THE DISEMBODIED SPIRIT
THE STORY OF A WANDERING SENSATION
"I loaf and invite thee, my soul, Leave thy fetters of flesh and be free; Soar abroad, scorning earthly control, On a sort of a spiritual spree."
TIMOTHY BLAKE
Common sense--hard, practical common sense--is a great and importantfactor in this world's concerns. I am not a common-sense personmyself,--though Geraldine will tell you that I am a man of uncommonsense,--but it is to common-sense people that I address myself; peoplewho say, if they ever so far forget themselves as to read"Rappaccini's Daughter," for instance, or that other story by thegifted son of his gifted father, which hides its weird fascinationunder the name of "Archibald Malmaison," and you ask them if they likethe stories: "Oh, of course not; I never heard of such improbablethings. Why, how is it possible for a man?" etc. It is to these peopleI write.
I live in the enterprising Western city of Kalamalant. As my familyand Geraldine's family have lived there many years, we are all wellknown, and any of my neighbors, among whom are a judge of the DistrictCourt, a retired major-general of the army, a United States Senator,and other persons of undoubted veracity, can affirm the truth of thestrange incidents of which I am the principal subject. Geraldine willsay that this is not the only case in which I am the principalsubject, royally assuming for the once--but I digress. Geraldine saysI always take too much time in getting at the point of the story, andas Geraldine is the only critic of whom I am afraid, here goes.
I, James Henry Rettew, commonly called Harry, was about twenty-sixyears old in the year of our Lord 1901. I was a sleepy, and people saya dreamy, abstracted young man. Geraldine thinks me handsome. She isalone in her belief, unless I agree with her in this, as in mostthings. I was possessed of a little fortune, and was a well-informedyoung man of studious bent, having read largely in a rather desultoryway. My favorite study was the spiritual essence, or soul of man,especially my own.
It is a thing I believe most people have, though Geraldine says youhave to take it on faith in the case of a great many people. What wasit? Where was it, this pervading vital force within me? How did itexist within my body? What kept it there? Was death the result of adisassociation of the two? Was no man capable of ever separating theone from the other?
These are but a sample of the speculations in which I indulged. And Iactually found myself in the way of solving some of these problems atlast. Rummaging in the library of a deceased philosopher, I cameacross a treatise on this very subject by a sage of ancient times, thelearned Egyptian Archidechus. No, you will not find his name in theencyclopaedias. I have purposely altered it, lest any one should searchfor the pamphlet and, finding it, become as I was--but I anticipate.
I seized upon the old moth-eaten parchment volume with avidity. Thisrare--I do not think there was another copy in existence except theone I read--and wonderful book treated of the spirit or essence oflife as distinguished from the gross and visible body. The writer heldthat it was possible to separate the one from the other; in otherwords, according to Archidechus, the spirit might leave the body andreturn to it at pleasure; in fact, the writer knew of such a case andcited it; he also gave minute directions for accomplishing thiswonderful feat. I shall not reveal them to you nor to Geraldine,though that is the only secret I do not share with her, so beware howyou confide in me.
Of course the thing was ridiculous; no such separation was possible,so I reasoned. There were the directions, however; they fascinated me.I was always an imaginative fellow and a great tryer of all sorts ofstrange experiments; why should I not try this one? I confided myintentions to no one, not even to Geraldine. I locked myself in myroom and devoured the old book. Great stress was laid upon the faithnecessary and the condition of the mind. It was stated that anyviolent emotion might be of great assistance at the final momentof--shall I call it dissolution?
Now I was at peace with all the world except John Haverford. Haverfordwas in love with Geraldine Holabird, but as I felt sure of heraffection, I was not able to get up any violent jealousy on heraccount. Geraldine has since told me that if she had known I felt soconfident of her affection she would have supplied me with severalemotions on that score of an exceedingly violent nature; I don'tbelieve it.
However, I complied with the other directions, and I even contrived toassume a reasonable amount of faith, but I could not quite manage theseparation. I could apparently concentrate my vital force on one spot,for instance; but, exert myself as I would, I could not break the tie.The idea possessed me; I could think of nothing else. Geraldine says Iwas the most intensely unsatisfactory lover at this time that onecould imagine, and that she had serious thoughts of giving me up forJohn Haverford.
