The Apparition

by Guy de Maupassant

The subject of sequestration of the person came up in speaking of arecent lawsuit, and each of us had a story to tell--a true story, hesaid. We had been spending the evening together at an old family mansionin the Rue de Grenelle, just a party of intimate friends. The oldMarquis de la Tour-Samuel, who was eighty-two, rose,and, leaning hiselbow on the mantelpiece, said in his somewhat shaky voice:"I also know of something strange, so strange that it has haunted me allmy life. It is now fifty-six years since the incident occurred, and yetnot a month passes that I do not see it again in a dream, so great is theimpression of fear it has left on my mind. For ten minutes I experiencedsuch horrible fright that ever since then a sort of constant terror hasremained with me. Sudden noises startle me violently, and objectsimperfectly distinguished at night inspire me with a mad desire to fleefrom them. In short, I am afraid of the dark!"But I would not have acknowledged that before I reached my present age.Now I can say anything. I have never receded before real danger, ladies.It is, therefore, permissible, at eighty-two years of age, not to bebrave in presence of imaginary danger."That affair so completely upset me, caused me such deep and mysteriousand terrible distress, that I never spoke of it to any one. I will nowtell it to you exactly as it happened, without any attempt atexplanation."In July, 1827, I was stationed at Rouen. One day as I was walking alongthe quay I met a man whom I thought I recognized without being able torecall exactly who he was. Instinctively I made a movement to stop. Thestranger perceived it and at once extended his hand."He was a friend to whom I had been deeply attached as a youth. For fiveyears I had not seen him; he seemed to have aged half a century. Hishair was quite white and he walked bent over as though completelyexhausted. He apparently understood my surprise, and he told me of themisfortune which had shattered his life."Having fallen madly in love with a young girl, he had married her, butafter a year of more than earthly happiness she died suddenly of anaffection of the heart. He left his country home on the very day of herburial and came to his town house in Rouen, where he lived, alone andunhappy, so sad and wretched that he thought constantly of suicide."'Since I have found you again in this manner,' he said, 'I will ask youto render me an important service. It is to go and get me out of thedesk in my bedroom--our bedroom--some papers of which I have urgent need.I cannot send a servant or a business clerk, as discretion and absolutesilence are necessary. As for myself, nothing on earth would induce meto reenter that house. I will give you the key of the room, which Imyself locked on leaving, and the key of my desk, also a few words for mygardener, telling him to open the chateau for you. But come andbreakfast with me tomorrow and we will arrange all that.'"I promised to do him the slight favor he asked. It was, for thatmatter, only a ride which I could make in an hour on horseback, hisproperty being but a few miles distant from Rouen."At ten o'clock the following day I breakfasted, tete-a-tete, with myfriend, but he scarcely spoke."He begged me to pardon him; the thought of the visit I was about to maketo that room, the scene of his dead happiness, overcame him, he said.He, indeed, seemed singularly agitated and preoccupied, as thoughundergoing some mysterious mental struggle."At length he explained to me exactly what I had to do. It was verysimple. I must take two packages of letters and a roll of papers fromthe first right-hand drawer of the desk, of which I had the key. Headded:"'I need not beg you to refrain from glancing at them.'"I was wounded at that remark and told him so somewhat sharply. Hestammered:"'Forgive me, I suffer so,' and tears came to his eyes."At about one o'clock I took leave of him to accomplish my mission."'The weather was glorious, and I trotted across the fields, listening tothe song of the larks and the rhythmical clang of my sword against myboot. Then I entered the forest and walked my horse. Branches of treescaressed my face as I passed, and now and then I caught a leaf with myteeth and chewed it, from sheer gladness of heart at being alive andvigorous on such a radiant day."As I approached the chateau I took from my pocket the letter I had forthe gardener, and was astonished at finding it sealed. I was soirritated that I was about to turn back without having fulfilled mypromise, but reflected that I should thereby display unduesusceptibility. My friend in his troubled condition might easily havefastened the envelope without noticing that he did so."The manor looked as if it had been abandoned for twenty years. The opengate was falling from its hinges, the walks were overgrown with grass andthe flower beds were no longer distinguishable."The noise I made by kicking at a shutter brought out an old man from aside door. He seemed stunned with astonishment at seeing me. Onreceiving my letter, he read it, reread it, turned it over and over,looked me up and down, put the paper in his pocket and finally said:"'Well, what is it you wish?'"I replied shortly:"'You ought to know, since you have just read your master's orders. Iwish to enter the chateau.'"He seemed overcome."'Then you are going in--into her room?'"I began to lose patience."'Damn it! Are you presuming to question me?'"He stammered in confusion:"'No--sir--but--but it has not been opened since--since the-death. Ifyou will be kind enough to wait five minutes I will go and--and see if--'"I interrupted him angrily:"'See here, what do you mean by your tricks?"'You know very well you cannot enter the room, since here is the key!'"He no longer objected."'Then, sir, I will show you the way.'"'Show me the staircase and leave me. I'll find my way without you.'"'But--sir--indeed--'"This time I lost patience, and pushing him aside, went into the house."I first went through the kitchen, then two rooms occupied by this manand his wife. I then crossed a large hall, mounted a staircase andrecognized the door described by my friend."I easily opened it, and entered the apartment. It was so dark that atfirst I could distinguish nothing. I stopped short, disagreeablyaffected by that disagreeable, musty odor of closed, unoccupied