The Fresco
Scary Books: Strange Stories From The Lodge Of LeisuresIn the Great Highway of Eternal Fixity, Mong Flowing-spring and his
friend Choo Little-lotus were slowly walking, clothed in the long light
green dress of the students.
They had both just passed with success their third literary examination,
and were enjoying the pleasures of the capital before returning to their
distant province.
As they were both of small means, they were looking now (and
time filling their eyes with the movement of the street) for a lodging
less expensive than the inn where they had put up on arriving at Pekin.
Leaving the Great Highway, they strolled far into a labyrinth of lanes
more and more silent. They soon lost themselves. Undecided, they had
stopped, when they spied out the red lacquered portal of a temple of the
Mysterious-way.
Pushing the heavy sides of the door, they entered; an old man with his
hair tightly drawn together in a black cap, majestic in his grey dress,
stood behind the door and appeared to be waiting for them.
"Your coming lightens my humble dwelling," he said in bowing. "I beg you
will enter."
"I do not dare! I do not dare!" murmured the two students, bowing in
their turn.
They nevertheless entered, crossing the yard on which the portal opened,
which was closed, at the end, by the little temple in open woodwork
close under the mass of roofs of green tiles.
They went up three steps, then, pushing a narrow and straight door, they
entered. In the half-shadow they distinguished on the white altar a
statue of Tche Kong The-Supreme-Lord, with a golden face and griffins'
feet like the claws of an eagle.
The walls on each side of the altar were painted in frescoes; on the
wall on the right you saw goddesses in the midst of flowers. One of
these young girls, with a low chignon, was gathering a peony and was
slightly smiling. Her mouth, like a cherry, seemed as if it were really
opening; one would have sworn that her eyelids fluttered.
Mong Flowing-spring, his eyes fixed on the painting, remained a long
time without moving, absorbed in his admiration of the work of art, and
disturbed beyond expression by the beauty of the goddess with the low
chignon.
"Why is she not living?" said he. "I would willingly give my life for a
moment of her love!"
Suddenly he started; the young goddess raised herself upright, bursting
with laughter, and got down from the wall. She crossed the door, went
down the staircase, stepped over the yard and left the place.
Flowing-spring followed her without reflecting. He saw her going away
with a light step, and turn down the first lane; the young student ran
behind her.
As he turned the corner, he saw her stop at the entrance of a small
house. She was gracefully waving her hand, and, with sly glances, made
him signs to come.
He hastened forward and entered in his turn. In the silent house there
was nobody, no one but the goddess standing in her long mauve dress and
nibbling the flower that she had picked and that she still held in her
hand.
"I bow down," said the student, who knelt to salute her.
"Rise! you exceed the rites prescribed," she replied.
"I bend my head, not being able to bear the splendour of your beauty."
As she did not seem to be discontented he continued telling her his
admiration and his desire. He approached, touched her hand; she started,
but did not draw back. He then took her in his arms; she did not make
much resistance.
The moments passed rapidly. They spoke to each other in a low voice,
when, suddenly in the street, a noise of heavy boots resounded; steps
stopped before the door; the lock was shaken; oaths were heard.
The young girl grew pale; she told Flowing-spring to hide himself under
the bed. The student felt his heart become quite small; he crouched down
in the shadow, not even being able to breathe. From the depth of his
hiding-place, he saw an officer enter, his face in black lacquer,
covered with a golden cuirass and surrounded by a troop of young girls
in long dresses of bright colours.
"I smell an odour of human flesh!" grumbled the officer, walking heavily
and going round the room.
"Hide yourself well!" the goddess murmured to her lover, raising herself
from the bed and white with terror. "If you can escape from him, wait
till we have left, and open the little door at the end of the garden;
then run away quickly!"
"There is a man here! I smell him! He must be delivered to me! If not,
I shall punish the person who has hidden him."
"We know nothing!" all the young women said together.
"Very well! Let us go out."
Then, following the gracious troop which the goddess had joined, he
crossed the threshold.
Flowing-spring, hidden under the bed, waited till the noise of the boots
had gone away. Then he glided with caution from his refuge.
Half bent, listening with anxiety in fear of being surprised, he flew
from the room and crossed the garden.
During this time Choo Little-lotus, having remained in the temple, had
not remarked the departure of his friend. But, turning round and not any
longer seeing him, he questioned the old magician.