Our love, which was a secret affair,--and none the less sweet forthat, by the way,--was violently opposed by the heads of both ourhouses, there being some grudge between them. Although I was devotedto her and she to me, as I now know, though I did not at the time, yetI had never dared to take more of a lover's privilege than arespectful salute upon her hand. Geraldine was a tall and extremelydignified girl, and how she ever came to meet me clandestinely andwrite me those little notes--I have them yet--I don't know. She saysshe doesn't either.
But to come back to my experiment. My want of complete success preyedupon me. I grew thin, lost my appetite, could think of nothing butthat. This, I imagine, was one of the reasons for my final success.Geraldine says I ought not to have said that, as it will spoil thedenouement. However, it is too late now. One afternoon, more thanusually discouraged at my repeated failures, when I was about toconsign the volume to the fire as a false prophet, my sister, whoacted as our Mercury, threw a note into my room from Geraldine. Iopened it, I must confess, rather listlessly.
Good heavens! Her father had discovered my last letter, he wasfuriously angry, swore she should marry John Haverford, and she wasnow locked in her own room; I would recognize it by the white ribbonhanging from the window-sill, and I must do something soon, for herfather was terribly angry, and she loved me and me only, her ownHarry,--and you know the rest! (Geraldine protests against theseunflattering allusions to her notes.)
What happened a moment after, or how it happened, I am not prepared tostate; one thing I do know. I found myself in the street and, withouta thought of how I came there, was hurrying toward Geraldine's house;with reckless speed I ran headlong full-tilt into a lady of myacquaintance. The concussion nearly stunned me. What was my surprise,as I hastily took off my hat to apologize for my carelessness, to seethe young lady calmly walk past me, apparently unconscious of mypresence, and giving no evidence of having been in a collision withme! This rather astonished me, but Geraldine was so much in my mindthat I dismissed it and hastened on. It was not far to her house, and,sure enough, there was a white ribbon fluttering from the window Iknew to be hers.
In my reckless desire to do something for her, I opened the gate andwalked into the yard,--that is, I found myself there, and, of course,could have come no other way. I am not much of an athlete and couldnot have jumped the fence. These reflections did not occur to me atthe time, but the next thing which happened did astonish me. While Iwas standing there in the walk, wondering what to do next, the frontdoor opened and old Mr. Holabird came out. His face was red withanger, and he was armed with a thick club, presumably for me. Now, Iam not a very brave man,--though Geraldine thinks me a perfecthero,--and I confess I trembled. However, I walked up to him and said,"Mr. Holabird, your daughter----"
He absolutely did not see me, and as he passed me, with excess ofcourage I laid my hand upon his arm, but he took no more heed of thatthan of my voice. What could have been the matter?
I began to feel a little alarmed, and gave myself a good pinch to seeif I were awake, the usual resource of people in a likesituation--Geraldine says that no one ever was in a like situationbefore. I certainly was awake, for the pinch hurt me. Marvelling moreand more, I decided to go into the house. The old gentleman was mymost dangerous opponent, a
nd with him out of the way I felt I couldbrave the rest of the household. If I could get at Geraldine, I hopedto persuade her to fly with me; and I did not doubt, once we weresafely married, her father would forgive us, or if he would not, Ishould not greatly care, so long as I could have Geraldine.
Thinking thus, I walked up to the door and, placing my hand on thebell, gave it a good strong pull. The little silver-plated handle didnot move an inch! I rubbed my eyes and tried it once more--no effect!I then sat down to consider. Was all the world bewitched? I racked mybrain until the door opened and one of the children ran out. She cameover to the chair I sat in and dropped into my lap. I got out of thechair in a second, just how I could not say. I am not over-fond ofchildren of that age.
"Why, Jennie!" I cried, somewhat indignantly. "What do you mean byjumping on my lap in this unceremonious manner? Where is Geraldine? Gotell her I want to see her at once."
