The moon was shining
sweetly, as I came to a broad stream of water, across which, about a
mile further on, I saw that there was a bridge, but being unwilling to
waste time by riding up to it, and fancying, by the lazy ripple of the
waters, that the river was not shallow, I plunged my horse boldly into
the stream. "When we reached its centre, some sudden indisposition must have seized
the horse, for instead of swimming on well and gallantly as it had done
before, it paused for a moment, and then plunged headlong into the
torrent. "I could not swim, and so, for a second time, death, with all its
terrors, appeared to be taking possession of me. The waters rolled over
my head, gurgling and hissing in my ears, and then all was past. I know
no more, until I found myself lying upon a bright green meadow, and the
full beams of the moon shining upon me. "I was giddy and sick, but I rose, and walked slowly away, each moment
gathering fresh strength, and from that time to this, I never discovered
how I came to be rescued from the water, and lying upon that green bank. It has ever been a mystery to me, and I expect it ever will. "Then from that moment the idea that I had a sort of charmed life came
across me, and I walked about with an impression that such was the case,
until I came across a man who said that he was a Hungarian, and who was
full of strange stories of vampyres. Among other things, he told me that
a vampyre could not be drowned, for that the waters would cast him upon
its banks, and, if the moonbeams fell upon him, he would be restored to
life. "This was precisely my story, and from that moment I believed myself to
be one of those horrible, but charmed beings, doomed to such a
protracted existence. The notion grew upon me day by day, and hour by
hour, until it became quite a fixed and strong belief, and I was
deceiving no one when I played the horrible part that has been
attributed to me." "But you don't mean to say that you believe you are a vampyre now?" said
the admiral. "I say nothing, and know not what to think. I am a desperate man, and
what there is at all human in me, strange to say, all of you whom I
sought to injure, have awakened." "Heed not that," said Henry, "but continue your narrative. We have
forgiven everything, and that ought to suffice to quiet your mind upon
such a subject." "I will continue; and, believe me, I will conceal nothing from you. I
look upon the words I am now uttering as a full, candid, and free
confession; and, therefore, it shall be complete. "The idea struck me that if, by taking advantage of my supposed
preternatural gifts, I could drive you from Bannerworth Hall, I should
have it to myself to hunt through at my leisure, and possibly find the
treasure. I had heard from Marmaduke Bannerworth some slight allusion to
concealing the money behind a picture that was in a bed-room called the
panelled chamber. By inquiry, I ascertained that in that bed-room slept
Flora Bannerworth. "I had resolved, however, at first to try pacific measures, and
accordingly, as you are well aware, I made various proposals to you to
purchase or to rent Bannerworth Hall, the whole of which you rejected;
so that I found myself compelled to adopt the original means that had
suggested themselves to me, and endeavour to terrify you from the house. "By prowling about, I made myself familiar with the grounds, and with
all the plan of the residence, and then one night made my appearance in
Flora's chamber by the window." "But how do you account," said Charles Holland, "for your extraordinary
likeness to the portrait?" "It is partly natural, for I belong to a collateral branch of the
family; and it was previously arranged. I had seen the portrait in
Marmaduke Bannerworth's time, and I knew some of its peculiarities and
dress sufficiently well to imitate them. I calculated upon producing a
much greater effect by such an imitation; and it appears that I was not
wrong, for I did produce it to the full." "You did, indeed," said Henry; "and if you did not bring conviction to
our minds that you were what you represented yourself to be, you at
least staggered our judgments upon the occasion, and left us in a
position of great doubt and difficulty." "I did; I did all that, I know I did; and, by pursuing that line of
conduct, I, at last, I presume, entirely forced you from the house." "That you did." "Flora fainted when I entered her chamber; and the moment I looked upon
her sweet countenance my heart smote me for what I was about; but I
solemnly aver, that my lips never touched her, and that, beyond the
fright, she suffered nothing from Varney, the vampyre." "And have you succeeded," said Henry, "in your object now?" "No; the treasure has yet to be found. Mortimore, the hangman, followed
me into the house, guessing my intention, and indulging a hope that he
would succeed in sharing with me its proceeds. But he, as well as
myself, was foiled, and nothing came of the toilsome and anxious search
but disappointment and bitterness." "Then it is supposed that the money is still concealed?" "I hope so; I hope, as well, that it will be discovered by you and
yours; for surely none can have a better right to it than you, who have
suffered so much on its account." "And yet," remarked Henry, "I cannot help thinking it is too securely
hidden from us. The picture has been repeatedly removed from its place,
and produced no results; so that I fear we have little to expect from
any further or more protracted research." "I think," said Varney, "that you have everything to expect. The words
of the dying Marmaduke Bannerworth, you may depend, were not spoken in
vain; and I have every reason to believe that, sooner or later, you
must, without question, become the possessors of that sum." "But ought we rightly to hold it?" "Who ought more rightly to hold it?" said Varney; "answer me that." "That's a sensible enough idea of your's," said the admiral; "and if you
were twice over a vampyre, I would tell you so. It's a very sensible
idea; I should like to know who has more right to it than those who have
had such a world of trouble about it." "Well, well," said Henry, "we must not dispute, as yet, about a sum of
money that may really never come to hand. For my own part, I have little
to hope for in the matter; but, certainly, nothing shall be spared, on
my part, to effect such a thorough search of the Hall as shall certainly
bring it to light, if it be in existence." "I presume, Sir Francis Varney," said Charles Holland, "that you have
now completed your narrative?" "I have. After events are well known to you. And, now, I have but to lie
down and die, with the hope of finding that rest and consolation in the
tomb which has been denied me hitherto in this world. My life has been a
stormy one, and full of the results of angry passions. I do hope now,
that, for the short time I have to live, I shall know something like
serenity, and die in peace."