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Gipsy Prophecy · Dracula's Guest & Other Weird Tales

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  The Gipsy Prophecy. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
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  the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot
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  org. Recording by Kate mac Kenzie. The Gipsy Prophecy by Bram Stoker.
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  I really think, said the doctor, that at any rate one of us
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  should go and try whether or not the thing is an imposture. Gord,
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  said Considine. After dinner, we will take our cigars and stroll over to
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  the camp accordingly. When the dinner was over and the latour finished, Joshua
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  Considine and his friend doctor Burley went over to the east side of the moor
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  where the Gipsy encampment lay. As they were leaving, Mary Considine, who
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  had walked as far toward the end of the garden where opened into the lane
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  way, called after her husband. Mind, Joshua, you're to give them
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  a fair chance, but don't give them any clue to a fortune. And
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  don't you get flirting with any of the gypsy maidens, and take care to
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  keep Gerald out of harm. For answer, Considine held up his hand as
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  if taking a stage oath, and whistled the air of the old song.
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  The gipsy Countess Gerald joined in the strain, and then breaking into merry laughter.
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  The two men passed along the lane way to the common, turning now
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  and then to wave their hands to Mary, who leaned over the gate in
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  the twilight looking after them. It was a lovely evening in the summer.
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  The very air was full of rest and quiet happiness, as though an outward
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  type of the peacefulness and joy which made a heaven of the home of the
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  young married folk. Considine's life had not been an eventful one. The only
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  disturbing element which he had ever known was in his wooing of Mary Winston,
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  and the long continued objection of her ambitious parents, who expected a brilliant match
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  for their only daughter. When mister and Missus Winston had discovered the attachment of
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  the young barrister, they had tried to keep the young people apart by sending
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  their daughter away for a long round of visits, having made her promise not
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  to correspond with her lover during her absence. Love, however, had stood
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  the test. Neither absence nor neglect seemed to cool the passion of the young
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  man, and jealousy seemed a thing unknown to his sanguine nature. So after
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  a long period of waiting, the parents had given in and the young folk
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  were married. They had been living in the cottage a few months and were
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  just beginning to feel at home. Gerald Burley, Joshua's old college chum,
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  and himself some time victim of Mary's beauty, had arrived a week before to
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  stay with them for as long a time as he could tear himself away from
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  his work in London. When her husband had quite disappeared, Mary went into
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  the house, and, sitting down at the piano, gave an hour to
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  Mendelssohn. It was but a short walk across the common, and before the
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  cigars required renewing, the two men had reached the gypsy camp. The place
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  was as picturesque as gypsy camps when in villages and when business is good usually
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  are. There were some few persons round the fire investing their money in prophecy,
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  and a large number of others, poorer or more parsimonious, who stayed
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  just outside the bounds, but near enough to see all that went on.
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  As the two gentlemen approached, the villagers who knew Joshua made way a little
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  and a pretty keen eyed gipsy girl tripped up and asked to tell their fortunes.
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  Joshua held out his hand, but the girl, without seeming to see
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  it, stared at his face in a very odd manner. Gerald nudged him,
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  you must cross her hand with silver, he said, it is one
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  of the most important parts of the mystery. Joshua took from his pocket a
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  half crown and held it out to her, but without looking at it,
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  she answered, you have the cross the gypsy's hand with gold. Gerald laughed,
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  you are at a premium as a subject. He said, Joshua was
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  of the kind of man, the universal kind, who can tolerate being stared
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  at by a pretty girl. So with some little deliberation he answered, all
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  right, here you are, my pretty girl, but you must give me
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  a real good fortune for it, and he handed her a half sovereign,
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  which she took, saying, it is not God from me to give good
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  fortune or bad, but only to read what the stars have said. She
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  took his right hand and turned it palm upward, but the instant her eyes
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  met it, she dropped it as though it had been red hot, and
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  with a startled look, glided swiftly away, lifting the curtain of the large
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  tent which occupied the center of the camp. She disappeared within sold again,
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  said the cynical Gerald. Joshua stood a little amazed and not altogether satisfied.
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  They both watched the large tent. In a few moments, there emerged from
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  the opening, not the young girl, but a stately looking woman of middle
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  age and commanding presence. The instant she appeared, the whole camp seemed to
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  stand still. The clamor of tongues, the laughter and noise of the work
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  were for a second or two arrested, and every man or woman who sat
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  or crouched or lay stood up and faced the imperial looking gipsy. The Queen,
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  of course, murmured Gerald, we are in look to the gipsy.