rooms.As my eyes slowly became accustomed to the darkness I saw plainly enougha large and disordered bedroom, the bed without sheets but stillretaining its mattresses and pillows, on one of which was a deepimpression, as though an elbow or a head had recently rested there."The chairs all seemed out of place. I noticed that a door, doubtlessthat of a closet, had remained half open."I first went to the window, which I opened to let in the light, but thefastenings of the shutters had grown so rusty that I could not move them.I even tried to break them with my sword, but without success. As I wasgrowing irritated over my useless efforts and could now see fairly wellin the semi-darkness, I gave up the hope of getting more light, and wentover to the writing desk."I seated myself in an armchair and, letting down the lid of the desk, Iopened the drawer designated. It was full to the top. I needed butthree packages, which I knew how to recognize, and began searching forthem."I was straining my eyes in the effort to read the superscriptions when Iseemed to hear, or, rather, feel, something rustle back of me. I paid noattention, believing that a draught from the window was moving somedrapery. But in a minute or so another movement, almost imperceptible,sent a strangely disagreeable little shiver over my skin. It was sostupid to be affected, even slightly, that self-respect prevented myturning around. I had just found the second package I needed and wasabout to lay my hand on the third when a long and painful sigh, utteredjust at my shoulder, made me bound like a madman from my seat and landseveral feet off. As I jumped I had turned round my hand on the hilt ofmy sword, and, truly, if I had not felt it at my side I should have takento my heels like a coward."A tall woman dressed in white, stood gazing at me from the back of thechair where I had been sitting an instant before."Such a shudder ran through all my limbs that I nearly fell backward. Noone who has not experienced it can understand that frightful, unreasoningterror! The mind becomes vague, the heart ceases to beat, the entirebody grows as limp as a sponge."I do not believe in ghosts, nevertheless I collapsed from a hideousdread of the dead, and I suffered, oh! I suffered in a few moments morethan in all the rest of my life from the irresistible terror of thesupernatural. If she had not spoken I should have died perhaps. But shespoke, she spoke in a sweet, sad voice that set my nerves vibrating.I dare not say that I became master of myself and recovered my reason.No! I was terrified and scarcely knew what I was doing. But a certaininnate pride, a remnant of soldierly instinct, made me, almost in spiteof myself, maintain a bold front. She said:"'Oh, sir, you can render me a great service.'"I wanted to reply, but it was impossible for me to pronounce a word.Only a vague sound came from my throat. She continued:"'Will you? You can save me, cure me. I suffer frightfully. I suffer,oh! how I suffer!' and she slowly seated herself in my armchair, stilllooking at me."'Will you?' she said."I nodded in assent, my voice still being paralyzed."Then she held out to me a tortoise-shell comb and murmured:"'Comb my hair, oh! comb my hair; that will cure me; it must be combed.Look at my head--how I suffer; and my hair pulls so!'"Her hair, unbound, very long and very black, it seemed to me, hung overthe back of the armchair and touched the floor."Why did I promise? Why did I take that comb with a shudder, and why didI hold in my hands her long black hair that gave my skin a frightful coldsensation, as though I were handling snakes? I cannot tell."That sensation has remained in my fingers, and I still tremble inrecalling it."I combed her hair. I handled, I know not how, those icy locks. Itwisted, knotted, and unknotted, and braided them. She sighed, bowed herhead, seemed happy. Suddenly she said, 'Thank you!' snatched the combfrom my hands and fled by the door that I had noticed ajar."Left alone, I experienced for several seconds the horrible agitation ofone who awakens from a nightmare. At length I regained my senses. I ranto the window and with a mighty effort burst open the shutters, letting aflood of light into the room. Immediately I sprang to the door by whichthat being had departed. I found it closed and immovable!"Then the mad desire to flee overcame me like a panic the panic whichsoldiers know in battle. I seized the three packets of letters on theopen desk, ran from the room, dashed down the stairs four steps at atime, found myself outside, I know not how, and, perceiving my horse afew steps off, leaped into the saddle and galloped away."I stopped only when I reached Rouen and alighted at my lodgings.Throwing the reins to my orderly, I fled to my room and shut myself in toreflect. For an hour I anxiously asked myself if I were not the victimof a hallucination. Undoubtedly I had had one of those incomprehensiblenervous attacks those exaltations of mind that give rise to visions andare the stronghold of the supernatural. And I was about to believe I hadseen a vision, had a hallucination, when, as I approached the window, myeyes fell, by chance, upon my breast. My military cape was covered withlong black hairs! One by one, with trembling fingers, I plucked them offand threw them away."I then called my orderly. I was too disturbed, too upset to go and seemy friend that day, and I also wished to reflect more fully upon what Iought to tell him. I sent him his letters, for which he gave the soldiera receipt. He asked after me most particularly, and, on being told I wasill--had had a sunstroke--appeared exceedingly anxious. Next morning Iwent to him, determined to tell him the truth. He had gone out theevening before and had not yet returned. I called again during the day;my friend was still absent. After waiting a week longer without news ofhim, I notified the authorities and a judicial search was instituted.Not the slightest trace of his whereabouts or manner of disappearance wasdiscovered."A minute inspection of the abandoned chateau revealed nothing of asuspicious character. There was no indication that a woman had beenconcealed there."After fruitless researches all further efforts were abandoned, and forfifty-six years I have heard nothing; I know no more than before."

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