"Polidori_The Vampyre" - читать интересную книгу автора (Polidori John William)

before him. He would tear himself at times from her, and, forming a plan for
some antiquarian research, would depart, determined not to return until his
object was attained; but he always found it impossible to fix his attention
upon the ruins around him, whilst in his mind he retained an image that
seemed alone the rightful possessor of his thoughts. Ianthe was unconscious
of his love, and was ever the same frank infantile being he had first known.
She always seemed to part from him with reluctance; but it was because she
had no longer any one with whom she could visit her favourite haunts, whilst
her guardian was occupied in sketching or uncovering some fragment which had
yet escaped the destructive hand of time. She had appealed to her parents on
the subject of Vampyres, and they both, with several present, affirmed their
existence, pale with horror at the very name. Soon after, Aubrey determined
to proceed upon one of his excursions, which was to detain him for a few
hours; when they heard the name of the place, they all at once begged of him
not to return at night, as he must necessarily pass through a wood, where no
Greek would ever remain, after the day had closed, upon any consideration.
They described it as the resort of the vampyres in their nocturnal orgies
and denounced the most heavy evils as impending upon him who dared to cross
their path. Aubrey made light of their representations, and tried to laugh
them out of the idea; but when he saw them shudder at his daring thus to
mock a superior, infernal power, the very name of which apparently made
their blood freeze, he was silent.

Next morning Aubrey set off upon his excursion unattended; he was surprised
to observe the melancholy face of his host, and was concerned to find that
his words, mocking the belief of those horrible fiends, had inspired them
with such terror. When he was about to depart, Ianthe came to the side of
his horse, and earnestly begged of him to return, ere night allowed the
power of these beings to be put in action; -- he promised. He was, however,
so occupied in his research, that he did not perceive that day-light would
soon end, and that in the horizon there was one of those specks which, in
the warmer climates, so rapidly gather into a tremendous mass, and pour all
their rage upon the devoted country. -- He at last, however, mounted his
horse, determined to make up by speed for his delay: but it was too late.
Twilight, in these southern climates, is almost unknown; immediately the sun
sets, night begins: and ere he had advanced far, the power of the storm was
above -- its echoing thunders had scarcely an interval of rest; -- its thick
heavy rain forced its way through the canopying foliage, whilst the blue
forked lightning seemed to fall and radiate at his very feet. Suddenly his
horse took fright, and he was carried with dreadful rapidity through the
entangled forest. The animal at last, through fatigue, stopped, and he
found, by the glare of lightning, that he was in the neighbourhood of a
hovel that hardly lifted itself up from the masses of dead leaves and
brushwood which surrounded it. Dismounting, he approached, hoping to find
some one to guide him to the town, or at least trusting to obtain shelter
from the pelting of the storm. As he approached, the thunders, for a moment
silent, allowed him to hear the dreadful shrieks of a woman mingling with
the stifled, exultant mockery of a laugh, continued in one almost unbroken
sound; -- he was startled: but, roused by the thunder which again rolled
over his head, he, with a sudden effort, forced open the door of the hut. He