tomb was welcome in that pitiless tempest, and I was about to enter it when there came a flash of forked-lightning that lit up the whole expanse of the heavens. In the instant, (*) as I am a living man, I saw, as my eyes were turned into the darkness of the tomb, a beautiful woman, with rounded cheeks and red lips, seemingly sleeping on a bier. As the thunder broke overhead, I was grasped as by the hand of a giant and hurled out into the storm. The whole thing was so sudden that, before I could realise the shock, moral as well as physical, I found the hailstones beating me down. At the same time I had a strange, dominating feeling that I was not alone. I looked towards the tomb. Just then there came another blinding flash, which seemed to strike the iron stake that surmounted the tomb and to pour through to the earth, blasting and crumbling the marble, as in a burst of flame. The dead woman rose for a moment of agony, while she was lapped in the flame, and her bitter scream of pain was drowned in the thundercrash. The last thing I heard was this mingling of dreadful sound, as again I was seized in the giant-grasp and dragged away, while the hailstones beat on me, and the air around seemed reverberant with the howling of wolves. (*) The last sight that I remembered was a vague, white, moving mass, as if all the graves around me had sent out the phantoms of their sheeted-dead, and that they were closing in on me through the white cloudiness of the driving hail.

Quando io appoiava me contra le porta, id girava verso le interior. Le refugio de mesmo un tumba era benvenite in iste tempesta impietose, e io voleva justo entrar, quando veniva un fulgure furcate que toto illuminava le volta celeste. In le instante, si ver que io spira, io videva, con mi oculos tornate a in le tenebras del tumba, un femina belle, con genas rotundate e labios rubie, apparentemente dormiente sur un feretro. Al rolar del tonitro io esseva capite como per un mano de gigante que me lanceava foras e a in le tempesta. Isto eveniva tan cito que ante poter sentir le choc, e moral e physic, le granos de grandine me batteva. Al mesme tempore io habeva un impression, estranie e dominante, que io non era sol. Io mirava al tumba. Justo tunc veniva ancora un fulgure cecante, que semblava colpar le picca de ferro in alto del tumba, e continuava al terra. Isto findeva le marmore, como un flamma explodente. Le femina morte levava se in un momento de agonia, dum le flamma la lambeva, e su crito amar de dolor era necate in le colpo de tonitro. Le ultime cosa que io audiva era iste mixtura de sono espaventabile, nam de novo io esseva in le prisa de gigante e trahite via, dum le granos de grandine me batteva, e per le aere circum me reverberava le ululation de lupos. Mi ultime memoria es vider un massa blanc, vage e movente, como si tote le sepulturas circum me habeva emittite le phantasmas de lor mortes drappate. Illes assediava me per le nubilositate blanc del grandine flagellante.

Gradually there came a sort of vague beginning of conscious­ness; then a sense of weariness that was dreadful. (*) For a time I remembered nothing; but slowly my senses returned. My feet seemed positively racked with pain, yet I could not move them. They seemed to be numbed. There was an icy feeling at the back of my neck and all down my spine, and my ears, like my feet, were dead, yet in torment; but there was in my breast a sense of warmth which was, by comparison, delicious. It was as a nightmare—a physical nightmare, if one may use such an expression; for some heavy weight on my chest made it difficult for me to breathe.

Gradualmente un sorta de vage initio de conscientia veniva; alora un senso de languor que era horribile. Alcun tempore io recordava nihil; ma tardivemente mi sensos retornava. Mi pedes me doleva terribilemente, tamen io non poteva mover los. Illos semblava torpide. Il habeva un sensation gelide al dorso de mi collo e a basso al longe del colonna vertebral, e mi aures, como mi pedes, esseva morte, tamen in tormento; ma il habeva in mi pectore un sensation de calor que esseva, in comparation, deliciose. Era un incubo – un incubo physic, si on pote usar un tal expression; nam alcun peso grave sur mi pectore me impediva de respirar.

