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reading this covenant; Schalken; as we have

stated; entered the studio; and having

delivered the box and the valuation of the

Jew into the hands of the stranger; he

was about to retire; when Vanderhausen

called to him to wait; and; presenting the

case and the certificate to Gerard Douw;

he waited in silence until he had satisfied

himself by an inspection of both as to the

value of the pledge left in his hands。 At

length he said:



'Are you content?'



The painter said he would fain have an

other day to consider。



'Not an hour;' said the suitor; coolly。



'Well; then;' said Douw; 'I am content;

it is a bargain。'



'Then sign at once;' said Vanderhausen;

'I am weary。'



At the same time he produced a small

case of writing materials; and Gerard signed

the important document。



'Let this youth witness the covenant;'

said the old man; and Godfrey Schalken

unconsciously signed the instrument which

bestowed upon another that hand which

he had so long regarded as the object and

reward of all his labours。



The compact being thus completed; the

strange visitor folded up the paper; and

stowed it safely in an inner pocket。



'I will visit you to…morrow night; at

nine of the clock; at your house; Gerard

Douw; and will see the subject of our

contract。 Farewell。' And so saying; Wilken

Vanderhausen moved stiffly; but rapidly

out of the room。



Schalken; eager to resolve his doubts;

had placed himself by the window in order

to watch the street entrance; but the

experiment served only to support his

suspicions; for the old man did not issue from

the door。 This was very strange; very

odd; very fearful。 He and his master

returned together; and talked but little on

the way; for each had his own sub…

jects of reflection; of anxiety; and of

hope。



Schalken; however; did not know the

ruin which threatened his cherished

schemes。



Gerard Douw knew nothing of the

attachment which had sprung up between

his pupil and his niece; and even if he

had; it is doubtful whether he would have

regarded its existence as any serious

obstruction to the wishes of Mynher Vanderhausen。



Marriages were then and there matters

of traffic and calculation; and it would have

appeared as absurd in the eyes of the guardian

to make a mutual attachment an

essential element in a contract of marriage;

as it would have been to draw up his bonds

and receipts in the language of chivalrous

romance。



The painter; however; did not communicate

to his niece the important step which

he had taken in her behalf; and his resolution

arose not from any anticipation of

opposition on her part; but solely from a

ludicrous consciousness that if his ward

were; as she very naturally might do; to

ask him to describe the appearance of the

bridegroom whom he destined for her; he

would be forced to confess that he had not

seen his face; and; if called upon; would find

it impossible to identify him。



Upon the next day; Gerard Douw having

dined; called his niece to him; and having

scanned her person with an air of satisfaction;

he took her hand; and looking upon

her pretty; innocent face with a smile of

kindness; he said:



'Rose; my girl; that face of yours will

make your fortune。' Rose blushed and

smiled。 'Such faces and such tempers

seldom go together; and; when they do;

the compound is a love…potion which few

heads or hearts can resist。 Trust me; thou

wilt soon be a bride; girl。 But this is

trifling; and I am pressed for time; so

make ready the large room by eight o'clock

to…night; and give directions for supper at

nine。 I expect a friend to…night; and

observe me; child; do thou trick thyself out

handsomely。 I would not have him think

us poor or sluttish。'



With these words he left the chamber;

and took his way to the room to which we

have already had occasion to introduce

our readersthat in which his pupils

worked。



When the evening closed in; Gerard

called Schalken; who was about to take his

departure to his obscure and comfortless

lodgings; and asked him to come

home and sup with Rose and Vanderhausen。



The invitation was of course accepted;

and Gerard Douw and his pupil soon

found themselves in the handsome and

somewhat antique…looking room which

had been prepared for the reception of the

stranger。



A cheerful wood…fire blazed in the capacious

hearth; a little at one side an old…

fashioned table; with richly…carved legs;

was placeddestined; no doubt; to receive

the supper; for which preparations were

going forward; and ranged with exact

regularity; stood the tall…backed chairs;

whose ungracefulness was more than

counterbalanced by their comfort。



The little party; consisting of Rose; her

uncle; and the artist; awaited the arrival of

the expected visitor with considerable impatience。



Nine o'clock at length came; and with it

a summons at the street…door; which; being

speedily answered; was followed by a slow

and emphatic tread upon the staircase; the

steps moved heavily across the lobby; the

door of the room in which the party which

we have described were assembled slowly

opened; and there entered a figure which

startled; almost appalled; the phlegmatic

Dutchmen; and nearly made Rose scream

with affright; it was the form; and arrayed

in the garb; of Mynher Vanderhausen;

the air; the gait; the height was the same;

but the features had never been seen by

any of the party before。



The stranger stopped at the door of the

room; and displayed his form and face

completely。 He wore a dark…coloured

cloth cloak; which was short and full; not

falling quite to the knees; his legs were

cased in dark purple silk stockings; and his

shoes were adorned with roses of the same

colour。 The opening of the cloak in front

showed the under…suit to consist of some

very dark; perhaps sable material; and his

hands were enclosed in a pair of heavy

leather gloves which ran up considerably

above the wrist; in the manner of a gauntlet。

In one hand he carried his walking…

stick and his hat; which he had removed;

and the other hung heavily by his side。

A quantity of grizzled hair descended in

long tresses from his head; and its folds

rested upon the plaits of a stiff ruff; which

effectually concealed his neck。



So far all was well; but the face!all

the flesh of the face was coloured with the

bluish leaden hue which is sometimes pro…

duced by the operation of metallic

medicines administered in excessive quantities;

the eyes were enormous; and the white

appeared both above and below the iris;

which gave to them an expression of

insanity; which was heightened by their

glassy fixedness; the nose was well enough;

but the mouth was writhed considerably to

one side; where it opened in order to give

egress to two long; discoloured fangs; which

projected from the upper jaw; far below the

lower lip; the hue of the lips themselves

bore the usual relation to that of the face;

and was consequently nearly black。 The

character of the face was malignant; even

satanic; to the last degree; and; indeed;

such a combination of horror could hardly

be accounted for; except by supposing the

corpse of some atrocious malefactor; which

had long hung blackening upon the gibbet;

to have at length become the habitation of

a demonthe frightful sport of Satanic

possession。



It was remarkable that the worshipful

stranger suffered as little as possible of his

flesh to appear; and that during his visit he

did not once remove his gloves。



Having stood for some moments at the

door; Gerard Douw at length found breath

and collectedness to bid him welcome; and;

with a mute inclination of the head; the

stranger stepped forward into the room。



There was something indescribably odd;

even horrible; about all his motions;

something undefinable; that was unnatural; un…

humanit was as if the limbs were guided

and directed by a spirit unused to the

management of bodily machinery。



The stranger said hardly anything during

his visit; which did not exceed half an

hour; and the host himself could scarcely

muster courage enough to utter the few

necessary salutations and courtesies: and;

indeed; such was the nervous terror which

the presence of Vanderhausen inspired;

that very little would have made all his

entertainers fly bellowing from the room。



They had not so far lost all self…

possession; however; as to fail to observe two

strange peculiarities of their visitor。



During his stay he did not once suffer

his eyelids to close; nor even to move in

the slightest degree; and further; there

was a death…like stillness in his whole

person; owing to the total absence of the

heaving motion of the chest; caused by the

process of respiration。



These two peculiarities; thoug

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