with　the　rapacity　of　a　vulture；　and；　seizing
  it　in　her　hands　she　tore　off　the　flesh　with
  her　teeth　and　swallowed　it。
  When　the　paroxysm　of　hunger　had　been
  a　little　appeased；　she　appeared　suddenly　to
  become　aware　how　strange　her　conduct
  had　been；　or　it　may　have　been　that　other
  more　agitating　thoughts　recurred　to　her
  mind；　for　she　began　to　weep　bitterly　and　to
  wring　her　hands。
  'Oh！　send　for　a　minister　of　God；'　said
  she；　'I　am　not　safe　till　he　comes；　send
  for　him　speedily。'
  Gerard　Douw　despatched　a　messenger
  instantly；　and　prevailed　on　his　niece　to
  allow　him　to　surrender　his　bedchamber　to
  her　use；　he　also　persuaded　her　to　retire
  to　it　at　once　and　to　rest；　her　consent　was
  extorted　upon　the　condition　that　they　would
  not　leave　her　for　a　moment。
  'Oh　that　the　holy　man　were　here！'　she
  said；　'he　can　deliver　me。　The　dead　and
  the　living　can　never　be　oneGod　has
  forbidden　it。'
  With　these　mysterious　words　she
  surrendered　herself　to　their　guidance；　and
  they　proceeded　to　the　chamber　which
  Gerard　Douw　had　assigned　to　her　use。
  'Do　notdo　not　leave　me　for　a
  moment；'　said　she。　'I　am　lost　for　ever　if
  you　do。'
  Gerard　Douw's　chamber　was　approached
  through　a　spacious　apartment；　which　they
  were　now　about　to　enter。　Gerard　Douw
  and　Schalken　each　carried　a　was　candle；
  so　that　a　sufficient　degree　of　light　was　cast
  upon　all　surrounding　objects。　They　were
  now　entering　the　large　chamber；　which；　as
  I　have　said；　communicated　with　Douw's
  apartment；　when　Rose　suddenly　stopped；
  and；　in　a　whisper　which　seemed　to　thrill
  with　horror；　she　said：
  'O　God！　he　is　herehe　is　here！　See；
  seethere　he　goes！'
  She　pointed　towards　the　door　of　the
  inner　room；　and　Schalken　thought　he　saw
  a　shadowy　and　ill…defined　form　gliding　into
  that　apartment。　He　drew　his　sword；　and
  raising　the　candle　so　as　to　throw　its　light
  with　increased　distinctness　upon　the　objects
  in　the　room；　he　entered　the　chamber　into
  which　the　shadow　had　glided。　No　figure
  was　therenothing　but　the　furniture　which
  belonged　to　the　room；　and　yet　he　could
  not　be　deceived　as　to　the　fact　that
  something　had　moved　before　them　into　the
  chamber。
  A　sickening　dread　came　upon　him；　and
  the　cold　perspiration　broke　out　in　heavy
  drops　upon　his　forehead；　nor　was　he　more
  composed　when　he　heard　the　increased
  urgency；　the　agony　of　entreaty；　with　which
  Rose　implored　them　not　to　leave　her　for
  a　moment。
  'I　saw　him；'　said　she。　'He's　here！　I
  cannot　be　deceivedI　know　him。　He's
  by　mehe's　with　mehe's　in　the　room。
  Then；　for　God's　sake；　as　you　would　save；
  do　not　stir　from　beside　me！'
  They　at　length　prevailed　upon　her　to　lie
  down　upon　the　bed；　where　she　continued
  to　urge　them　to　stay　by　her。　She
  frequently　uttered　incoherent　sentences；
  repeating　again　and　again；　'The　dead
  and　the　living　cannot　be　oneGod　has
  forbidden　it！'　and　then　again；　'Rest
  to　the　wakefulsleep　to　the　sleep…walkers。'
  These　and　such　mysterious　and　broken
  sentences　she　continued　to　utter　until　the
  clergyman　arrived。
  Gerard　Douw　began　to　fear；　naturally
  enough；　that　the　poor　girl；　owing　to　terror
  or　ill…treatment；　had　become　deranged；　and
  he　half　suspected；　by　the　suddenness　of
  her　appearance；　and　the　unseasonableness
  of　the　hour；　and；　above　all；　from　the
  wildness　and　terror　of　her　manner；　that　she
  had　made　her　escape　from　some　place　of
  confinement　for　lunatics；　and　was　in
  immediate　fear　of　pursuit。　He　resolved　to
  summon　medical　advice　as　soon　as　the
  mind　of　his　niece　had　been　in　some
  measure　set　at　rest　by　the　offices　of　the
  clergyman　whose　attendance　she　had　so
  earnestly　desired；　and　until　this　object　had
  been　attained；　he　did　not　venture　to　put
  any　questions　to　her；　which　might
  possibly；　by　reviving　painful　or　horrible
  recollections；　increase　her　agitation。
  The　clergyman　soon　arriveda　man　of
  ascetic　countenance　and　venerable　age
  one　whom　Gerard　Douw　respected　much；
  forasmuch　as　he　was　a　veteran　polemic；
  though　one；　perhaps；　more　dreaded　as　a
  combatant　than　beloved　as　a　Christianof
  pure　morality；　subtle　brain；　and　frozen
  heart。　He　entered　the　chamber　which
  communicated　with　that　in　which　Rose
  reclined；　and　immediately　on　his　arrival　she
  requested　him　to　pray　for　her；　as　for　one　who
  lay　in　the　hands　of　Satan；　and　who　could
  hope　for　deliveranceonly　from　heaven。
  That　our　readers　may　distinctly　understand
  all　the　circumstances　of　the　event