This period of semi-lethargy seemed to remain a long time, and as it faded away I must have slept or swooned. Then came a sort of loathing, like the first stage of sea-sickness, and a wild desire to be free from something—I knew not what. A vast stillness enveloped me, as though all the world were asleep or dead—only broken by the low panting as of some animal close to me. I felt a warm rasping at my throat, then came a consciousness of the awful truth, which chilled me to the heart and sent the blood surging up through my brain. Some great animal was lying on me and now licking my throat. I feared to stir, for some instinct of prudence bade me lie still; but the brute seemed to realise that there was now some change in me, for it raised its head. Through my eyelashes I saw above me the two great flaming eyes of a gigantic wolf. Its sharp white teeth gleamed in the gaping red mouth, and I could feel its hot breath fierce and acrid upon me.

Iste periodo de semi-lethargia pareva durar multe tempore, e quando id gradualmente dispareva, io debeva haber dormite o suffrite un syncope. Sequeva un certe repugnantia, como in le prime stadio de naupathia, e un aspiration furiose de esser libere de alco – sin saper que era. Un vaste silentio circumfereva me, como si le mundo omne serea addormite o morte – solmente rumpite per un anhelar basse de alcun animal a presso de me. Io sentiva un tepide raspar a mi gurgite. Il veniva un conscientia del veritate execrabile, que refrigidava mi corde e propulsava mi sanguine in alto al cerebro. Alcun grande bestia jaceva super me e me lambeva le gorga. Pavor e un instincto de prudentia me faceva evitar quecunque movimento; sed le bruto forsan habeva observate le cambio in me, e altiava le capite. Per mi cilios io videva super me le duo grande oculos flammante de un lupo enorme. Su dentes blanc e acute scintillava in su rubie bucca hiante. Io sentiva su halito calide, feroce e malodor.

(*) For another spell of time I remembered no more. Then I became conscious of a low growl, followed by a yelp, renewed again and again. Then, seemingly very far away, I heard a ‘Holloa! holloa!’ as of many voices calling in unison. Cautiously I raised my head and looked in the direction whence the sound came; but the cemetery blocked my view. (*) The wolf still continued to yelp in a strange way, and a red glare began to move round the grove of cypresses, as though following the sound. As the voices drew closer, the wolf yelped faster and louder. I feared to make either sound or motion. Nearer came the red glow, over the white pall which stretched into the darkness around me. Then all at once from beyond the trees there came at a trot a troop of horsemen bearing torches. The wolf rose from my breast and made for the cemetery. I saw one of the horsemen (soldiers by their caps and their long military cloaks) raise his carbine and take aim. A companion knocked up his arm, and I heard the ball whizz over my head. He had evidently taken my body for that of the wolf. Another sighted the animal as it slunk away, and a shot followed. Then, at a gallop, the troop rode forward—some towards me, others following the wolf as it disappeared amongst the snow-clad cypresses.

De ancora un periodo io non ha memorias. Depost io sapeva audir un grunnimento basse, sequite per un ululation, de novo e ancora un vice. Alora, multo lontan, il sonava ‘Hallo! hallo!’ de multe voces al unisono. Cautemente io levava le testa e reguardava in le direction de ubi le sono habeva venite; sed le cemeterio me blocava le vista. Le lupo ancora era a ulular in un maniera estranie, e un luce rubie comenciava reflecter contra le cypressos, como si id sequeva le sono. A mesura que le voces approchava, le lupo ululava plus saepe e plus forte. Io osava ni critar ni mover. Plus proxime veniva le lumine rubie, super le tapis blanc extendite in le tenebrositate circum me. Alora subito, de trans le arbores, veniva sur cavallos trottante un truppa de homines con torchas. Le lupo se levava de mi pectore e camminava al cemeterio. Io videva un del cavalleros (soldatos, judicante per lor bonettos e cappottos militar) levar su carabina e punctar. Un companion colpava in alto su brachio, e io audiva le balla sibilar trans mi testa. Obviemente ille habeva confundite le corpore del lupo con le mie. Un altere appercipeva le animal furtivemente inte via, e il sonava un tiro. Tunc, galopante, le truppa avantiava – alcunes a me, alteres sequente le lupo qui habeva disparite inter le cypressos nivate.

