Gerard Douw despatched a messenger instantly, and prevailed on his niece
to allow him to surrender his bed chamber to her use. He also persuaded
her to retire to it at once to rest; her consent was extorted upon the
condition that they would not leave her for a moment.

"Oh that the holy man were here," she said; "he can deliver me: the dead
and the living can never be one: God has forbidden it."

With these mysterious words she surrendered herself to their guidance,
and they proceeded to the chamber which Gerard Douw had assigned to her
use.

"Do not, do not leave me for a moment," said she; "I am lost for ever if
you do."

Gerard Douw's chamber was approached through a spacious apartment, which
they were now about to enter. He and Schalken each carried a candle, so
that a sufficiency of light was cast upon all surrounding objects. They
were now entering the large chamber, which as I have said, communicated
with Douw's apartment, when Rose suddenly stopped, and, in a whisper
which thrilled them both with horror, she said:----

"Oh, God! he is here! he is here! See, see! there he goes!"

She pointed towards the door of the inner room, and Schalken thought he
saw a shadowy and ill-defined form gliding into that apartment. He drew
his sword, and, raising the candle so as to throw its light with
increased distinctness upon the objects in the room, he entered the
chamber into which the shadow had glided. No figure was there--nothing