"Your friend is not far off," he replied.
Then, showing him the wall, he said:
"Look! here he is!"
And, indeed, in the centre of the fresco, the image of Flowing-spring
was painted; he was crouched in among the flowers, straining his ear.
The image moved, and, suddenly, the student separated himself from the
wall and advanced, looking sad and anxious.
Choo Little-lotus, terrified, was looking at him. The other told him his
adventure. As he spoke a terrible clap of thunder was heard. The two
friends instinctively shut their eyes; when they opened them, their
glance fell on the fresco: the goddesses had taken their places there
again, in the midst of the flowers; but the young girl with the low
chignon was no longer there.
The magician smiled at Flowing-spring:
"Love has touched her. She has become a woman and is waiting for you in
your village."
More
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The Canterville Ghost
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The last time I was passing through Glasgow, I put up for the night at an hotel near Sandyford Place, and met there an old theatrical acquaintance named Browne, Hely Browne. Not having seen him since I gave up acting, which is now, alas! a good ma... The Club-room Ghost
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Some years ago, when I was engaged in collecting cases for a book I contemplated publishing, on Haunted Houses in England and Wales, I was introduced to an Irish clergyman, whose name I have forgotten, and whom I have never met since. Had the inci... The Floating Wonder Or Female Spectre
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AMELIA B. EDWARDS The events which I am about to relate took place between nine and ten years ago. Sebastopol had fallen in the early spring, the peace of Paris had been concluded since March, our commercial relations with the Russian Empire we... The Fresco
In the Great Highway of Eternal Fixity, Mong Flowing-spring and his friend Choo Little-lotus were slowly walking, clothed in the long light green dress of the students. They had both just passed with success their third literary examination, an... The Frightened Carrier
In October 1813, a little before midnight, as one of the carriers between Nottingham and Loughborough, was passing near the village of Rempstone, he was extremely surprised at meeting what he thought was a funeral procession, marching in a most so... The Ghost In Love
On the 15th day of the First Moon, in the second year of the period of "Renewed Principles," the streets of the town of the Eastern Lake were thronged with people who were strolling about. At the setting of the sun every shop was brightly lit up... The Ghost Of Miser Brimpson
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In the course of many years' investigation of haunted houses, I have naturally come in contact with numerous people who have had first-hand experiences with the Occult. Nurse Mackenzie is one of these people. I met her for the first time last year... The Ghost On Ship-board
A gentleman of high respectability in the navy relates the following story. "When on a voyage to New York, we had not been four days at sea, before an occurrence of a very singular nature broke in upon our quiet. It was a ghost! One night, when... The Ghost Seen By Lord Brougham
It is comparatively easy, when seated before a roaring fire in a well-lighted room, to sneer ghosts out of existence, and roundly affirm that they are without exception the fanciful products of a heated imagination. But the matter takes on a very ... The Ghost That Got The Button
BY WILL ADAMS One autumn evening, when the days were shortening and the darkness fell early on Hotchkiss and the frost was beginning to adorn with its fine glistening lace the carbine barrels of the night sentries as they walked post, Sergeants... The Ghost-extinguisher
BY GELETT BURGESS My attention was first called to the possibility of manufacturing a practicable ghost-extinguisher by a real-estate agent in San Francisco. "There's one thing," he said, "that affects city property here in a curious way. You... The Ghost-ship
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About thirty years ago, some labouring mechanics met one Saturday evening, after receiving their wages, at a public-house, near Rippon, in Yorkshire, for the purpose of enjoying themselves convivially, after the cares and fatigues of the week. The... The Grey Piper And The Heavy Coach Of Donaldgowerie House Perth
Donaldgowerie House, until comparatively recent times, stood on the outskirts of Perth. It was a long, low, rambling old place, dating back to the beginning of the seventeenth century. At the time of the narrative it was in the possession of a Mr.... The Hammersmith Ghost
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'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,' so Donald Macgregor muttered to himself as he strode cautiously down the water of Coquet, halting at the many crooks of that wayward water to spy out the land as he went forward. He had already good... The Haunted Beach Or Power Of Conscience On A Murderer
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A young gentleman, going down from London to the west of England, to the house of a very worthy gentleman, to whom he had the honour to be related; it happened, that the gentleman's house was at that time full, by season of a kinswoman's wedding, ... The Haunted Castle
