Varney the Vampyre 233The Total Destruction of Varney the Vampyre, and Conclusion
18
Literature · Horror
Varney the Vampyre 233
The Total Destruction of Varney the Vampyre, and Conclusion
RymerEnglish
The manuscript which the clergyman had read with so much interest, here abruptly terminated. He was left to conclude that Varney after that had been resuscitated; and he was more perplexed than ever to come to any opinion concerning the truth of the narration which he had now concluded.
It was one week after he had finished the perusal of Varney’s papers that the clergyman read in an English newspaper the following statement.
“We extract from the Algemeine Zeitung the following most curious story, the accuracy of which of course we cannot vouch for, but still there is a sufficient air of probability about it to induce us to present it to our readers.
“Late in the evening, about four days since, a tall and melancholy-looking stranger arrived, and put up at one of the principal hotels at Naples. He was a most peculiar looking man, and considered by the persons of the establishment as about the ugliest guest they had ever had within the walls of their place.
“In a short time he summoned the landlord, and the following conversation ensued between him and the strange guest.
“‘I want,’ said the stranger, ‘to see all the curiosities of Naples, and among the rest Mount Vesuvius. Is there any difficulty?’
“‘None,’ replied the landlord, ‘with a proper guide.’
“A guide was soon secured, who set out with the adventurous Englishman to make the ascent of the burning mountain.
“They went on then until the guide did not think it quite prudent to go any further, as there was a great fissure in the side of the mountain, out of which a stream of lava was slowly issuing and spreading itself in rather an alarming manner.
“The ugly Englishman, however, pointed to a secure mode of getting higher still, and they proceeded until they were very near the edge of the crater itself. The stranger then took his purse from his pocket and flung it to the guide saying,—
“‘You can keep that for your pains, and for coming into some danger with me. But the fact was, that I wanted a witness to an act which I have set my mind upon performing.’
“The guide says that these words were spoken with so much calmness, that he verily believed the act mentioned as about to be done was some scientific experiment of which he knew that the English were very fond, and he replied,—
“‘Sir, I am only too proud to serve so generous and so distinguished a gentleman. In what way can I be useful?’
“‘You will make what haste you can,’ said the stranger, ‘from the mountain, inasmuch as it is covered with sulphurous vapours, inimical to human life, and when you reach the city you will cause to be published an account of my proceedings, and what I say. You will say that you accompanied Varney the Vampyre to the crater of Mount Vesuvius, and that, tired and disgusted with a life of horror, he flung himself in to prevent the possibility of a reanimation of his remains.’
Before the guide could utter anything but a shriek, Varney took one tremendous leap, and disappeared into the burning mouth of the mountain.