As they drew nearer I tried to move, but was powerless, although I could see and hear all that went on around me. Two or three of the soldiers jumped from their horses and knelt beside me. One of them raised my head, and placed his hand over my heart.

Quando illes me approchava io tentava mover, ma era inope, ben que io videva e audiva toto que eveniva circa me. Duo o tres del soldatos dismontava, e geniculava juxta me. Un levava mi testa, e poneva su mano super mi corde.

‘Good news, comrades!’ he cried. ‘His heart still beats!’

‘Bon novas, cameradas!’ clamava ille. ‘Su corde ancora batte!’

Then some brandy was poured down my throat; it put vigour into me, and I was able to open my eyes fully and look around. Lights and shadows were moving among the trees, and I heard men call to one another. They drew together, uttering frightened exclamations; and the lights flashed as the others came pouring out of the cemetery pell-mell, like men possessed. When the further ones came close to us, those who were around me asked them eagerly:

On versava un poco de brandy in mi gorga, que me redava vigor. Io succedeva ora plenmente aperir mi oculos e mirar circa. Lumines e umbras moveva al arbores, e io audiva homines critante inter se. Illes se gruppava, dante exclamationes espaventate; vacillava le faculas quando altere homines quitava in disordine le cemeterio, como demoniac. Quando illes plus distante veniva a presso de nos, illes ja con me voleva saper:

‘Well, have you found him?’

‘Ora, vos ha trovate le?’

The reply rang out hurriedly:

Le forte e celere responsa:

‘No! no! Come away quick—quick! This is no place to stay, and on this of all nights!’

‘No! no! Veni via cito – cito! Hic nos non pote restar, certo non iste nocte, de totes!’

‘What was it?’ was the question, asked in all manner of keys. The answer came variously and all indefinitely as though the men were moved by some common impulse to speak, yet were restrained by some common fear from giving their thoughts.

‘Que esseva?’ on demandava le voces emotionate. Le responsas veniva, variate e indefinite, como totes sentiva un impulso forte de parlar, ma anque le restriction del angustia.

‘It—it—indeed!’ gibbered one, whose wits had plainly given out for the moment.

‘Id – id – de facto!’ balbutiava un, qui clarmente habeva perdite le bussola.

‘A wolf—and yet not a wolf!’ another put in shudderingly.

‘Un lupo – tamen non un lupo!’ un altere avantiava in fremito.

‘No use trying for him without the sacred bullet,’ a third remarked in a more ordinary manner.

‘Illesibile pro qui non ha le balla sacra,’ diceva un tertie in un maniera plus quiete.

‘Serve us right for coming out on this night! Truly we have earned our thousand marks!’ were the ejaculations of a fourth.

‘Le consequentia de vader cercar in un nocte como iste! Nos merita vermente nostre mille marcos!’ exclamava un quarte.

‘There was blood on the broken marble,’ another said after a pause—‘the lightning never brought that there. And for him—is he safe? Look at his throat! See, comrades, the wolf has been lying on him and keeping his blood warm.’

‘Il habeva sanguine sur le marmore frangite,’ un altere diceva post un pausa – ‘que non pote haber venite con le fulmine. Quanto a ille – es secur? Reguarda su gorga! Vos vide, cameradas, le lupo ha jacite super ille pro tener calide su sanguine.’

The officer looked at my throat and replied:

Le officiero examinava mi gorga e respondeva:

‘He is all right; the skin is not pierced. (*) What does it all mean? We should never have found him but for the yelping of the wolf.’

‘Ille es indemne; le pelle non es penetrate. Que tote illo significa? Nos nunquam le haberea trovate sinon per le ulular del lupo.’

‘What became of it?’ asked the man who was holding up my head, and who seemed the least panic-stricken of the party, for his hands were steady and without tremor. On his sleeve was the chevron of a petty officer.

‘Que ha evenite a illo?’ demandava le homine qui supportava mi capite, e qui semblava esser le minus in preda al panico, nam su manos non tremeva. Su manica monstrava le galon de un subofficiero.

‘It went to its home,’ answered the man, whose long face was pallid, and who actually shook with terror as he glanced around him fearfully. ‘There are graves enough there in which it may lie. Come, comrades—come quickly! Let us leave this cursed spot.’

