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Varney the Vampire by Thomas Preskett Prest

T >> Thomas Preskett Prest >> Varney the Vampire




"After that assurance, I cannot doubt it," said Sir Francis Varney;
"this act of kindness will, indeed, lay me under a deep and lasting
obligation to Admiral Bell, which I fear I shall never be able to pay."

"You need not trouble yourself about that," said Jack Pringle; "the
admiral will credit all, and you can pay off old scores when his turn
comes in the field."

"I will not forget," said Varney; "he deserves every consideration; but
now, Mr. Chillingworth, I presume that we may come to some understanding
respecting this meeting, which you were so kind as to do me the honour
of seeking."

"I cannot object to its taking place. I shall be most happy to meet your
second in the field, and will arrange with him."

"I imagine that, under the circumstances, that it will be barely
necessary to go to that length of ceremony. Future interviews can be
arranged later; name the time and place, and after that we can settle
all the rest on the ground."

"Yes," said Jack; "it will be time enough, surely, to see the admiral
when we are upon the ground. I'll warrant the old buffer is a true brick
as ever was: there's no flinching about him."

"I am satisfied," said Varney.

"And I also," said Chillingworth; "but, understand, Sir Francis, any
default for seconds makes the meeting a blank."

"I will not doubt Mr. Pringle's honour so much as to believe it
possible."

"I'm d----d," said Jack, "if you ain't a trump-card, and no mistake;
it's a great pity as you is a wamphigher."

"The time, Mr. Chillingworth?"

"To-morrow, at seven o'clock," replied that gentleman.

"The place, sir?"

"The best place that I can think of is a level meadow half-way between
here and Bannerworth Hall; but that is your privilege, Sir Francis
Varney."

"I waive it, and am much obliged to you for the choice of the spot; it
seems of the best character imaginable. I will be punctual."

"I think we have nothing further to arrange now," said Mr.
Chillingworth. "You will meet with Admiral Bell."

"Certainly. I believe there is nothing more to be done; this affair is
very satisfactorily arranged, and much better than I anticipated."

"Good morning, Sir Francis," said Mr. Chillingworth. "Good morning."

"Adieu," said Sir Francis, with a courteous salutation. "Good day, Mr.
Pringle, and commend me to the admiral, whose services will be of
infinite value to me."

"Don't mention it," said Jack; "the admiral's the man as'd lend any body
a helping hand in case of distress like the present; and I'll pledge my
word--Jack Pringle's too, as that he'll do what's right, and give up his
turn to Mr. Henry Bannerworth; cause you see he can have his turn
arterwards, you know--it's only waiting awhile."

"That's all," said Sir Francis.

Jack Pringle made a sea bow and took his leave, as he followed Mr.
Chillingworth, and they both left the house together, to return to
Bannerworth Hall.

"Well," said Mr. Chillingworth, "I am glad that Sir Francis Varney has
got over the difficulty of having no seconds; for it would not be proper
or safe to meet a man without a friend for him."

"It ain't the right thing," said Jack hitching up his trousers; "but I
was afeard as how he would back out, and that would be just the wrong
thing for the admiral; he'd go raving mad."

They had got but very few paces from Sir Francis Varney's house, when
they were joined by Marchdale.

"Ah," he said, as he came up, "I see you have been to Sir Francis
Varney's, if I may judge from the direction whence you're coming, and
your proximity."

"Yes, we have," said Mr. Chillingworth. "I thought you had left these
parts?"

"I had intended to do so," replied Marchdale; "but second thoughts are
sometimes best, you know."

"Certainly."

"I have so much friendship for the family at the hall, that
notwithstanding I am compelled to be absent from the mansion itself, yet
I cannot quit the neighbourhood while there are circumstances of such a
character hanging about them. I will remain, and see if there be not
something arising, in which I may be useful to them in some matter."

"It is very disinterested of you; you will remain here for some time, I
suppose?"

"Yes, undoubtedly; unless, as I do not anticipate, I should see any
occasion to quit my present quarters."

"I tell you what it is," said Jack Pringle; "if you had been here
half-an-hour earlier you could have seconded the wamphigher."

"Seconded!"

"Yes, we're here to challenge."

"A double challenge?"

"Yes; but in confiding this matter to you, Mr. Marchdale, you will make
no use of it to the exploding of this affair. By so doing you will
seriously damage the honour of Mr. Henry Bannerworth."

"I will not, you may rely upon it; but Mr. Chillingworth, do I not see
you in the character of a second?"