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  Queen threw a searching glance around the camp, and then, without hesitating,
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  an instant came straight over and stood before Joshua. Hold out your hand,
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  she said, in a commanding tone. Again, Gerald spoke sotto voce,
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  I have not been spoken to in that way since I was at school.
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  Your hand must be crossed with gold. A hundred percent at this game,
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  whispered Gerald. As Joshua laid another half sovereign on his upturned palm. The
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  Gipsy looked at the hand with knitted brows, then, suddenly, looking up
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  into his face, said, have you a strong will, have you a
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  true heart that can be brave for one you love? I hope so,
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  But I am afraid I have not vanity enough to say yes. Then I
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  will answer for you, for I read resolution in your face, resolution,
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  desperate and determined. If need be, you'll have a wife you love,
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  Yes, emphatically, then leave her at once, never see her face again.
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  Go from her now. My love is fresh and your heart is free
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  from wicked intent. Go quick, go far, and never see her face
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  again. Joshua drew away his hand quickly and said thank you, stiffly but
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  sarcastically. As he began to move away, I say, said Gerald,
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  you are not going like that, old man. No use in being indignant
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  with the stars or their profit, and moreover your sovereign, what of it?
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  At least hear the matter out Silence, Ribald commanded the queen. You
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  know not what you do. Let him go and go ignorant. If you
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  will not be warned, Joshua immediately turned back. At all events, you
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  will see this thing out. He said. Now, madam, you have
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  given me advice, but I paid for a fortune. Be warmed, said
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  the Gipsy. The stars have been silent for long. Let the mystery still
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  wrap them round. My dear madam. I do not get within touch of
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  a mystery every day, and I prefer for my money knowledge rather than ignorance.
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  I can get the latter commodity for nothing when I want any of it,
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  Gerald echoed the sentiment. As for me, I have a large and
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  unsaleable stock on hand. The Gipsy queen eyed the two men sterling, and
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  then said, as you wish, you have chosen for yourself and have met
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  warning with scorn and appeal with levity on your own heads. Be the doom,
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  Amen, said Gerald, with an imperious gesture. The queen took Joshua's
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  hand again and began to tell his fortune. I see here the flowing of
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  blood. It will flow before long. It is running in my sight.
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  It flows through the broken circle of a severed ring. Go on, said
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  Joshua, smiling. Gerald was silent. Must I speak plainer? Certainly?
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  We commonplace mortals want something definite. The stars are a long way off,
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  and their words get somewhat dulled in the message. The gypsy shuddered, and
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  then spoke impressively, this is the hand of a murderer, the murderer of
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  his wife. She dropped the hand and turned away. Joshua laughed. Do
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  you know, said he, I think if I were you, I should
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  prophecy some jurish brudance into my system. For instance, you say this hand
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  is the hand of a murderer. Well, whatever it may be in the
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  future or potentially it is at present, not one you ought to give your
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  prophecy in such terms as the hand which will be a murderers, or rather
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  for the hand of one who will be the murderer of his wife. The
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  stars are not really good on technical questions. The gypsy made no reply of
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  any kind, but with drooping head and despondent me and walked slowly to her
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  tent, and, lifting the curtain, disappeared without speaking. The two men
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  turned homewards and walked across them all presently. After some little hesitation, Gerald
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  spoke, of course, old man, this is all a joke, a
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  ghastly one, but still a joke. But would it not be well to
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  keep it to ourselves? How do you mean well, not tell your wife.
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  He might alarm her, alarm her, My dear Gerald, what are
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  you thinking of? Why she would not be alarmed or afraid of me?
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  If all the Gypsies that ever didn't come from behem Me agreed that I was
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  to murder her, or even to have a hard thought of her. Whilst
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  so long as she was saying Jack Robinson, Gerald remonstrated, old fellow,
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  women are superstitious, far more than we men are. And also they are
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  blessed or cursed with a nervous system to which we are strangers. I see
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  too much of it in my work not to realize it. Take my advice
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  and do not let her know, or you will frighten her. Joshua's lips
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  unconsciously hardened as he answered, my dear fellow, I would not have a
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  secret from my wife. Why it would be the beginning of a new order
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  of things between us. We have no secrets from each other. If we
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  ever have, then you may begin to look out for something odd between us,
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  still, said Gerald, at the risk of our welcome interference, I
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  say again be warned in time the gypsies very words, said Joshua, you,
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  and she seemed quite of one accord. Tell me, old ma'am,
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  is this a put up thing? You told me of the gipsy camp?