‘Id vadeva a su home,’ respondeva le homine, cuje facie longe era pallide, e qui vermente tremeva de terror quando ille mirava circum se in pavor. ‘Il ha assatis fossas la in le quales id pote jacer. Veni, cameradas – veni cito! Vamos quitar iste loco maledicte.’

The officer raised me to a sitting posture, as he uttered a word of command; then several men placed me upon a horse. He sprang to the saddle behind me, took me in his arms, gave the word to advance; and, turning our faces away from the cypresses, we rode away in swift, military order.

Le officiero me levava a un postura sedente, dum ille dava commandos; tunc plure homines me mitteva sur un cavallo. Ille saltava sur le sella detra me, supportava me con su brachios, e commandava avantiar; e, tornante nostre facies via del cypressos, nos cavalcava via in ordine celere e militar.

As yet my tongue refused its office, and I was perforce silent. I must have fallen asleep; (*) for the next thing I remembered was finding myself standing up, supported by a soldier on each side of me. It was almost broad daylight, and to the north a red streak of sunlight was reflected, like a path of blood, over the waste of snow. The officer was telling the men to say nothing of what they had seen, except that they found an English stranger, guarded by a large dog.

Usque nunc mi lingua refusava servir me, e io era fortiate remaner mute. Io me debe haber addormite; nam le proxime cosa que io memora es que io era erecte, supportate per un soldato a cata latere. Il era quasi plen die, e in le nord un stria de sol era reflexe, como un semita de sanguine, super le paisage de nive. Le officiero instrueva su homines de dicer nihil de lo que illes habeva viste, salvo que illes trovava un estraniero anglese, guardate per un grande can.

‘Dog! that was no dog,’ cut in the man who had exhibited such fear. ‘I think I know a wolf when I see one.’

‘Can! illo non era un can,’ interrumpeva le homine qui habeva monstrate grande pavor. ‘Io pensa que io recognosce un lupo quando io vide un.’

The young officer answered calmly: ‘I said a dog.’

Le juvene officiero respondeva tranquillemente: ‘Io diceva un can.’

‘Dog!’ reiterated the other ironically. It was evident that his courage was rising with the sun; and, pointing to me, he said, ‘Look at his throat. Is that the work of a dog, master?’

‘Can!’ reiterava le altere con ironia. Evidentemente su corage montava con le sol; e, indicante me, ille diceva, ‘Vide su gorga. Un can ha facite lo, senior?’

Instinctively I raised my hand to my throat, and as I touched it I cried out in pain. The men crowded round to look, some stooping down from their saddles; and again there came the calm voice of the young officer:

Instinctivemente io levava mi mano a mi gorga, e quando io lo toccava io critava de dolor. Le homines congregava se pro mirar, alcunes inclinava se de su sellas; e de novo veniva le voce calme de juvene officiero:

‘A dog, as I said. (*) If aught else were said we should only be laughed at.’

‘Un can, como io diceva. Si quecunque altere cosa esseva dicite, on nos ya riderea.’

I was then mounted behind a trooper, and we rode on into the suburbs of Munich. Here we came across a stray carriage, into which I was lifted, and it was driven off to the Quatre Saisons—the young officer accompanying me, whilst a trooper followed with his horse, and the others rode off to their barracks.

Io era montate detra un soldato, e nos equitava usque le suburbio de Munich. Nos trovava un cochi inoccupate, a in le qual io era sublevate, e nos veniva al Quatre Saisons – le juvene officiero accompaniava me, un soldato sequeva a cavallo; le alteres re­tor­nava al caserna.

When we arrived, Herr Delbrück rushed so quickly down the steps to meet me, that it was apparent he had been watching within. Taking me by both hands he solicitously led me in. The officer saluted me and was turning to withdraw, when I recognised his purpose, and insisted that he should come to my rooms. Over a glass of wine I warmly thanked him and his brave comrades for saving me. He replied simply that he was more than glad, and that Herr Delbrück had at the first taken steps to make all the searching party pleased; at which ambiguous utterance the maître d’hôtel smiled, while the officer pleaded duty and withdrew.

