Кармилла
The Woodman
"AndthiswasoncethepalatialresidenceoftheKarnsteins!"saidtheoldGeneralatlength,asfromagreatwindowhelookedoutacrossthevillage,andsawthewide,undulatingexpanseofforest."Itwasabadfamily,andhereitsbloodstainedannalswerewritten,"hecontinued."Itishardthattheyshould,afterdeath,continuetoplaguethehumanracewiththeiratrociouslusts.ThatisthechapeloftheKarnsteins,downthere."
HepointeddowntothegreywallsoftheGothicbuildingpartlyvisiblethroughthefoliage,alittlewaydownthesteep."AndIheartheaxeofawoodman,"headded,"busyamongthetreesthatsurroundit;hepossiblymaygiveustheinformationofwhichIaminsearch,andpointoutthegraveofMircalla,CountessofKarnstein.Theserusticspreservethelocaltraditionsofgreatfamilies,whosestoriesdieoutamongtherichandtitledsosoonasthefamiliesthemselvesbecomeextinct."
"Wehaveaportrait,athome,ofMircalla,theCountessKarnstein;shouldyouliketoseeit?"askedmyfather.
"Timeenough,dearfriend,"repliedtheGeneral."IbelievethatIhaveseentheoriginal;andonemotivewhichhasledmetoyouearlierthanIatfirstintended,wastoexplorethechapelwhichwearenowapproaching."
"What!seetheCountessMircalla,"exclaimedmyfather;"why,shehasbeendeadmorethanacentury!"
"Notsodeadasyoufancy,Iamtold,"answeredtheGeneral.