Кармилла
Ordeal and Execution
Youhaveheard,nodoubt,oftheappallingsuperstitionthatprevailsinUpperandLowerStyria,inMoravia,Silesia,inTurkishSerbia,inPoland,eveninRussia;thesuperstition,sowemustcallit,oftheVampire.
Ifhumantestimony,takenwitheverycareandsolemnity,judicially,beforecommissionsinnumerable,eachconsistingofmanymembers,allchosenforintegrityandintelligence,andconstitutingreportsmorevoluminousperhapsthanexistuponanyoneotherclassofcases,isworthanything,itisdifficulttodeny,oreventodoubttheexistenceofsuchaphenomenonastheVampire.
FormypartIhaveheardnotheorybywhichtoexplainwhatImyselfhavewitnessedandexperienced,otherthanthatsuppliedbytheancientandwell-attestedbeliefofthecountry.
ThenextdaytheformalproceedingstookplaceintheChapelofKarnstein.
ThegraveoftheCountessMircallawasopened;andtheGeneralandmyfatherrecognizedeachhisperfidiousandbeautifulguest,inthefacenowdisclosedtoview.Thefeatures,thoughahundredandfiftyyearshadpassedsinceherfuneral,weretintedwiththewarmthoflife.Hereyeswereopen;nocadaveroussmellexhaledfromthecoffin.Thetwomedicalmen,oneofficiallypresent,theotheronthepartofthepromoteroftheinquiry,attestedthemarvelousfactthattherewasafaintbutappreciablerespiration,andacorrespondingactionoftheheart.Thelimbswereperfectlyflexible,thefleshelastic;andtheleadencoffinfloatedwithblood,inwhichtoadepthofseveninches,thebodylayimmersed