I was getting angry; but, would you believe it? that child went onplaying with her doll and completely ignored me! It was too much; Iwondered whether the whole town were in a conspiracy to drive mecrazy. In despair I resolved to see Geraldine at once, and at the riskof being shot for a burglar, I turned to the door the little girl hadfortunately left open and walked in.
As I entered the hall my foot slipped on the marble tiling and I fellheavily against an exquisite bisque head standing on the newel post.When I picked myself up, sufficiently sore from my fall to beconvinced that it was a real one, the bisque figure-head was standingsafely and smiling at me--it was a-laughing head--in a way I conceivedto be particularly exasperating. I was so excited by this time that Istruck it a furious blow with my fist, and still that infernal headstood and grinned at me!
If I did not see Geraldine soon I felt that I would go mad, so Imarched upstairs until I came to the door of her room. I knockedgently on the door; there was no sound! I tried the handle with thesame ill success as before. This was the last straw. I confess I stoodat that door and shouted and screamed and kicked it,--pounded on ituntil I sank exhausted on the floor,--and still no thought of my realcondition entered my head.
It happened that in my present situation my eyes were just on a levelwith the key-hole. I peeped in. There was Geraldine; I could see herplainly; and in another moment I saw her take a letter from her dress,kiss it passionately, and burst into a storm of sobs and tears. I wasso wrought up by this time that in spite of my fatigue I jumped to myfeet, and in another second I found myself by her side.
She was clad in some soft white wrapper, her hair all unbound, and waskneeling with her face in her arms on a chair. I was inexpressiblytouched by her heart-broken attitude. I had never been anything but avery formal lover, as I said before; however, I thought thecircumstances might warrant me in waiving a little ceremony,especially as she evidently needed a comforter sadly, so I walkedquickly over to her and laid my hand on her shoulder.
"Geraldine," I said, "my darling, I am here to help you. Geraldine,won't you speak to me?"
There was no answer and no intermit to the sobs and tears she waspouring on my letter. I thought this was pushing shyness to the limit,and I had never suspected her of being timid. However, as she made noobjection to my hand being on her shoulder, I thought that was a goodsign, and I knelt down beside her and slipped my arm around her neckand said,--
"Geraldine dearest, do not cry so,--courage,--it will be all right--"(Pause.) "Won't you speak to me? Please, please look at me!" (Longerpause.) "Geraldine!" I shouted, savagely, "look at me at once or I'llleave you forever!"
No response of any kind!
By heaven! What _did_ it mean? I rose and dropped into a chair,remarking,--
"I'll sit here and look at you till you do get up and say something tome, if your father comes in here and kills me!"
So I waited and watched her. Presently she raised her beautiful eyes,red with weeping, and fixed them straight on me without the slightestsign of recognition, not even the fear that would have filled them hadI been a stranger. What could be the matter?
I rushed over to the long swinging mirror in the corner, determined tolook at myself and see what was wrong. I stood directly in front ofthe glass and glanced at its bright surface to make a last effort tosolve the mystery. Reader, I will solemnly assert that when I lookedin that mirror, expecting to see myself, _I was not there_!
There was nothing reflected there but the room and contents andGeraldine beyond, completely oblivious of me. She had taken a smallpicture of me I had given her and was alternately looking at it andpressing it to her heart. This evidence of an affection which Iscarcely dared to hope that she entertained for me was certainly verygratifying, and at any other moment would have filled me withhappiness; but in the light of the fact that I was not there, where Ifelt myself to be, I was too horror-struck for anything else.
I stood mechanically glaring at Geraldine, at the glass which did notreflect me, and at myself. I could see myself with my own eyesperfectly, hear my own voice distinctly, or touch myself with my ownhands; in fact, I could see and feel as well as ever. I resolved tomake one more effort.
"Geraldine," I said, softly. "Geraldine," louder. "Geraldine!" in aperfect scream, "I am going to kiss you this moment!"
She was lying back in a large chair, her hands listlessly crossed inher lap and her eyes closed. I walked firmly to her, hesitated asecond, and then bent and kissed her upon the lips.
