Great Ghost Stories

urmounted by a plaster Virgin. It was there that I spent the unhappiest days of my life. I had gone to Nuremberg to study the old German masters; but in default of ready money, I had to

ed to sketches, and from

"Well, sir, how soon are you going to pay me? Do you know how much your bill is? No; that doesn't worry you! You eat, drink, and slee

siasm for the beautiful are blasted by the breath of such an attack. You become awkward and timid; all your energy evapo

termined to make him a bankrupt by cutting my throat. Seated on my narrow bed, opposite the window, in

o tear meat; the incisors to bite fruits; and the molars to masticate, grind, and triturate animal and vegetable substances that are pleasant

rce of my logic would inspire me with the courage to make an end of it all. After h

presence. But on this night a singular change came over my mind. I awoke about one o'clock-I lit my lamp, and, enveloping myself in my grey gabardine, I

s. These walls are furnished with hooks, seven or eight feet

a quartered beef suspended from the roof by enormous pulleys. Great po

ks stand out from a bit of the sky the size of your hand, and the roo

, and upon the pile of wood some ladders, a few bundles of straw, so

t know; I had no reminiscences, and yet every stroke of the pencil seemed the re

tanding this improbable position, I followed my inspiration without reference to my own criticism. This foot was joined to a leg-over this leg, stretched out with effort, there soon floated the ski

hat I was drawing. The

error, and her two hands grasping the murderer's arm, frightened me. I could not look at her. But the man-h

perspiration; "there is only this figure to do;

bed, thoroughly frig

ressing in order to resume my interrupted work

me

This man's face, his eyes set close together and his large nose like the beak of an eagle,

n Vénius, the pa

s my na

d again

rederick Van

uld not help throwing a stealthy glance at my old worm-eaten furniture, my damp hangings and my dusty floor. I felt humiliated

at this instant his glance fell upon the unf

attention that this personage bestowed upon one of my produ

nute, Van Spreckda

that sketch?" he asked

s,

the pri

etches. It is the p

the paper with the tips

stcoat pocket and began to

eavy eyebrows contracted, and his long pointed chin took a turn upward, making a thousand little wrinkles in his long, thin cheek

picture, Mister Vénius?" h

feet by

pri

y duc

drew from his pocket a large purse of green si

," said he, "

imply d

tom of the stairs. Then recovering from my stupour, I suddenly remembered that I had not thanked him, and I flew down

aid, "this

tairs again al