large/803/ghost_stories_001_librivox_64kb_mp3/gs001-schalken_the_painter_lefanu_ge_64kb_170
large/803/ghost_stories_001_librivox_64kb_mp3/gs001-schalken_the_painter_lefanu_ge_64kb
English
803
The stranger spoke hardly at all during his visit, which did not exceed half an hour; and the host himself could scarcely muster courage enough to utter the few necessary salutations and courtesies; and, indeed, such was the nervous terror which the presence of Vanderhausen inspired, that very little would have made all his entertainers fly in downright panic from the room. They had not so far lost all self possession, however, as to fail to observe two strange peculiarities of their visitor. THE STRANGER SPOKE HARDLY AT ALL DURING HIS VISIT WHICH DID NOT EXCEED HALF AN HOUR AND THE HOST HIMSELF COULD SCARCELY MUSTER COURAGE ENOUGH TO UTTER THE FEW NECESSARY SALUTATIONS AND COURTESIES AND INDEED SUCH WAS THE NERVOUS TERROR WHICH THE PRESENCE OF VANHOUSEN INSPIRED THAT VERY LITTLE WOULD HAVE MADE ALL HIS ENTERTAINERS FLY IN DOWNRIGHT PANIC FROM THE ROOM THEY HAD NOT SO FAR LOST ALL SELF POSSESSION HOWEVER AS TO FAIL TO OBSERVE TWO STRANGE PECULIARITIES OF THEIR VISITOR
with the bluish leaden hue, which is sometimes produced by metallic medicines, administered in excessive quantities; the eyes showed an undue proportion of muddy white, and had a certain indefinable character of insanity; the hue of the lips bearing the usual relation to that of the face, was, consequently, nearly black; and the entire character of the face was sensual, malignant, and even satanic. It was remarkable that the worshipful stranger suffered as little as possible of his flesh to appear, and that during his visit he did not once remove his gloves. Having stood for some moments at the door, Gerard Douw at length found breath and collectedness to bid him welcome, and with a mute inclination of the head, the stranger stepped forward into the room. There was something indescribably odd, even horrible, about all his motions, something undefinable, that was unnatural, unhuman; it was as if the limbs were guided and directed by a spirit unused to the management of bodily machinery. LESH OF THE FACE WAS COLOURED WITH THE BLUISH LEADEN HUE WHICH IS SOMETIMES PRODUCED BY METALLIC MEDICINES ADMINISTERED IN EXCESSIVE QUANTITIES THE EYES SHOWED AN UNDUE PROPORTION OF MUDDY WHITE AND HAD A CERTAIN INDEFINABLE CHARACTER OF INSANITY THE HUE OF THE LIPS BEARING THE USUAL RELATION TO THAT OF THE FACE WAS CONSEQUENTLY NEARLY BLACK AND THE ENTIRE CHARACTER OF THE FACE WAS SENSUAL MALIGNANT AND EVEN SATANIC IT WAS REMARKABLE THAT THE WORSHIPFUL STRANGER SUFFERED AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE OF HIS FLESH TO APPEAR AND THAT DURING HIS VISIT HE DID NOT ONCE REMOVE HIS GLOVES HAVING STOOD FOR SOME MOMENTS AT THE DOOR JARDOW AT LENGTH FOUND BREATH AND COLLECTEDNESS TO BID HIM WELCOME AND WITH A MUTE INCLINATION OF THE HEAD THE STRANGER STEPPED FORWARD INTO THE ROOM THERE WAS SOMETHING INDESCRIBABLY ODD EVEN HORRIBLE ABOUT ALL HIS MOTIONS SOMETHING UNDEFINABLE THAT WAS UNNATURAL UNHUMAN IT WAS AS IF THE LIMBS WERE GUIDED AND DIRECTED BY A SPIRIT UNUSED TO THE MANAGEMENT OF BODILY MACHINERY
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