She says now it was very ungenerous of me to have taken advantage ofher, but I submit that I had given every possible warning of myintention, and besides I was wrought up to such a pitch by the eventsof the afternoon I scarcely knew what I did; so I kissed her again andagain, and this did really have some effect upon her. At first sheblushed a warm, beautiful crimson, and as I kissed her a second and athird time, she started, raised her head, opened her eyes with alittle scream, and said,--
"Oh, I must have fallen asleep and dreamed he was here--I suddenlyfelt a kiss, it seemed--Oh, Harry, Harry, why do you not come and helpyour girl?" and her head sank back in the chair and tears came againinto her eyes. "Oh, Harry, why are you not here?"
I was nearly frantic by this time.
"Geraldine," I said, "I _am_ here. I did kiss you, really and truly, amoment ago."
But she paid no attention, and even while I was speaking kept up herlittle agonized appeal for me to come and help her. I rushed to thewindow, leaped out on the porch, jumped recklessly to the ground,dashed right into the arms of Mr. Holabird, ran through the streets tomy own house, burst into the house, tore up the stairs to my room, andsaw--what?
Myself, calmly and composedly lying back in the chair with Geraldine'sletter in my hand! This was too awful; I sank down in the other chair,and as I did so my eyes fell upon the volume of the learnedArchidechus. The mystery was solved! There in the other chair was myphysical body, and in this one I sat, a disembodied spirit!
The explanation was so simple and evident it brought great relief tome. Everything was explained. Of course no looking-glass could reflectthe spirit of a man, no one could feel him--or it--or hear him or seehim; of course he could not open doors or strike people or liftanything, though, to be sure, no door could prove a barrier to such anethereal, immaterial entity as a disembodied spirit.
That accounted for my finding myself in Geraldine's room in spite ofthe locked door, for the child sitting down on my lap, for the bisquehead smiling at my buffet, for Geraldine's ignorance of my presence.As to the kiss--well, love was the highest and noblest sensation (lovesuch as we felt for each other) and as nearly a spiritually etherealfeeling as any human one could be; so, when I had kissed her, herspiritual being had responded to mine. This explanation fell easily inwith the rest.
So far as I was concerned, I was, to put it plainly and simply, onlymy feelings and sensations; I was a wandering sensation! Doubtless myspirit took the same form as my visible body, but it was a thing soutterly immaterial as to be absolutely invisible to the human eye. Icould talk, walk, see, and hear, because I had all my sensat
ions withme, the guiding essence of my brain, too; but really my voice, forinstance, was not audible, because when I opened my spiritual mouth itwas only with the sensation of speaking, and no real sound was made;or, to put another explanation before you, my voice had become refinedin proportion with the rest of me, and was pitched in such asound-wave as the human ear was not capable of receiving andconcentrating.
At that moment this seemed very interesting to me, and I settledmyself comfortably back in my chair and laughed long and loudly. Ofcourse I could go back into my own body at any time, and matters wouldstraighten themselves out at once. I sat speculatively contemplatingmy body. It was a dramatic moment, indeed!
My body was sitting in the chair in exactly the same position I hadbeen when I left it, or rather, I should say, _we_ had been when Ileft it. I bent over and touched it--or him?--he felt warm andnatural, but not as if asleep. There was no beating of the heart, norise or fall of the breast as in breathing, the eyes were opened andfixed but not glassy, the joints appeared to be flexible still,though, of course, I could not have moved one to see--in short, mybody presented every appearance of suspended animation. I resolved notto try to get back into it just at present, and was still sittingthere speculating upon my double self when the door opened and mysister--the one who brought the letter--came in; she was my favorite,and we were great friends. She glanced at me, and, supposing I wasasleep, drew a chair over to the window and waited for me to awaken.
The fire was burning brightly in the grate, and, as ill-luck wouldhave it, a bright little coal sprang out and fell on my lap,--that is,the lap of my body. It seemed as if there was yet some sort of aconnection between us, because while the coal burnt into the leg of mybody, it was I who felt the sensation. I rushed over to myself andattempted to brush it off. Of course I could not. The pain was reallyunbearable, and, forgetting my state, I called to Mary, my sister; ofcourse she did not hear me! This was a worse dilemma than before. Idecided at once to resume my proper condition, when, horror ofhorrors! I found that I did not know how.