"You do, sir."

"To Mr. Henry?"

"The same, sir."

"Have you reflected upon the probable consequences of such an act,
should any serious mischief occur?"

"What I have undertaken, Mr. Marchdale, I will go through with; the
consequences I have duly considered, and yet you see me in the character
of Mr. Henry Bannerworth's friend."

"I am happy to see you as such, and I do not think Henry could find a
better. But this is beside the question. What induced me to make the
remark was this,--had I been at the hall, you will admit that Henry
Bannerworth would have chosen myself, without any disparagement to you,
Mr. Chillingworth."

"Well sir, what then?"

"Why I am a single man, I can live, reside and go any where; one country
will suit me as well as another. I shall suffer no loss, but as for you,
you will be ruined in every particular; for if you go in the character
of a second, you will not be excused; for all the penalties incurred
your profession of a surgeon will not excuse you."

"I see all that, sir."

"What I propose is, that you should accompany the parties to the field,
but in your own proper character of surgeon, and permit me to take that
of second to Mr. Bannerworth."

"This cannot be done, unless by Mr. Henry Bannerworth's consent," said
Mr. Chillingworth.

"Then I will accompany you to Bannerworth Hall, and see Mr. Henry, whom
I will request to permit me to do what I have mentioned to you."

Mr. Chillingworth could not but admit the reasonableness of this
proposal, and it was agreed they should return to Bannerworth Hall in
company.

Here they arrived in a very short time after, and entered together.

"And now," said Mr. Chillingworth, "I will go and bring our two
principals, who will be as much astonished to find themselves engaged in
the same quarrel, as I was to find myself sent on a similar errand to
Sir Francis with our friend Mr. John Pringle."

"Oh, not John--Jack Pringle, you mean," said that individual.

Chillingworth now went in search of Henry, and sent him to the apartment
where Mr. Marchdale was with Jack Pringle, and then he found the admiral
waiting the return of Jack with impatience.

"Admiral!" he said, "I perceive you are unwell this morning."

"Unwell be d----d," said the admiral, starting up with surprise. "Who
ever heard that old admiral Bell looked ill just afore he was going into
action? I say it's a scandalous lie."

"Admiral, admiral, I didn't say you were ill; only you looked ill--a--a
little nervous, or so. Rather pale, eh? Is it not so?"

"Confound you, do you think I want to be physicked? I tell you, I have
not a little but a great inclination to give you a good keelhauling. I
don't want a doctor just yet."

"But it may not be so long, you know, admiral; but there is Jack Pringle
a-waiting you below. Will you go to him? There is a particular reason;
he has something to communicate from Sir Francis Varney, I believe."

The admiral gave a look of some amazement at Mr. Chillingworth, and then
he said, muttering to himself,--

"If Jack Pringle should have betrayed me--but, no; he could not do that,
he is too true. I'm sure of Jack; and how did that son of a gallipot
hint about the odd fish I sent Jack to?"

Filled with a dubious kind of belief which he had about something he had
heard of Jack Pringle, he entered the room, where he met Marchdale, Jack
Pringle, and Henry Bannerworth. Immediately afterwards, Mr.
Chillingworth entered the apartment.

"I have," said he, "been to Sir Francis Varney, and there had an
interview with him, and with Mr. Pringle; when I found we were both
intent upon the same object, namely, an encounter with the knight by our
principals."

"Eh?" said the admiral.

"What!" exclaimed Henry; "had he challenged you, admiral?"

"Challenged me!" exclaimed Admiral Bell, with a round oath.
"I--however--since it comes to this, I must admit I challenged him."

"That's what I did," said Henry Bannerworth, after a moment's thought;
"and I perceive we have both fallen into the same line of conduct."

"That is the fact," said Mr. Chillingworth. "Both Mr. Pringle and I went
there to settle the preliminaries, and we found an insurmountable bar to
any meeting taking place at all."

"He wouldn't fight, then?" exclaimed Henry. "I see it all now."

"Not fight!" said Admiral Bell, with a sort of melancholy
disappointment. "D--n the cowardly rascal! Tell me, Jack Pringle, what
did the long horse-marine-looking slab say to it? He told me he would
fight. Why he ought to be made to stand sentry over the wind."

"You challenged him in person, too, I suppose?" said Henry.

"Yes, confound him! I went there last night."

"And I too."

"It seems to me," said Marchdale, "that this affair has been not
indiscretely conducted; but somewhat unusually and strangely, to say the
least of it."