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  Did you arrange it all with her majesty? This was said with an air
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  of bantering earnestness. Gerald assured him that he only heard of the camp that
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  morning, but he made fun of every answer of his friend, and in
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  the process of this raillery. The time passed and they entered the cottage.
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  Mary was sitting at the piano, but not playing. The dim twilight had
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  waked some very tender feelings in her breast, and her eyes were full of
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  gentle tears. When the men came in, she sold over to her husband's
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  side and kissed him. Joshua struck a tragic attitude, Mary, He said,
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  in a deep voice, before you approach me, listen to the words
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  of fate. The stars have spoken and the doom is sealed. What is
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  it, dear? Tell me the fortune, But do not frighten me,
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  not at all, my dear. But there is a truth which it is
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  well that you should know. Nay, it is necessary so that all your
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  arranged can be made beforehand, and everything be decently done and in order,
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  go on, dear, I'm listening, Mary Conserdine, your effigy may yet
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  be seen at Madame toussants. Their juris imprudent stars have announced their fell tidings
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  that this hand is red with blood, Your blood, Mary, Mary,
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  my God. He sprang forward, but too late to catch her, as
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  she fell fainting on the floor. I told you, said Gerald, you
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  don't know them as well as I do. After a little while, Mary
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  recovered from her swoon, but only to fall into strong hysterics, in which
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  she laughed and wept and raved and cried keep him from me, from me,
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  Joshua and my husband, and many other words of entreaty and of fear.
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  Joshua Considine was in a state of mind bordering on agony, and when
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  at last Mary became calm, he knelt by her and kissed her feet and
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  hands and hair, and called her all the sweet names, and said all
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  the ten the things his lips could frame. All that night he sat by
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  her bedside and held her hand. Far through the night, and up to
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  the early morning. She kept waking from sleep and crying out as if in
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  fear, till she was comforted by the consciousness that her husband was watching beside
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  her breakfast was late the next morning, but during it Joshua received a telegram
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  which A cried him to drive over to Withering, nearly twenty miles. He
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  was loath to go, but Mary would not hear of his remaining, and
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  so before noon he drove off in his dog Heart alone. When he was
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  gone, Mary retired to her room. She did not appear at lunch,
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  but when afternoon tea was served on the lawn under the great weeping willow,
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  she came to join her guest. She was looking quite recovered from her illness
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  of the evening before. After some casual remarks, she said to Gerald,
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  of course it was very silly about last night, but I could not help
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  feeling frightened. Indeed, I would feel so still if I let myself think
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  of it. But after all, these people may only imagine things, and
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  I have got a test that can hardly fail to show that the prediction is
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  false, if indeed it be false, She added sadly. What is your
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  plan? Asked Gerald, I shall go myself to the Gipsy camp and have
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  my fortune told by the queen capital May I go with you? Oh?
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  No, thou would spoil it. She might know you and guess at me
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  and suit her utterance accordingly, I shall go alone this afternoon. When the
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  afternoon was gone, Mary Considine took her way to the gipsy encampment. Gerald
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  went with her as far as the near edge of the common and returned alone.
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  Half an hour had hardly elapsed when Mary entered the drawing room, where
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  he lay on a sofa reading. She was ghastly pale and was in a
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  state of extreme excitement. Hardly had she passed over the threshold when she collapsed
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  and sank, moaning on the carpet. Gerald rushed to aid her, but
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  by a great effort she controlled herself and motioned him to be silent. He
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  waited, and his ready attention to her wish seemed to be her best help,
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  for in a few minutes she had somewhat recovered and was able to tell
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  him what had passed. When I got to the camp, she said,
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  there did not seem to be a soul about. I went into the center
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  and stood there. Suddenly a tall woman stood beside me. Something told me
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  I was wanted. She said, I held out my hand and laid a
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  piece of silver on it. She took from her neck a small golden trinket
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  and laid it there also, and then, seizing the two, threw them
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  into the stream that ran by. Then she took my hand in hers and
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  spoke naught but blood in this guilty place, and turned away. I caught
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  hold of her and asked her to tell me more. After some hesitation,
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  she said the last alas I see you lying at your husband's feet, and
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  his hands are red with blood. Jerrold did not feel at all at ease
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  and tried to laugh it off. Surely, he said, this woman has
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  a craze about murder. Do not laugh, said Mary, I cannot bear
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  it, and then, as if with a sudden impulse, she left the
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  room. Not long after, Joshua returned, bright and cheery and as hungry
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  as a hunter after his long drive. His presence cheered his wife, who
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  seemed much brighter that she did not mention the episode of the visit to the
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  gypsy camp, so Gerald did not mention it either, as if by tacit
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  consent. The subject was not alluded to during the evening, but there was
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  a strange, settled look on Mary's face which Gerald could not but observe.