It was true! I had been so constantly occupied in endeavoring to getout of myself, as it were, that I had completely omitted to learn theway to get in! This was worse than anything previous. I forgot allabout the glowing coal which was still burning me, in the dreadfulpossibility which rose before me. Suppose they should bury me, would Isuffer the pangs of suffocation forever, or at least until my bodyresolved itself into its primordial elements? I knew, of course, myspirit would never die, and if my body did turn to dust, would myspirit go with those of other departed beings, as the Bible teachesus, or would the fact that I had taken my spirit in my own hands, asit were, condemn me to wander forever in my present state?
I certainly felt my spiritual hair turn gray. What would become ofGeraldine? Would I ever see her again or, rather, would she ever seeme? Would she at last forget me and marry some one else, and force meto stand powerless looking on? I ground my spiritual teeth in rage andclinched my spiritual hand and swore--but what was the use ofswearing? I could do nothing. I was too utterly ethereal, too entirelydisembodied to even haunt any one, too ephemeral for a ghost even! Oh,horror! I thought my brain would give way. I thought of everything Icould to help me out.
I had dabbled a little in hypnotism and had experimentedsurreptitiously on various members of my family, principally my sisterMary, and with some effect. Now, hypnotism is the controlling of onewill by another. The will is an essential attribute of the spirit;there is nothing gross about it. It is true that the weakest and mostphysically imperfect specimens of this twofold race of ours sometimespossess the most powerful wills; plainly, then, body, physicallyconsidered, had nothing to do with this will power which is the secretof hypnotic force. Apparently I had my will power in better shape foruse than at any time in my corporate body. I had it separated, undercommand, and could concentrate it more easily and advantageously. Iwould try it.
I got up, made the usual passes, and ordered Mary to come and throwthat coal off my leg. She did so at once. I was delighted. She stoodabashed and silent in the presence of the, to her, hidden forcecontrolling her. It flashed upon me in an instant I could cause her toopen the volume of Archidechus and turn the pages for me. Joy! Nosooner said than done.
I sat down beside her and willed her to do as I directed. I hastilymade her turn to the part which treated of the resumption of therelationship; a new disappointment awaited me--the learned Archidechusstated that the individual in the case he studied had never resumedhis mortal condition, and that the means of doing so were entirelyunknown to him. That took away my last hope.
Mechanically I released Mary from the influence and then waited to seewhat she would do. Her glance fell upon me, and she looked at mewonderingly.
"Why," she said, "how long Harry sleeps!" She touched him on theshoulder. "Harry! Harry!" and then she looked in his face andscreamed.
The family, the servants, every one, came running in. They filled mylittle room, and after narrowly escaping being crushed to death by ourfat cook, who hysterically sank back in the chair in which I wassitting, I walked over to the corner of the room and waited. Theypicked him up and laid him on the bed, and tried all the simpleremedies they knew to revive him. One poured brandy down his physicalthroat,--imagine the sensation in my spiritual one,--another onechafed his hands, one wetted a towel and struck him repeatedly withit, the old-fashioned feather was held under his physicalnose--imagine my spiritual sensation a thousand times intensified andjudge what I suffered.
I wished they would go away and bury me decently and let me alone; itwas too much to endure quietly. I tried to hypnotize the whole lot,but unavailingly. Finally the futility of their efforts dawned uponthem and they sat down to wait while one went for a doctor.
Doctor! I thought, contemptuously; what could he do? unless, indeed,they might find a stray spiritualist who could fulfil his promises andperhaps summon my spirit back into its earthly shell. Sure, never hadI seemed so sweet to myself. If I ever got back to myself again I madea solemn vow never to leave myself on any pretext.
