into which he had fallen at the first sight of Lottchen. The moon was
shining clear, and in its light the painter saw, to his horror, the pale
face staring in at his window. He thought it had been there ever since he
had fainted, and dropped again in a deeper swoon than before. Karl saw him
fall, and the truth flashed upon him that the wicked artist took him for
what he had believed himself to be when first he recovered from his
trance--namely, the vampire of the former Karl Wolkenlicht. The moment he
comprehended it, he resolved to keep up the delusion if possible. Meantime
he was innocently preparing a new ingredient for the popular dish of
horrors to be served at the ordinary of the city the next day. For the old
servant's were not the only eyes that had seen him besides those of
Teufelsbuerst. What could be more like a vampire, dragging his pall after
him, than this apparition of poor, half-frozen Lottchen, crawling across
the roof? Karl remembered afterwards that he had heard the dogs howling
awfully in every direction, as he crept along; but this was hardly
necessary to make those who saw him conclude that it was the same phantasm
of John Kuntz, which had been infesting the whole city, and especially the
house next door to the painter's, which had been the dwelling of the
respectable alderman who had degenerated into this most disreputable of
moneyless vagabonds. What added to the consternation of all who heard of
it, was the sickening conviction that the extreme measures which they had
resorted to in order to free the city from the ghoul, beyond which nothing
could be done, had been utterly unavailing, successful as they had proved
in every other known case of the kind. For, urged as well by various
horrid signs about his grave, which not even its close proximity to the
altar could render a place of repose, they had opened it, had found in the
body every peculiarity belonging to a vampire, had pulled it out with the
greatest difficulty on account of a quite supernatural ponderosity; which
rendered the horse which had killed him--a strong animal--all but unable
to drag it along, and had at last, after cutting it in pieces, and