Quando nos arrivava, Herr Delbrück descendeva le scala tan cito que ille debeva haber observate nos de intra. Ille me prendeva per ambe manos e sollicitemente me menava intus. Le officiero salutava me e tornava pro vader via, quando io recognosceva su motivo, e le invitava a mi cameras. Nos bibeva un vitro de vino, e cordialmente io regratiava le e su brave cameradas pro salvar me. Ille respondeva esser contentissime, e que le initiativa esseva con Herr Delbrück de placer tote le cercatores; a iste notitia ambigue le maître d’hôtel solo surrideva. Le officiero debeva ora retornar e partiva.

‘But Herr Delbrück,’ I enquired, ‘how and why was it that the soldiers searched for me?’

‘Ma Herr Delbrück,’ io inquireva, ‘como sapeva le soldatos deber ir cercar me?’

He shrugged his shoulders, as if in depreciation of his own deed, as he replied:

Ille altiava le spatulas, e depreciante lo que ille habeva facite, respondeva:

‘I was so fortunate as to obtain leave from the commander of the regiment in which I served, to ask for volunteers.’

‘Io poteva contactar le commandante del regimento in que io serviva, e le peteva mitter voluntarios.

‘But how did you know I was lost?’ I asked.

‘Ma como vos sapeva de mi disparition?’ io demandava.

‘The driver came hither with the remains of his carriage, which had been upset when the horses ran away.’

‘Le cochiero retornava con le restos del cochi, avariate per le cavallos escampate.’

‘But surely you would not send a search-party of soldiers merely on this account?’

‘Ma vos non ha expedite un patrulia de cerca solo pro ration de su reportage?’

‘Oh, no!’ he answered; ‘but even before the coachman arrived, I had this telegram from the Boyar whose guest you are,’ and he took from his pocket a telegram which he handed to me, and I read:

‘Oh, no!’ ille respondeva; ‘ma ja ante le arrivata del cochiero, io habeva recipite iste telegramma del boiar que ha invitate vos,’ e ille prendeva le telegramma de su tasca e me lo dava. Io legeva:

Bistritz.

Be careful of my guest—his safety is most precious to me. (*) Should aught happen to him, or if he be missed, spare nothing to find him and ensure his safety. He is English and therefore adventurous. There are often dangers from snow and wolves and night. Lose not a moment if you suspect harm to him. I answer your zeal with my fortune.—Dracula.

(*) Bistritz.

Sia caute con mi convitato – su securitate me es multo preciose. Si alco le eveni, o si ille dispare, sparnia nihil pro trovar le e refugiar le. Ille es anglese, dunque aventurose. Il ha saepe periculos del nive e de lupos e del nocte. Non perde un momento si vos suspecta que damno le ha occurrite. Io premia vostre effortio con mi fortuna. – Dracula.

As I held the telegram in my hand, the room seemed to whirl around me; (*) and, if the attentive maître d’hôtel had not caught me, I think I should have fallen. There was something so strange in all this, something so weird and impossible to imagine, that there grew on me a sense of my being in some way the sport of opposite forces—the mere vague idea of which seemed in a way to paralyse me. I was certainly under some form of mysterious protection. From a distant country had come, in the very nick of time, a message that took me out of the danger of the snow-sleep and the jaws of the wolf.

Io stava la, le telegramma in mano, e le camera pareva tornear circum me; si non le maître d’hôtel me habeva attentemente attrappate, io haberea cadite probabilemente. Il habeva alique tan estranie in tote isto, alique tan spectral e impossibile a imaginar, que il cresceva in me un senso de esser forsan le joculo de fortias opposite – ja iste idea quasi me paralysava. Certemente io esseva sub alcun forma de protection mysteriose. Desde un pais distante, justo a tempore, un message habeva arrivate que salvava me del risco del somno de nive e del bucca de lupo.

Dracula’s Guest, by Bram Stoker.

English text based on Gutenberg. See also Wikisource and Archive.org.

Le convitato de Dracula.

Traduction in interlingua per R. Harmsen.