Presently the door opened and my father came in. My mother was longsince dead. The old gentleman was almost heart-broken; he sat downbeside me and took my physical hand. (I find the pronouns veryconfusing in endeavoring to relate this dual story.) I would havegiven worlds to comfort him. Different members of the family stoodaround the room talking in low, hushed whispers of the dreadful fatethat had befallen me, exchanging reminiscences about me, extolling mefor many virtues I never possessed. There was some consolation inhearing what a noble fellow I was. I have not heard it before, norhave I heard it since, except from Geraldine. Finally the door openedand the doctor entered. He could do nothing whatever, as I hadforeseen,--he actually pronounced me dead,--and a few hours later Ifound myself neatly laid out in a coffin in the parlor,--that is, myphysical body was.
I took the most comfortable chair--when no one else wanted it, ofcourse--and waited for further developments. This was growinginteresting, and I had become somewhat resigned to the hopelessness ofmy situation. I noted several curious facts. After a while I got verysleepy, intensely so, and lay back in my chair and closed my eyes andtried to go to sleep. It was no use; I could not. And yet I never solonged to go to sleep in my life. The fact was, a spirit could notsleep; and it was my body there in the coffin which felt sleepy; but Imust suffer for it. It was the same way with hunger. I was hungry. Iactually got so desperate as to go out to the pantry and look at thecold chicken and boiled ham there. I could easily smell them; but asto the eating--oh, it was horrible! I do not know how I got throughthe night.
The next day I could do nothing but sit and look at the people whocame to see me and hear what they had to say. I have forgotten tomention that in my condition I seemed to have as one of its attributesa peculiar faculty of divining the real thoughts of the people whocame to look at me. Among them was John Haverford. He was actuallyglad to see me; so at least I read his thought. Geraldine thinks Imust have been mistaken; at
any rate, the sight of him filled me withso much rage that I rushed over to him, I threatened him; I did more,I struck him, kicked him, nothing of which he was sensible. It was toobad.
Geraldine did not come. I waited heart-broken for her. Would she come?The old man surely would not keep her. He was a pretty good fellow,after all--he is devoted to our youngest daughter now. I thought hecertainly might bring her. I did not go out I could not bear to leavemy lonesome looking body in the coffin. I had no heart for furtheradventures, anyway. I was intensely cramped from lying so long in oneposition. When I die I am going to be cremated; no more coffins forme. My wife says, however, she will not hear of that.
Geraldine told me afterwards that she passed the day in longing for meto come and take her away, and wondering why I did not, besides beingcontinually impressed with a premonition that something was going tohappen. Finally, toward night on the second day of my anomaloussituation, Mary--good and faithful Mary--bethought herself to go andtell Geraldine. On hearing the news that noble girl promptly fainted.She recovered herself, however, and through Mary's aid managed to getout of the house and come down to see me.
I was looking at myself very dejectedly in the parlor, half deadfrom loss of sleep, hunger, and thirst, and wholly crazy from lossof love and my dreadful prospects,--I surmised they would bury meto-morrow,--when I heard the outside door open, a familiar and yetnervous step sounded in the hall, and then the parlor door opened. Ihad recognized the step; it was Geraldine, but how changed! I forgotmyself and my trouble, and as she threw herself down on her knees andclasped me in her arms and kissed me, I suffered for her agony athousand times worse than for mine. Great heavens! Was ever man insuch a predicament? I bent over her in despair, and as she turned herface up in prayer, I kissed her lips again. She sprang to her feet andscreamed,--
"Oh, he is not dead! I am sure of it! I felt him kiss me! I cannot bemistaken! Mary, send for papa, and tell him to bring his newest andmost powerful storage battery along. I am sure Harry is not dead;hurry, hurry!"
So it was from Geraldine herself that this new idea of tortureemanated. Oh, why could they not let a disembodied spirit alone in itspeaceful misery? An electric battery could do no good, and it would beworse than the burnt feather.
Old Mr. Holabird was an electrician and an enthusiast. He would havesacrificed his best friend to an experiment, and consequently did nothesitate to come and practice upon me, whom he hated so bitterlyprevious to the unfortunate dissolution of partnership between my bodyand spirit. He was soon in the parlor with a servant following himbringing the battery. He was angry and astonished at seeing Geraldine,but his experiment was too engrossing for much time to be wasted uponher then.