"You see," said Chillingworth, "Sir Francis was willing to fight both
Henry and the admiral, as he told us."

"Yes," said Jack; "he told us he would fight us both, if so be as his
light was not doused in the first brush."

"That was all that was wanted," said the admiral.

"We could expect no more."

"But then he desired to meet you without any second; but, of course, I
would not accede to this proposal. The responsibility was too great and
too unequally borne by the parties engaged in the rencontre."

"Decidedly," said Henry; "but it is unfortunate--very unfortunate."

"Very," said the admiral--"very. What a rascally thing it is there ain't
another rogue in the country to keep him in countenance."

[Illustration]

"I thought it was a pity to spoil sport," said Jack Pringle. "It was a
pity a good intention should be spoiled, and I promised the wamphigher
that if as how he would fight, you should second him, and you'd meet him
to do so."

"Eh! who? I!" exclaimed the admiral in some perplexity.

"Yes; that is the truth," said Mr. Chillingworth. "Mr Pringle said you
would do so, and he then and there pledged his word that you should meet
him on the ground and second him."

"Yes," said Jack "You must do it. I knew you would not spoil sport, and
that there had better be a fight than no fight. I believe you'd sooner
see a scrimmage than none, and so it's all arranged."

"Very well," said the admiral, "I only wish Mr. Henry Bannerworth had
been his second; I think I was entitled to the first meeting."

"No," said Jack, "you warn't, for Mr. Chillingworth was there first;
first come first served, you know."

"Well, well, I mustn't grumble at another man's luck; mine'll come in
turn; but it had better be so than a disappointment altogether; I'll be
second to this Sir Francis Varney; he shall have fair play, as I'm an
admiral; but, d----e he shall fight--yes, yes, he shall fight."

"And to this conclusion I would come," said Henry, "I wish him to fight;
now I will take care that he shall not have any opportunity of putting
me on one side quietly."

"There is one thing," observed Marchdale, "that I wished to propose.
After what has passed, I should not have returned, had I not some
presentiment that something was going forward in which I could be useful
to my friend."

"Oh!" said the admiral, with a huge twist of his countenance.

"What I was about to say was this,--Mr. Chillingworth has much to lose
as he is situated, and I nothing as I am placed. I am chained down to no
spot of earth. I am above following a profession--my means, I mean,
place me above the necessity. Now, Henry, allow me to be your second in
this affair; allow Mr. Chillingworth to attend in his professional
capacity; he may be of service--of great service to one of the
principals; whereas, if he go in any other capacity, he will inevitably
have his own safety to consult."

"That is most unquestionably true," said Henry, "and, to my mind, the
best plan that can be proposed. What say you, Admiral Bell, will you act
with Mr. Marchdale in this affair?"

"Oh, I!--Yes--certainly--I don't care. Mr. Marchdale is Mr. Marchdale, I
believe, and that's all I care about. If we quarrel to-day, and have
anything to do to-morrow, in course, to-morrow I can put off my quarrel
for next day; it will keep,--that's all I have to say at present."

"Then this is a final arrangement?" said Mr. Chillingworth.

"It is."

"But, Mr. Bannerworth, in resigning my character of second to Mr.
Marchdale, I only do so because it appears and seems to be the opinion
of all present that I can be much better employed in another capacity."

"Certainly, Mr. Chillingworth; and I cannot but feel that I am under the
same obligations to you for the readiness and zeal with which you have
acted."

"I have done what I have done," said Chillingworth, "because I believed
it was my duty to do so."

"Mr. Chillingworth has undoubtedly acted most friendly and efficiently
in this affair," said Marchdale; "and he does not relinquish the part
for the purpose of escaping a friendly deed, but to perform one in which
he may act in a capacity that no one else can."

"That is true," said the admiral.

"And now," said Chillingworth, "you are to meet to-morrow morning in the
meadow at the bottom of the valley, half way between here and Sir
Francis Varney's house, at seven o'clock in the morning."

More conversation passed among them, and it was agreed that they should
meet early the next morning, and that, of course, the affair should be
kept a secret.

Marchdale for that night should remain in the house, and the admiral
should appear as if little or nothing was the matter; and he and Jack
Pringle retired, to talk over in private all the arrangements.

Henry Bannerworth and Marchdale also retired, and Mr. Chillingworth,
after a time, retired, promising to be with them in time for the meeting
next morning.

