下载辰思小说免费APP
onewhomGerardDouwrespectedmuch，forasmuchashewasaveteranpolemic，thoughone，perhaps，moredreadedasacombatantthanbelovedasaChristian——ofpuremorality，subtlebrain，andfrozenheart。HeenteredthechamberwhichcommunicatedwiththatinwhichRosereclined，andimmediatelyonhisarrivalsherequestedhimtoprayforher，asforonewholayinthehandsofSatan，andwhocouldhopefordeliverance——onlyfromheaven。
Thatourreadersmaydistinctlyunderstandallthecircumstancesoftheeventwhichweareaboutimperfectlytodescribe，itisnecessarytostatetherelativepositionofthepartieswhowereengagedinit。
TheoldclergymanandSchalkenwereintheanteroomofwhichwehavealreadyspoken；Roselayintheinnerchamber，thedoorofwhichwasopen；andbythesideofthebed，atherurgentdesire，stoodherguardian；acandleburnedinthebed-
chamber，andthreewerelightedintheouterapartmentTheoldmannowclearedhisvoice，asifabouttocommence；butbeforehehadtimetobegin，asuddengustofairblewoutthecandlewhichservedtoilluminatetheroominwhichthepoorgirllay，andshe，withhurriedalarm，exclaimed：
’Godfrey，bringinanothercandle；thedarknessisunsafe。’
GerardDouw，forgettingforthemomentherrepeatedinjunctionsintheimmediateimpulse，steppedfromthebedchamberintotheother，inordertosupplywhatshedesired。
’OGodIdonotgo，dearuncle!’
shriekedtheunhappygirl；andatthesametimeshesprangfromthebedanddartedafterhim，inorder，byhergrasp，todetainhim。
Butthewarningcametoolate，forscarcelyhadhepassedthethreshold，andhardlyhadhisniecehadtimetoutterthestartlingexclamation，whenthedoorwhichdividedthetworoomsclosedviolentlyafterhim，asifswungtobyastrongblastofwind。
Schalkenandhebothrushedtothedoor，buttheirunitedanddesperateeffortscouldnotavailsomuchastoshakeit。
Shriekaftershriekburstfromtheinnerchamber，withallthepiercingloudnessofdespairingterror。SchalkenandDouwappliedeveryenergyandstrainedeverynervetoforceopenthedoor；butallinvain。
Therewasnosoundofstrugglingfromwithin，butthescreamsseemedtoincreaseinloudness，andatthesametimetheyheardtheboltsofthelatticedwindowwithdrawn，andthewindowitselfgrateduponthesillasifthrownopen。
OneLASTshriek，solongandpiercingandagonisedastobescarcelyhuman，swelledfromtheroom，andsuddenlytherefollowedadeath-likesilence。
Alightstepwasheardcrossingthefloor，asiffromthebedtothewindow；
andalmostatthesameinstantthedoorgaveway，and，yieldingtothepressureoftheexternalapplicants，theywerenearlyprecipitatedintotheroom。Itwasempty。
Thewindowwasopen，andSchalkensprangtoachairandgazedoutuponthestreetandcanalbelow。Hesawnoform，buthebeheld，orthoughthebeheld，thewatersofthebroadcanalbeneathsettlingringafterringinheavycircularripples，asifamomentbeforedisturbedbytheimmersionofsomelargeandheavymass。
NotraceofRosewaseverafterdiscovered，norwasanythingcertainrespectinghermysteriouswooerdetectedorevensuspected；nocluewherebytotracetheintricaciesofthelabyrinthandtoarriveatadistinctconclusionwastobefound。Butanincidentoccurred，which，thoughitwillnotbereceivedbyourrationalreadersasatallapproachingtoevidenceuponthematter，neverthelessproducedastrongandalastingimpressionuponthemindofSchalken。
Manyyearsaftertheeventswhichwehavedetailed，Schalken，thenremotelysituated，receivedanintimationofhisfather’sdeath，andofhisintendedburialuponafixeddayinthechurchofRotterdam。
Itwasnecessarythataveryconsiderablejourneyshouldbeperformedbythefuneralprocession，which，asitwillreadilybebelieved，wasnotverynumerouslyattended。SchalkenwithdifficultyarrivedinRotterdamlateinthedayuponwhichthefuneralwasappointedtotakeplace。Theprocessionhadnotthenarrived。
Eveningclosedin，andstillitdidnotappear。
Schalkenstrolleddowntothechurch——
befounditopen——noticeofthearrivalofthefuneralhadbeengiven，andthevaultinwhichthebodywa