Having obtained the consent of my father, he began taking off my shoesand then my socks. I blushed crimson; at least my spiritual entitydid. My physical body, I must confess, betrayed no evidence of shameat the exposure; and before Geraldine, too! Mary and father and therest of the family looked on with anxiety and little apparent faith.Geraldine stood beside me, resting one hand against my breast andlooking at me as if not to lose the faintest sign of life I mightshow. Her father, all business and energy, attached the wires with areckless want of ceremony; I thought in wretchedly bad taste. I mustconfess I hoped for the result of this experiment but faintly;however, there might be something in it, so I stood with my arm aroundGeraldine and my head resting upon her shoulder--spiritually, ofcourse--as the connection was made.
I was quiet enough for just one-millionth of a second, till I felt thepower of the current. It was awful; worse than any other experiment. Igroaned in anguish while that fiendish old man made the currentstronger and stronger, and that miserably placid body of mine laythere as calm and as unfeeling as a log, while I was in torment. Iflew at the old man, clinched my hands in his hair, grasped him aroundthe throat, did everything, and yet had to bear a current strongenough to have killed a dozen men, added to which was the anguish offeeling my last hope vanish. I was doomed!
The scientific fervor of old Holabird was at last satisfied, and heallowed the current to die down to one of much less intensity, merelykeeping, as he said, a little on in case of an emergency. A little! Itfelt like ten toothaches run into one, but was so much less thanbefore that it seemed almost like a caress in the first moment ofrelief.
While I was standing there helplessly, wondering what they would dowith me, the old man walked up to Geraldine, who stood wringing herhands, looking at me, with her last hope gone, too, poor girl! andsaid,--
"Come, Geraldine, we must go; the man is dead."
"Liar!" I shouted; but no one heard me.
"And there is no use staying here," he continued; "I tell you you mustcome. I promised John Haverford that you would see him to-night. Heasked me for your hand, and I consented to-day."
Oh, I could have begged him to turn on the electricity again; eachpang fate had in store for me was worse than before. Geraldineanswered gloriously,--
"But _I_ have not consented."
"What difference? I say you shall marry him!" he said, grasping herwrist.
"And I say I will not! I will be faithful to my dear dead Harry here!"
"Nonsense! You shall marry Haverford! You must!"
At this moment a strange thing occurred. Geraldine wrenched herselfaway from her father, threw herself upon the physical half of me, andwhispered, "I'll die with him first!"
Something passed over me as a blinding lightning flash, and behold!The body in the coffin struggled, sat up, clasped a trembling armabout Geraldine, and exclaimed,--
"I am not dead, Geraldine. And you, you infernal old villain, get outof my sight! Take off the battery; give me something to eat anddrink!"
The spirit had entered my body again. My love for Geraldine and herlove for me had wrought the miracle, just as anxiety for her and lovefor her had wrought the first change. Ay, through love the world ismade and destroyed.
There is nothing more to tell. My story was so circumstantial thatpeople generally believe it in spite of the learned doctors, who holdit to have been merely a case of suspended animation. In my mind andGeraldine's, however, there is no doubt about it. Besides, does notthe learned Archidechus say--but never mind; if it were not for thisaffair Geraldine says she might have been years in finding out herheart as she did when she thought me dead, and her father never wouldhave consented to our marriage as he did.
He is very kind to us now, and we are very happy, and have onlyanxiety lest my spirit should ever take to wandering again. Geraldinesays if it does she will marry John Haverford, who is still pining forher; but I know that is only a threat to prevent the dissolution ofpartnership, as she confesses in private that she would never marryany one but me--never!
I am very fat and well now, and have burned up the parchments of thelearned Archidechus, and am training myself utterly to disbelieve suchthings. The memory seems like a faint dream now in the light of ourpresent happiness, for Geraldine is the loveliest and sweetest ofwives, and says I am the best of husbands. And giving her that lastword, I lay down the pen.
THE END