The following story, which we recollect to have heard from an uncle of ours, more than thirty years since, will be perused by most of our readers with additional interest, from its evidently being the identical German legend on which is founded the opera of Bellini, " La Sonnambula," to which the talents of Malibran, Mrs. Wood, and Mrs. Seguin, have given such remarkable eclat.
Robert was a rich innkeeper in a town on the Upper Rhine. All at once, however, custom fell off; for travelers who had been in the habit of putting up with him, either avoided the place entirely, or preferred the inferior accommodations of another inn. The cause of this decline was, that his house was haunted by a ghost; and what traveler weary with his journey, would like to have his rest broken at night by the pranks of a spectre?
Sigismund, a distant relative, who had an eye on the fair Rosina, the only daughter of the host, had of late years been frequently in this house, either on visits to the family, or when travelling upon business. He slept always in the same room, in the upper story ; and there he made the discovery, so unlucky to his kinsman, that the house was haunted.
One night, when all the family had retired to bed, Sigismund was roused by the spectre. Almost beside himself with terror, he rushed out in his shirt, ready to break his neck down stairs, and called up the master of the house. With difficulty Robert drew from him an explanation respecting the cause of such vehement alarm. Having at length somewhat recovered from the fright occasioned by the apparition, he gave the landlord the following account :"I was fast asleep, when a white, death-like figure opened my door, which I had locked before I went to bed. The noise awoke me. The spectre had a hunch of key's in one hand, and in the other a lamp which gave but a feeble light. It walked past my bed, paced the room several times, then set the lamp down on the table and slipped into bed to me. I endeavored to cry out, but could not. Fear and horror paralyzed my senses. God knows how I got out of bed without falling a prey to the hideous apparition!"
The trembling Robert awoke his people, and he ventured, in their company and well armed, to approach the haunted chamber. He found the door fast: Sigismund, as far as he could recollect, had pulled it after him, that the ghost might have less chance of overtaking him in his flight. As the key had been left on the table that stood by the bed-side, it was found necessary to fetch the master-key before they could gain admission. This was accordingly done; and all eyes looked round for the spectre, but in vain—it was gone. Sigismund, however durst not resume possession of his deserted bed for the remainder of the night.
Robert could not tell what to think of the story of his kinsman. He was too well acquainted with his character to suspect deception; he supposed that he was not a great coward : he had, therefore, no just cause to doubt the accuracy of his statement. At the same time he was vexed when he reflected that the spectre might think fit to return : his house would, in consequence, get a bad name, and his business might be ruined. To investigate the matter more closely, he repaired the following night, accompanied by his trusty servant Peter, well armed, to the haunted chamber. He assigned to Peter the post of danger and honor by the door, while he himself took possession of an easy chair, at the remotest corner of the room. The great house-lantern, containing a lighted candle, was placed on the table.
Long did they thus wait in vain for the visit of the spectre. Both of them found it difficult to keep their eyes open, and nothing but the supposed danger of their enterprise furnished them with unusual powers of vigilance. Sleep nevertheless began to exercise its despotic sway over the landlord. Peter meanwhile heard, as he thought, something coming up stairs, and imagined that he could distinguish soft steps. The effect on his sleepy senses was powerful and instantaneous. He gave his master notice of the impending attack. Sleep, however, had completely overpowered the landlord ; and under these circumstances Peter deemed himself justified in leaving his post, and rousing his master by no very gentle shake to the. conflict. Both trembling drew their cutlasses and took post behind the arm-chair. The spectre was already at the door, and the bunch of keys which it carried rattled like chains. The door opened, and the figure of a living corpse presented itself. It was covered from head to foot by a white shroud, walked twice round the room, and then glided with a deep sigh into the bed.
Glad to see the coast thus far clear, Robert seized the lantern and made a precipitate retreat down stairs, not only leaving his arms in the possession of the enemy, but, in his haste, dashing the lantern with such force against the balusters that it was shattered to pieces.
Peter, who, at the first appearance of the spectre, had squeezed his eyes together, and in his fright commended his soul to all the saints, had meanwhile sunk on the floor behind the arm-chair. He saw nothing, heard but little of what was passing about him, and awaited his fate with patient resignation. The crash of the lantern, which should have recalled his senses, only served to increase his stupefaction. Fatigued and exhausted with terror, he sunk into the arms of sleep, and was found in the morning snoring at full length on the floor behind the arm-chair.
Robert hurried back to bed, without undressing, and covered himself over head and ears in the clothes ; so low had his courage fallen. The cheering light of day, which dispels fear, and restores courage to the faint-hearted, once more raised Robert's spirits. Accompanied by his people, he went in quest of his lost attendant, to the place where he had left him. He rejoiced sincerely that the spectre had not bodily carried off the poor fellow.