The castle of Ardivillers, near Breteuil, was reported to be haunted by evil spirits. Dreadful noises were heard; and flames were seen, by night, to issue from various apertures. The farmer who was entrusted with the care of the house, in the abse... The Haunted Photograph
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The Rev. Samuel Wesley is chiefly known to posterity as the father of the famous John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, and of the hardly less famous Charles Wesley. But the Rev. Samuel has further claims to remembrance. If he gave to the world Jo... The Hauntings Of ---- House In The Neighbourhood Of The Great Western Road Aberdeen
The following experience of a haunting is that of Mr. Scarfe, who told it me some few summers ago, expressing at the same time great eagerness to accompany me on some of my investigations. I append it as nearly as possible in his own words:-- ... The Heroic Midshipman Or Church-yard Encounter
At a respectable inn, in a market-town, in the west of England, some few years since, a regular set of the inhabitants met every evening to smoke their pipes, and pass a convivial hour. The conversation, as is usual at those places, was generally ... The House And The Brain
LORD EDWARD BULWER-LYTTON A friend of mine, who is a man of letters and a philosopher, said to me one day, as if between jest and earnest: "Fancy! since we last met, I have discovered a haunted house in the midst of London." "Really haunted?-... The Hypochondriac Gentleman And The Jack-ass
A sober gentleman of very great respectability, who was low-spirited and hypochondriac to a degree, was at times so fanciful, that almost every rustling noise he heard was taken for an apparition or hobgoblin. It happened that he was abroad at a... The Ideot's Funeral
The following extraordinary affair happened about ten years since, at a village in the north of England. About midnight, the minister of the parish was not a little alarmed at hearing the church bell tolling. He immediately dispatched one of his... The Inextinguishable Candle Of The Old White House
There was once a house, known as The Old White House, that used to stand by the side of the road, close to where you say the horse first took fright. Some people of the name of Holkitt, relations of dear old Sir Arthur Holkitt, and great friends of ... The Innocent Devil Or Agreeable Disappointment
The following story is extracted from a letter I received, some time since, from a friend, on the subject of apparitions. "Returning, one evening in the summer, to my apartments, at a short distance from town, I was invited by my landlady, a bri... The Lady And The Ghost
BY ROSE CECIL O'NEILL It was some moments before the Lady became rationally convinced that there was something occurring in the corner of the room, and then the actual nature of the thing was still far from clear. "To put it as mildly as poss... The Lady Of The Black Tower
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BY NELSON LLOYD From his perch on the blacksmith's anvil he spoke between the puffs of his post-prandial pipe. The fire in the forge was out and the day was going slowly, through the open door of the shop and the narrow windows, westward to the... The Laughing Ghost
Siu Long-mountain was one of the most celebrated students of the district of Perfect-flowers. Having mastered the mysterious theories of the ancient Classics, he took a fancy in the researches of the Taoist magicians, whose temples may be found in... The Leaden Ring
"It is not possible, Julia. I cannot conceive how the idea of attending the county ball can have entered your head after what has happened. Poor young Hattersley's dreadful death suffices to stop that." "But, aunt, Mr. Hattersley is no relation ... The Lord Warden's Tomb
My companion had surprised me by a sudden change of demeanour, for which I could not account, and I was watching him out of the tail of my eye from behind a pillar in the nave of the church which we were exploring. We had just been viewing the rec... The Lunatic Apparition
The celebrated historian De Thou had a very singular adventure at Saumer, in the year 1598. One night, having retired to rest, very much fatigued, while he was enjoying a sound sleep, he felt a very extraordinary weight upon his feet, which, havin... The Maniac Or Fatal Effects Of Wanton Mischief
Some years ago, a very intelligent, handsome, and promising youth, whose names is Henry Pargeter Lewis, the son of a respectable attorney, in the town of Dudley, was placed for a probationary time, previously to an intended apprenticeship, with a ... The Marble Arch
When the troubles began to break out in Hankow, many families were alarmed. Those who were not ignorant of the powerful organisation of the revolutionists left the town as soon as possible, anticipating that it would soon be plundered and burnt. ... The Merewigs
During the time that I lived in Essex, I had the pleasure of knowing Major Donelly, retired on half-pay, who had spent many years in India; he was a man of great powers of observation, and possessed an inexhaustible fund of information of the most...