Much of that day was spent by Henry Bannerworth in his own apartment, in
writing documents and letters of one kind and another; but at night he
had not finished, for he had been compelled to be about, and in Flora's
presence, to prevent anything from being suspected.

Marchdale was much with him, and in secret examined the arms,
ammunition, and bullets, and saw all was right for the next morning; and
when he had done, he said,--

"Now, Henry, you must permit me to insist that you take some hours'
repose, else you will scarcely be as you ought to be."

"Very good," said Henry. "I have just finished, and can take your
advice."

After many thoughts and reflections, Henry Bannerworth fell into a deep
sleep, and slept several hours in calmness and quietude, and at an early
hour he awoke, and saw Marchdale sitting by him.

"Is it time, Marchdale? I have not overslept myself, have I?"

"No; time enough--time enough," said Marchdale. "I should have let you
sleep longer, but I should have awakened you in good time."

It was now the grey light of morning, and Henry arose and began to
prepare for the encounter. Marchdale stole to Admiral Bell's chamber,
but he and Jack Pringle were ready.

Few words were spoken, and those few were in a whisper, and the whole
party left the Hall in as noiseless a manner as possible. It was a mild
morning, and yet it was cold at that time of the morning, just as day is
beginning to dawn in the east. There was, however, ample time to reach
the rendezvous.

It was a curious party that which was now proceeding towards the spot
appointed for the duel, the result of which might have so important an
effect on the interests of those who were to be engaged in it.

It would be difficult for us to analyse the different and conflicting
emotions that filled the breasts of the various individuals composing
that party--the hopes and fears--the doubts and surmises that were given
utterance to; though we are compelled to acknowledge that though to
Henry, the character of the man he was going to meet in mortal fight was
of a most ambiguous and undefined nature, and though no one could
imagine the means he might be endowed with for protection against the
arms of man--Henry, as we said, strode firmly forward with unflinching
resolution. His heart was set on recovering the happiness of his sister,
and he would not falter.

So far, then, we may consider that at length proceedings of a hostile
character were so far clearly and fairly arranged between Henry
Bannerworth and that most mysterious being who certainly, from some
cause or another, had betrayed no inclination to meet an opponent in
that manner which is sanctioned, bad as it is, by the usages of society.

But whether his motive was one of cowardice or mercy, remained yet to be
seen. It might be that he feared himself receiving some mortal injury,
which would at once put a stop to that preternatural career of existence
which he affected to shudder at, and yet evidently took considerable
pains to prolong.

Upon the other hand, it is just possible that some consciousness of
invulnerability on his own part, or of great power to injure his
antagonist, might be the cause why he had held back so long from
fighting the duel, and placed so many obstacles in the way of the usual
necessary arrangements incidental to such occasions.

Now, however, there would seem to be no possible means of escape. Sir
Francis Varney must fight or fly, for he was surrounded by too many
opponents.

To be sure he might have appealed to the civil authorities to protect
him, and to sanction him in his refusal to commit what undoubtedly is a
legal offence; but then there cannot be a question that the whole of the
circumstances would come out, and meet the public eye--the result of
which would be, his acquisition of a reputation as unenviable as it
would be universal.

It had so happened, that the peculiar position of the Bannerworth family
kept their acquaintance within extremely narrow limits, and greatly
indisposed them to set themselves up as marks for peculiar observation.

Once holding, as they had, a proud position in the county, and being
looked upon quite as magnates of the land, they did not now court the
prying eye of curiosity to look upon their poverty; but rather with a
gloomy melancholy they lived apart, and repelled the advances of society
by a cold reserve, which few could break through.

Had this family suffered in any noble cause, or had the misfortunes
which had come over them, and robbed their ancestral house of its
lustre, been an unavoidable dispensation of providence, they would have
borne the hard position with a different aspect; but it must be
remembered, that to the faults, the vices, and the criminality of some
of their race, was to be attributed their present depressed state.

It has been seen during the progress of our tale, that its action has
been tolerably confined to Bannerworth Hall, its adjacent meadows, and
the seat of Sir Francis Varney; the only person at any distance, knowing
anything of the circumstances, or feeling any interest in them, being
Mr. Chillingworth, the surgeon, who, from personal feeling, as well as
from professional habit, was not likely to make a family's affairs a
subject of gossip.

A change, however, was at hand--a change of a most startling and
alarming character to Varney--one which he might expect, yet not be well
prepared for.

This period of serenity was to pass away, and he was to become most
alarmingly popular. We will not, however, anticipate, but proceed at
once to detail as briefly as may be the hostile meeting.