The adventure of the night was soon known to all the towns-folk. The more sensible of them laughed heartily at the landlord's absurd conduct, and called him a stupid, superstitious, chicken-hearted coward. This language soon reached his ears, and vexed him to such a degree, that he repaired to the burgomaster of the town, made affidavit of the particulars of the affair, and requested the magistrate to take measures for ascertaining the reality of the apparition, and the truth of his supernatural adventure ; that he might retrieve his lost honor in the estimation of the incredulous public.
The magistrate complied with his request, and the town-sergeant was sent with four courageous fellows to pass the next night in the haunted chamber. Whether the spirit deemed its opponents in this instance too formidable, or whether it had actually decamped, so much is certain, that it did not think fit to show itself to the party which was anxious for its appearance. The men repaired to their post the two succeeding nights, but the obstinate ghost was not to be seen.
Robert had thus put himself to a useless expense; and, if he had previously been the talk of the whole town, he now became the butt of general ridicule.
It was not long before Sigismund, in company with a friend, again passed through the place. He was informed that the spectre had terrified the landlord and Peter almost out of their lives; and he resolved not to sleep any more at his kinsman's. The courteous solicitations of the fair Rosina, however, had great influence over him : he ventured once more to lodge under the same roof with her, but only on the express condition that he should not lie in the haunted chamber.
His friend, however, desirous of an interview with a ghost, insisted on having a bed prepared for him in the very room which the spirit had been accustomed to visit. The landlord was not a little gratified to think that he had at last met a person willing to avenge, as he termed it, the honor of his house.
Sigismund's friend took his measures with coolness and deliberation. He placed on the table by his bed a brace of loaded pistols, provided himself with a couple of candles, in addition to the night-lamp, went to bed unconcerned, slept soundly, and awoke next morning without hearing or seeing any thing of a spirit. He endeavored to impress upon the mind of his companion the silliness of his fears, and begged him as a friend to bear him company the following night.
Sigismund, sensible that his friend's exhortations were well-meant, plucked up a spirit and repaired with him at bed-time to his former chamber. Towards mid-night faint steps were heard ascending the stairs, and slowly approaching nearer and nearer to the room. The same pale spectre, dressed in white, which had terrified him once before, again made its appearance. Sigismnnd, overwhelmed with horror, never thought of the pistols, which lay near the bed, but again sought safety in flight, leaving his friend to cope by himself with the ghost.
His fellow-traveller closely watched the apparition. It approached him; and he could not help shuddering, when he saw it preparing to get into bed to him; he sprung out, and had a good mind not only to quit that, but, like Sigismund, to abandon the field altogether. On second thoughts, however, he mustered courage, seized a pistol in one hand, and a candle in the other, drew back a little, and thus awaited what was to happen.
The ghost seemed to take no notice of its armed antagonist, but so much the more closely did he watch the apparition. It seemed to be of the female sex, to judge from the bosom, which was not very carefully covered. He approached nearer to the bed, on which the unwelcome visitor lay most quietly, and scrutinized its features. Heavens! how agreeably was he surprised, to recognize in the slumbering figure the lovely Rosina! For fear of disturbing the fair night-walker, he durst not, though strongly tempted, steal a single kiss, but softly quitted the room to call her parents and his friend.
None of them, however, was in any hurry to obey the summons. The jocose and confident manner in which their guest spoke of his discovery, and a word which he whispered in the ear of the landlady, induced the latter to follow him alone to the haunted chamber, for the purpose of ascertaining the nature of the nocturnal apparition. Robert and Sigismund sneaked after the advanced guard, and, before they ventured to go into the chamber, cautiously peeped in at the door, while the mother's eyes had been for some time fondly fixed on her darling. She knew from former experience that Rosina had a predisposition to walking in her sleep, and she was too thoroughly convinced of her virtue and innocence to attribute her being in such a situation to any other cause than that singular disorder.
It was long before Robert would trust either the assurances of his better half or his own senses ; till at last Rosina herself furnished evidence too strong to be resisted. She quitted the bed with her eyes shut, took up the night-lamp which had gone out, and walked through the astonished company, who made way for her, out of the room. They followed her in silence, because they had either not had sufficient presence of mind to wake her at first, or because they wished to spare her the embarrassment of so awkward a situation.
She found the way down stairs, to her chamber. All retired again to rest, and Sigismund, in particular, resumed the place which his Rosina had occupied with very different feelings from those with which he had left it. The inference which he drew in regard to her sentiments towards him from her behaviour in the liveliest of all dreams, could not but be exceedingly flattering to him. Nothing therefore could prevent him next morning from making Rosina a formal offer of his hand, and explaining to her parents his further views. They had little to object, and the heart of Rosina still less.
Thus the horror and apprehension of a supernatural visitation terminated in a joyous wedding, which was consummated in the same chamber where the innocent Rosina had twice filled her lover with inexpressible alarm.
