large/803/ghost_stories_001_librivox_64kb_mp3/gs001-schalken_the_painter_lefanu_ge_64kb_2
large/803/ghost_stories_001_librivox_64kb_mp3/gs001-schalken_the_painter_lefanu_ge_64kb
English
803
"Minheer Vanderhausen!" said Gerard Douw within himself, as the appointed hour approached, "Minheer Vanderhausen, of Rotterdam! I never heard of the man till yesterday. What can he want of me? A portrait, perhaps, to be painted; or a poor relation to be apprenticed; or a collection to be valued; or  pshaw! there's no one in Rotterdam to leave me a legacy. Well, whatever the business may be, we shall soon know it all." NHEER VAN DERHAUSEN SAID GERARDOW WITHIN HIMSELF AS THE APPOINTED HOUR APPROACHED MYNHEER VAN DERHAUSEN OF ROTTERDAM I NEVER HEARD OF THE MAN TILL YESTERDAY WHAT CAN HE WANT OF ME A PORTRAIT PERHAPS TO BE PAINTED OR A POOR RELATION TO BE APPRENTICED OR A COLLECTION TO BE VALUED OR PSHAW THERE'S NO ONE IN ROTTERDAM TO LEAVE ME A LEGACY WELL WHATEVER THE BUSINESS MAY BE WE SHALL SOON KNOW IT ALL
 A lobby of considerable extent intervened between the inner door of the painter's room and the street entrance, so that Schalken occupied the post of observation before the old man could possibly have reached the street. He watched in vain, however. There was no other mode of exit. Had the queer old man vanished, or was he lurking about the recesses of the lobby for some sinister purpose? This last suggestion filled the mind of Schalken with a vague uneasiness, which was so unaccountably intense as to make him alike afraid to remain in the room alone, and reluctant to pass through the lobby. However, with an effort which appeared very disproportioned to the occasion, he summoned resolution to leave the room, and, having locked the door and thrust the key in his pocket, without looking to the right or left, he traversed the passage which had so recently, perhaps still, contained the person of his mysterious visitant, scarcely venturing to breathe till he had arrived in the open street. CH COMMANDED THE DOOR A LOBBY OF CONSIDERABLE EXTENT INTERVENED BETWEEN THE INNER DOOR OF THE PAINTER'S ROOM AND THE STREET ENTRANCE SO THAT SHALKIN OCCUPIED THE POST OF OBSERVATION BEFORE THE OLD MAN COULD POSSIBLY HAVE REACHED THE STREET HE WATCHED IN VAIN HOWEVER THERE WAS NO OTHER MODE OF EXIT HAD THE QUEER OLD MAN VANISHED OR WAS HE LURKING ABOUT THE RECESSES OF THE LOBBY FOR SOME SINISTER PURPOSE THIS LAST SUGGESTION FILLED THE MIND OF SHALKIN WITH A VAGUE UNEASINESS WHICH WAS SO UNACCOUNTABLY INTENSE AS TO MAKE HIM ALIKE AFRAID TO REMAIN IN THE ROOM ALONE AND RELUCTANT TO PASS THROUGH THE LOBBY HOWEVER WITH AN EFFORT WHICH APPEARED VERY DISPROPORTIONED TO THE OCCASION HE SUMMONED RESOLUTION TO LEAVE THE ROOM AND HAVING LOCKED THE DOOR AND DRESSED THE KEY IN HIS POCKET WITHOUT LOOKING TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT HE TRAVERSED THE PASSAGE WHICH HAD SO RECENTLY PERHAPS STILL CONTAINED THE PERSON OF HIS MYSTERIOUS VISITANT SCARCELY VENTURING TO BREATHE TILL HE HAD ARRIVED IN THE OPEN STREET
large/803/ghost_stories_001_librivox_64kb_mp3/gs001-schalken_the_painter_lefanu_ge_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/803/ghost_stories_001_librivox_64kb_mp3/gs001-schalken_the_painter_lefanu_ge_64kb.flac