It would appear that Varney, now that he had once consented to the
definitive arrangements of a duel, shrunk not in any way from carrying
them out, nor in the slightest attempted to retard arrangements which
might be fatal to himself.

The early morning was one of those cloudy ones so frequently occurring
in our fickle climate, when the cleverest weather prophet would find it
difficult to predict what the next hour might produce.

There was a kind of dim gloominess over all objects; and as there were
no bright lights, there were no deep shadows--the consequence of which
was a sureness of effect over the landscape, that robbed it of many of
its usual beauties.

Such was the state of things when Marchdale accompanied Henry and
Admiral Bell from Bannerworth Hall across the garden in the direction of
the hilly wood, close to which was the spot intended for the scene of
encounter.

Jack Pringle came on at a lazy pace behind with his hands in his
pockets, and looking as unconcerned as if he had just come out for a
morning's stroll, and scarcely knew whether he saw what was going on or
not.

The curious contort on into which he twisted his countenance, and the
different odd-looking lumps that appeared in it from time to time, may
be accounted for by a quid of unusual size, which he seemed to be
masticating with a relish quite horrifying to one unused to so barbarous
a luxury.

The admiral had strictly enjoined him not to interfere on pain of being
considered a lubber and no seaman for the remainder of his
existence--threatened penalties which, of course, had their own weight
with Jack, and accordingly he came just, to see the row in as quiet a
way as possible, perhaps not without a hope, that something might turn
up in the shape of a _causus belli_, that might justify him in adopting
a threatening attitude towards somebody.

"Now, Master Henry," said the admiral, "none of your palaver to me as we
go along, recollect I don't belong to your party, you know. I've stood
friend to two or three fellows in my time; but if anybody had said to
me, 'Admiral Bell, the next time you go out on a quiet little shooting
party, it will be as second to a vampyre,' I'd have said 'you're a liar'
Howsomever, d--me, here you goes, and what I mean to say is this, Mr
Henry, that I'd second even a Frenchman rather than he shouldn't fight
when he's asked"

"That's liberal of you," said Henry, "at all event"

"I believe you it is," said the admiral, "so mind if you don't hit him,
I'm not a-going to tell you how--all you've got to do, is to fire low;
but that's no business of mine. Shiver my timbers, I oughtn't to tell
you, but d--n you, hit him if you can."

"Admiral," said Henry, "I can hardly think you are even preserving a
neutrality in the matter, putting aside my own partisanship as regards
your own man."

"Oh, hang him. I'm not going to let him creep out of the thing on such a
shabby pretence. I can tell you. I think I ought to have gone to his
house this morning; only, as I said I never would cross his threshold
again, I won't."

"I wonder if he'll come," said Mr Marchdale to Henry. "After all, you
know he may take to flight, and shun an encounter which, it is evident,
he has entered into but tardily."

"I hope not," said Henry, "and yet I must own that your supposition has
several times crossed my mind. If, however, he do not meet me, he never
can appear at all in the country, and we should, at least, be rid of
him, and all his troublesome importunities concerning the Hall. I would
not allow that man, on any account, to cross the threshold of my house,
as its tenant or its owner."

"Why, it ain't usual," said the admiral, "to let ones house to two
people at once, unless you seem quite to forget that I've taken yours. I
may as well remind you of it"

"Hurra" said Jack Pringle, at this moment.

"What's the matter with you? Who told you to hurra?"

"Enemy in the offing," said Jack, "three or four pints to the sou-west."

"So he is, by Jove! dodging about among the trees. Come, now, this
vampyre's a decenter fellow than I thought him. He means, after all, to
let us have a pop at him"

They had now reached so close to the spot, that Sir Francis Varney, who,
to all appearance, had been waiting, emerged from among the trees,
rolled up in his dismal-looking cloak, and, if possible, looking longer
and thinner than ever he had looked before.

His face wore a singular cadaverous looking aspect. His very lips were
white and there was a curious, pinkish-looking circle round each of his
eyes, that imparted to his whole countenance a most uninviting
appearance. He turned his eyes from one to the other of those who were
advancing towards him, until he saw the admiral, upon which he gave such
a grim and horrible smile, that the old man exclaimed,--

"I say, Jack, you lubber, there's a face for a figure head."

"Ay, ay, sir."

"Did you ever see such a d----d grin as that in your life, in any
latitude?"

"Ay, ay, sir."

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