  which　we　are　about　imperfectly　to　describe；
  it　is　necessary　to　state　the　relative　position
  of　the　parties　who　were　engaged　in　it。
  The　old　clergyman　and　Schalken　were　in
  the　anteroom　of　which　we　have　already
  spoken；　Rose　lay　in　the　inner　chamber；
  the　door　of　which　was　open；　and　by　the
  side　of　the　bed；　at　her　urgent　desire；　stood
  her　guardian；　a　candle　burned　in　the　bed…
  chamber；　and　three　were　lighted　in　the
  outer　apartment
  The　old　man　now　cleared　his　voice；　as　if
  about　to　commence；　but　before　he　had
  time　to　begin；　a　sudden　gust　of　air　blew
  out　the　candle　which　served　to　illuminate
  the　room　in　which　the　poor　girl　lay；　and
  she；　with　hurried　alarm；　exclaimed：
  'Godfrey；　bring　in　another　candle；　the
  darkness　is　unsafe。'
  Gerard　Douw；　forgetting　for　the　moment
  her　repeated　injunctions　in　the　immediate
  impulse；　stepped　from　the　bedchamber　into
  the　other；　in　order　to　supply　what　she
  desired。
  'O　God　I　do　not　go；　dear　uncle！'
  shrieked　the　unhappy　girl；　and　at　the
  same　time　she　sprang　from　the　bed　and
  darted　after　him；　in　order；　by　her　grasp；　to
  detain　him。
  But　the　warning　came　too　late；　for
  scarcely　had　he　passed　the　threshold；　and
  hardly　had　his　niece　had　time　to　utter　the
  startling　exclamation；　when　the　door　which
  divided　the　two　rooms　closed　violently
  after　him；　as　if　swung　to　by　a　strong　blast
  of　wind。
  Schalken　and　he　both　rushed　to　the
  door；　but　their　united　and　desperate　efforts
  could　not　avail　so　much　as　to　shake　it。
  Shriek　after　shriek　burst　from　the　inner
  chamber；　with　all　the　piercing　loudness　of
  despairing　terror。　Schalken　and　Douw
  applied　every　energy　and　strained　every
  nerve　to　force　open　the　door；　but　all　in
  vain。
  There　was　no　sound　of　struggling　from
  within；　but　the　screams　seemed　to　increase
  in　loudness；　and　at　the　same　time　they
  heard　the　bolts　of　the　latticed　window
  withdrawn；　and　the　window　itself　grated
  upon　the　sill　as　if　thrown　open。
  One　LAST　shriek；　so　long　and　piercing
  and　agonised　as　to　be　scarcely　human；
  swelled　from　the　room；　and　suddenly　there
  followed　a　death…like　silence。
  A　light　step　was　heard　crossing　the
  floor；　as　if　from　the　bed　to　the　window；
  and　almost　at　the　same　instant　the　door
  gave　way；　and；　yielding　to　the　pressure　of
  the　external　applicants；　they　were　nearly
  precipitated　into　the　room。　It　was　empty。
  The　window　was　open；　and　Schalken
  sprang　to　a　chair　and　gazed　out　upon
  the　street　and　canal　below。　He　saw　no
  form；　but　he　beheld；　or　thought　he　beheld；
  the　waters　of　the　broad　canal　beneath
  settling　ring　after　ring　in　heavy　circular
  ripples；　as　if　a　moment　before　disturbed　by
  the　immersion　of　some　large　and　heavy　mass。
  No　trace　of　Rose　was　ever　after　discovered；
  nor　was　anything　certain　respecting
  her　mysterious　wooer　detected　or　even
  suspected；　no　clue　whereby　to　trace　the
  intricacies　of　the　labyrinth　and　to　arrive　at
  a　distinct　conclusion　was　to　be　found。　But
  an　incident　occurred；　which；　though　it　will
  not　be　received　by　our　rational　readers　as
  at　all　approaching　to　evidence　upon　the
  matter；　nevertheless　produced　a　strong　and
  a　lasting　impression　upon　the　mind　of
  Schalken。
  Many　years　after　the　events　which　we
  have　detailed；　Schalken；　then　remotely
  situated；　received　an　intimation　of　his
  father's　death；　and　of　his　intended　burial
  upon　a　fixed　day　in　the　church　of　Rotterdam。
  It　was　necessary　that　a　very　considerable
  journey　should　be　performed　by
  the　funeral　procession；　which；　as　it　will
  readily　be　believed；　was　not　very　numerously
  attended。　Schalken　with　difficulty
  arrived　in　Rotterdam　late　in　the　day　upon
  which　the　funeral　was　appointed　to　take
  place。　The　procession　had　not　then　arrived。
  Evening　closed　in；　and　still　it　did　not　appear。
  Schalken　strolled　down　to　the　church
  be　found　it　opennotice　of　the　arrival　of
  the　funeral　had　been　given；　and　the　vault
  in　which　the　body　was　to　be　laid　had　been
  opened。　The　official　who　corresponds　to
  our　sexton；　on　seeing　a　well…dressed
  gentleman；　whose　object　was　to　attend　the
  expected　funeral；　pacing　the　aisle　of　the
  church；　hospitably　invited　him　to　share
  with　him　the　comforts　of　a　blazing　wood
  fire；　which；　as　was　his　custom　in　winter
  time　upon　such　occasions；　he　had　kindled
  on　the　hearth　of　a　chamber　which　commu…
  nicated；　by　a　flight　of　steps；　with　the　vault
  below。
  In　this　chamber　Schalken　and　his
  entertainer　seated　themse