The Ghost-Seer; or the Apparitionist | Page 8

wall were taken up
all round the room, so that we stood as it were upon an island. An altar
covered with black cloth was placed in the centre upon a carpet of red
satin. A Chaldee Bible was laid open, together with a skull; and a silver
crucifix was fastened upon the altar. Instead of candles some spirits of

wine were burning in a silver vessel. A thick smoke of frankincense
darkened the room and almost extinguished the lights. The sorcerer was
undressed like ourselves, but barefooted; about his bare neck he wore
an amulet, suspended by a chain of human hair; round his middle was a
white apron marked with cabalistic characters and symbolical figures.
[Amulet is a charm or preservative against mischief, witchcraft, or
diseases. Amulets were made of stone metal, simples, animals, and
everything which fancy or caprice suggested; and sometimes they
consisted of words, characters, and sentences ranged in a particular
order and engraved upon wood, and worn about the neck or some other
part of the body. At other times they were neither written nor engraved,
but prepared with many superstitious ceremonies, great regard being
usually paid to the influence of the stars. The Arabians have given to
this species of amulets the name of talismans. All nations have been
fond of amulets. The Jews were extremely superstitious in the use of
them to drive away diseases; and even amongst the Christians of the
early times amulets were made of the wood of the cross or ribbons,
with a text of Scripture written on them, as preservatives against
diseases.]
He desired us to join hands and to observe profound silence; above all
he ordered us not to ask the apparition any question. He desired the
Englishman and myself, whom he seemed to distrust the most,
constantly to hold two naked swords crossways an inch above his head
as long as the conjuration should last. We formed a half-moon round
him; the Russian officer placed himself close to the English lord, and
was the nearest to the altar. The sorcerer stood upon the satin carpet
with his face turned to the east. He sprinkled holy water in the direction
of the four cardinal points of the compass, and bowed three times
before the Bible. The formula of the conjuration, of which we did not
understand a word, lasted for the space of seven or eight minutes, at the
end of which he made a sign to those who stood close behind to seize
him firmly by the hair. Amid the most violent convulsions he called the
deceased three times by his name, and the third time he stretched forth
his hand towards the crucifix.

On a sudden we all felt at the same instant a stroke as of a flash of
lightning, so powerful that it obliged us to quit each other's hands; a
terrible thunder shook the house; the locks jarred; the doors creaked;
the cover of the silver box fell down and extinguished the light; and on
the opposite wall over the chimney-piece appeared a human figure in a
bloody shirt, with the paleness of death on its countenance.
"Who calls me?" said a hollow, hardly intelligible voice.
"Thy friend," answered the sorcerer, "who respects thy memory, and
prays for thy soul." He named the prince.
The answers of the apparition were always given at very long intervals.
"What does he want with me?" continued the voice.
"He wants to hear the remainder of the confession which then had
begun to impart to him in thy dying hour, but did not finish."
"In a convent on the frontiers of Flanders lives a -------"
The house again trembled; a dreadful thunder rolled; a flash of
lightning illuminated the room; the doors flew open, and another
human figure, bloody and pale as the first, but more terrible, appeared
on the threshold. The spirit in the box began to burn again by itself, and
the hall was light as before.
"Who is amongst us?" exclaimed the sorcerer, terrified, casting a look
of horror on the assemblage; "I did not want thee." The figure advanced
with noiseless and majestic steps directly up to the altar, stood on the
satin Carpet over against us, and touched the crucifix. The first
apparition was seen no more.
"Who calls me?" demanded the second apparition.
"The sorcerer began to tremble. Terror and amazement kept us
motionless for some time. I seized a pistol. The sorcerer snatched it out
of my hand, and fired it at the apparition. The ball rolled slowly upon

the altar, and the figure emerged unaltered from the smoke. The
Sorcerer fell senseless on the ground.
"What is this?" exclaimed the Englishman, in astonishment, aiming a
blow at the ghost with a sword. The figure touched his arm, and the
weapon