第4章

"Carolina！What"sthematter？"

"OBaptista！O，fortheLord"ssake！whereismymistress？"

"Mistress，Carolina？"

"Gonesincemorning-toldme，whenmasterwentoutonhisday"sjourney，nottocallher，forshewastiredwithnotrestinginthenight（havingbeeninpain），andwouldlieinbeduntiltheevening；thengetuprefreshed。Sheisgone！-sheisgone！

Masterhascomeback，brokendownthedoor，andsheisgone！Mybeautiful，mygood，myinnocentmistress！"

Theprettylittleonesocried，andraved，andtoreherselfthatI

couldnothaveheldher，butforherswooningonmyarmasifshehadbeenshot。Mastercameup-inmanner，face，orvoice，nomorethemasterthatIknew，thanIwashe。Hetookme（Ilaidthelittleoneuponherbedinthehotel，andleftherwiththechamber-women），inacarriage，furiouslythroughthedarkness，acrossthedesolateCampagna。Whenitwasday，andwestoppedatamiserablepost-house，allthehorseshadbeenhiredtwelvehoursago，andsentawayindifferentdirections。Markme！bytheSignorDellombra，whohadpassedthereinacarriage，withafrightenedEnglishladycrouchinginonecorner。

Ineverheard（saidtheGenoesecourier，drawingalongbreath）

thatshewasevertracedbeyondthatspot。AllIknowis，thatshevanishedintoinfamousoblivion，withthedreadedfacebesideherthatshehadseeninherdream。

"WhatdoyoucallTHAT？"saidtheGermancourier，triumphantly。

"Ghosts！TherearenoghostsTHERE！Whatdoyoucallthis，thatI

amgoingtotellyou？Ghosts！TherearenoghostsHERE！"

Itookanengagementonce（pursuedtheGermancourier）withanEnglishgentleman，elderlyandabachelor，totravelthroughmycountry，myFatherland。Hewasamerchantwhotradedwithmycountryandknewthelanguage，butwhohadneverbeentheresincehewasaboy-asIjudge，somesixtyyearsbefore。

HisnamewasJames，andhehadatwin-brotherJohn，alsoabachelor。Betweenthesebrotherstherewasagreataffection。

Theywereinbusinesstogether，atGoodman"sFields，buttheydidnotlivetogether。Mr。JamesdweltinPolandStreet，turningoutofOxfordStreet，London；Mr。JohnresidedbyEppingForest。

Mr。JamesandIweretostartforGermanyinaboutaweek。Theexactdaydependedonbusiness。Mr。JohncametoPolandStreet（whereIwasstayinginthehouse），topassthatweekwithMr。

James。But，hesaidtohisbrotheronthesecondday，"Idon"tfeelverywell，James。There"snotmuchthematterwithme；butI

thinkIamalittlegouty。I"llgohomeandputmyselfunderthecareofmyoldhousekeeper，whounderstandsmyways。IfIgetquitebetter，I"llcomebackandseeyoubeforeyougo。IfIdon"tfeelwellenoughtoresumemyvisitwhereIleaveitoff，whyYOU

willcomeandseemebeforeyougo。"Mr。James，ofcourse，saidhewould，andtheyshookhands-bothhands，astheyalwaysdid-andMr。Johnorderedouthisold-fashionedchariotandrumbledhome。

Itwasonthesecondnightafterthat-thatistosay，thefourthintheweek-whenIwasawokeoutofmysoundsleepbyMr。Jamescomingintomybedroominhisflannel-gown，withalightedcandle。

Hesatuponthesideofmybed，andlookingatme，said:

"Wilhelm，IhavereasontothinkIhavegotsomestrangeillnessuponme。"

Ithenperceivedthattherewasaveryunusualexpressioninhisface。

"Wilhelm，"saidhe，"IamnotafraidorashamedtotellyouwhatI

mightbeafraidorashamedtotellanotherman。Youcomefromasensiblecountry，wheremysteriousthingsareinquiredintoandarenotsettledtohavebeenweighedandmeasured-ortohavebeenunweighableandunmeasurable-orineithercasetohavebeencompletelydisposedof，foralltime-eversomanyyearsago。I

havejustnowseenthephantomofmybrother。"

Iconfess（saidtheGermancourier）thatitgavemealittletinglingofthebloodtohearit。

"Ihavejustnowseen，"Mr。Jamesrepeated，lookingfullatme，thatImightseehowcollectedhewas，"thephantomofmybrotherJohn。Iwassittingupinbed，unabletosleep，whenitcameintomyroom，inawhitedress，andregardingmeearnestly，passeduptotheendoftheroom，glancedatsomepapersonmywriting-desk，turned，and，stilllookingearnestlyatmeasitpassedthebed，wentoutatthedoor。Now，Iamnotintheleastmad，andamnotintheleastdisposedtoinvestthatphantomwithanyexternalexistenceoutofmyself。IthinkitisawarningtomethatIamill；andIthinkIhadbetterbebled。"

Igotoutofbeddirectly（saidtheGermancourier）andbegantogetonmyclothes，begginghimnottobealarmed，andtellinghimthatIwouldgomyselftothedoctor。Iwasjustready，whenweheardaloudknockingandringingatthestreetdoor。Myroombeinganatticattheback，andMr。James"sbeingthesecond-floorroominthefront，wewentdowntohisroom，andputupthewindow，toseewhatwasthematter。

"IsthatMr。James？"saidamanbelow，fallingbacktotheoppositesideofthewaytolookup。

"Itis，"saidMr。James，"andyouaremybrother"sman，Robert。"

"Yes，Sir。Iamsorrytosay，Sir，thatMr。Johnisill。Heisverybad，Sir。Itisevenfearedthathemaybelyingatthepointofdeath。Hewantstoseeyou，Sir。Ihaveachaisehere。Praycometohim。Praylosenotime。"

Mr。JamesandIlookedatoneanother。"Wilhelm，"saidhe，"thisisstrange。Iwishyoutocomewithme！"Ihelpedhimtodress，partlythereandpartlyinthechaise；andnograssgrewunderthehorses"ironshoesbetweenPolandStreetandtheForest。

Now，mind！（saidtheGermancourier）IwentwithMr。Jamesintohisbrother"sroom，andIsawandheardmyselfwhatfollows。

Hisbrotherlayuponhisbed，attheupperendofalongbed-

chamber。Hisoldhousekeeperwasthere，andotherswerethere:I

thinkthreeotherswerethere，ifnotfour，andtheyhadbeenwithhimsinceearlyintheafternoon。Hewasinwhite，likethefigure-necessarilyso，becausehehadhisnight-dresson。Helookedlikethefigure-necessarilyso，becausehelookedearnestlyathisbrotherwhenhesawhimcomeintotheroom。

But，whenhisbrotherreachedthebed-side，heslowlyraisedhimselfinbed，andlookingfulluponhim，saidthesewords:

"JAMES，YOUHAVESEENMEBEFORE，TO-NIGHT-ANDYOUKNOWIT！"

Andsodied！

Iwaited，whentheGermancourierceased，tohearsomethingsaidofthisstrangestory。Thesilencewasunbroken。Ilookedround，andthefivecouriersweregone:sonoiselesslythattheghostlymountainmighthaveabsorbedthemintoitseternalsnows。Bythistime，Iwasbynomeansinamoodtositaloneinthatawfulscene，withthechillaircomingsolemnlyuponme-or，ifImaytellthetruth，tositaloneanywhere。SoIwentbackintotheconvent-

parlour，and，findingtheAmericangentlemanstilldisposedtorelatethebiographyoftheHonourableAnaniasDodger，hearditallout。