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  In the morning, Joshua came down to breakfast later than usual. Mary had
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  been up and about the house from an early hour, but as the time
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  drew on she seemed to get a little nervous, and now and again threw
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  a round an anxious look. Gerald could not help noticing that none of those
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  at breakfast could get on satisfactorily with their food. It was not altogether that
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  the chops were tough, but that the knives were all so blunt. Being
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  a guest, he of course made no sign, but presently saw Joshua draw
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  his thumb across the edge of his knife in an unconscious sort of way.
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  Had the action, Mary turned pale and almost fainted. After breakfast, they
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  all went out on the lawn. Mary was making up a bouquet and said
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  to her husband, get me a few of the tea roses. Dear.
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  Joshua pulled down a cluster from the front of the house. The stem bent
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  but was too tough to break. He put his hand in his pocket to
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  get his knife, but in vain, lend me your knife, Gerald,
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  he said. But Gerald had not got one, so he went into the
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  breakfast room and took one from the table. He came out feeling its edge
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  and grumbling, what on earth has happened to all the knives? The edges
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  seem more ground off. Mary turned away hurriedly and entered the house. Joshua
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  tried to sever the stalk with the blunt knife, as country cooks severn the
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  necks of fowl, as schoolboys cut twine with a little fir. He finished
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  the task. The cluster of roses grew thick, so we determined to gather
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  a great bunch. He could not find a single sharp knife in the sideboard
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  where the cutlery was kept, so he called Mary, and when she came,
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  told her the state of things. She looked so agitated and so miserable
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  that he could not help knowing the truth, And, as if a standard
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  and hurt, asked her, do you mean to say that you have done
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  it? She broke in, Oh, Joshua, I was so afraid.
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  He paused, and a set white look came over his face. Mary said,
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  he is this all the trust you have in me? I would not
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  have believed it, Oh Joshua, Joshua. She cried entutingly, forgive me,
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  and wept bitterly. Joshua thought a moment, and then said, I
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  see how it is. We shall better end this, or we shall all
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  go mad. He ran into the drawing room, Where are you going?
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  Almost screamed. Mary saw what he meant, that he would not be tied
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  to blunt instruments by the force of a superstition, and was not surprised when
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  he saw him come out through the French window, bearing in his hand a
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  large Gurkha knife, which usually lay on the center table, and which his
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  brother had sent him from northern India. It was one of those great hunting
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  knives which worked such havoc at close quarters with the enemies of the loyal Gurkhas
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  during the mutiny. Of great weight, but so evenly balanced in the hand
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  as to seem light, and with an edge like a razor. With one
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  of these knives, a Gurkha can cut a sheep in two. When Mary
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  saw him come out of the room with the weapon in his hand, she
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  screamed in an agony of fright, and the hysterics of last night were promptly
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  renewed. Joshua ran toward her, and, seeing her falling, threw down
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  the knife and tried to catch her. However, he was just a second
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  too late, and the two men cried out in horror simultaneously as they saw
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  her fall upon the naked blade. When Gerald rushed over, he found that
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  in falling her, the left hand had struck the blade, which lay partly
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  upwards on the grass. Some of the small veins were cut through, and
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  the blood gushed freely from the wound. As he was tying it up,
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  he pointed out to Joshua that the wedding ring was severed by the steel.
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  They carried her, fainting to the house, When after a while she came
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  out with her arm in a sling, she was peaceful in her mind,
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  unhappy. She said to her husband, the Gipsy was wonderfully near the truth,
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  too near for the real thing ever to occur. Now, dear Joshua
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  bent over and kissed the wounded hand. End of the Gipsy prophecy read by
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  Kate mc kenzie