Виктория Холт - On the Night of the Seventh Moon

Frau Graben appeared, a candle in her hand, her hair in iron curlers under a nightcap.

“Mem Gottshe cried.

“What is happening?”

I continued to beat out the smouldering remains of the table-cloth. My mouth was parched and for a moment I could not speak. Then I said:

“Frieda dropped the candle and I think there was someone here.

Frieda, did you see anyone? “

She shook her head.

“I dropped the candle, the flame caught the matches, the whole box went up in flames.

“Where were you, Frau Graben?” I asked.

“Did you see anyone? You must have.”

“There was no one on the stairs.”

Frieda cried: “It must have been the ghost.”

“You’re shaking like a leaf,” said Frau Graben to me.

“But why did you come up here?”

“Fritz!” I cried.

“I’m forgetting Fritz. I came to look for him. He’s sleepwalking again.”

“Well, he’s not here,” said Frau Graben.

I stared fearfully at the window.

“We must search every where everywhere,” I cried frantically.

“Come then,” said Frau Graben.

“Frieda, damp down that cloth just in case. Make sure there’s no danger.”

We went down the stairs to Fritz’s room. His door was open. To my great relief he was in his bed.

“Fritz,” I cried, bending over him, ‘are you all right? “

“Hello, Miss Trant,” he said sleepily.

I kissed him and he smiled happily. I felt his hand. It was warm. I remembered how icily cold his hands and feet had been on that other occasion when I had found him walking in his sleep.

“I’ve been to see a horse,” he murmured.

“All polished it was and shiny and there was a man sitting on it with a gold crown on his head.”

“You`’ve been dreaming, Fritz,” I said.

“Yes,” he murmured, closing his eyes.

Frau Graben said: “Well, we’d better get to our beds.”

She came back to my room with me.

“You`’ve had a nasty shock. Miss,” she said.

“I didn’`t want to say too much in front of Frieda. She was near hysteria. You say someone was behind you?”

Yes. “

“Yet Frieda saw nothing.”

“I can’t understand it. But it all happened in a moment.

She dropped the candle and the matches caught fire. That saved me, I think. “

“They’d say it was the ghost. That was why we kept the room locked.

They used to say that if anyone went up there and leaned out of that window they wouldn’`t be able to stop themselves going over. “

“That’s nonsense. Someone was there-behind me.”

“Can you be sure? When Frieda saw nobody?”

“Do you think I imagined it?”

“I don’t know what to say, but I reckon you ought not to go on brooding on it. I’ll bring you a drop of hot cordial; it’ll put you to sleep; and if you lock your door you’ll feel safe. Then after a good night’s sleep you can start worrying about what really happened.”

She slipped out and shortly returned with the cordial. Tt was hot and warming. She took the glass away; I locked myself into my room; and to my surprise I was soon fast asleep. Her cordial must have been very potent.

I woke in the morning feeling heavy-headed. I washed and dressed hurriedly, thinking about last night’s terrifying incident. By daylight it no longer seemed fantastic; I had had an anxious time and may have imagined that someone was behind me and that had Frieda not dropped the candle I should have been forced out of the window. It seemed the most logical conclusion. The innkeeper’s daughter’s death was in my mind, and she, poor girl, had fallen to her death. Was I becoming fanciful? It was unlike me, it was true, but possible, I supposed.

I told myself that I must be calm and behave normally so I went to the schoolroom to find Fritz and Liesel there alone. They told me that Dagobert was not up.

“He’s lazy,” said Fritz.

“No, he’s not,” contradicted Liesel, protecting Dagobert as usual.

“He’s an old sleepyhead this morning.”

I said I would go and wake him.

“We’ve had our breakfast,” said Liesel. Tritz was naughty. “

“I wasn’`t,” retorted Fritz.

“Yes, he was, he left half his milk.”

“I always leave half my milk. You know Dagobert drinks it.”

“He drinks it for you.”

“No he doesn’`t. He drinks it because he likes it.”

I left them arguing and went into Dagobert’s room. The boy was lying flat on his back. I bent over him and a great fear struck me.

“Dagobert!” I cried.

“Wake up, Dagobert!”

He did not open his eyes. I bent over him, studying him intently. This was no ordinary sleep.

I ran as fast as I could to Frau Graben’s sitting-room.

She was eating a slice of pumpernickel sprinkled with the caraway seeds which she liked so much. Nothing that happened could affect her appetite.

“Frau Graben,” I said.

“I’m worried about Dagobert. I wish you’d come and look at him.”

“Isn’t he up?”

“No. He’s asleep. It’s rather peculiar She left her pumpernickel and came with me.

She took one look at the boy and felt his pulse.

“Mein Golf’ she cried.

“What goes on in this place? He’s been put to sleep.”

“Dagobert! Put to sleep!” I cried.

She shook her head gravely.

“Something strange is going on,” she said. I don’t like it. I wish I knew who was responsible for this. “

“What shall we do?”

“Leave him to sleep it off. We’ll tell the children Dagobert’s not feeling well and will spend the morning in bed and they’re not to disturb him.”

“Has this anything to do with last night, I wonder?”

“What could it have? Do you know. Miss Trant?”

“I’ve no idea. All I’m convinced of is that last night someone was waiting in the turret-room to kill me.”

“Have you any idea who?”

“No. But it has something to do with my relationship with Maximilian.”

“Ah,” she said, ‘but we don’t want to get ideas and fancies till we’re sure, do we? “

“I feel very uneasy.”

“That’s a good sign. You’ll be on your guard.”

“So many strange things are happening. Fritz walking in his sleep ..

“

“He’s done that often.”

What of Dagobert? “

The young monkey got hold of someone’s laudanum bottle and took a swig or two. Nobody would be very surprised at that. We know what he is. He’s into everything. “

“It’s too glib an explanation,” I said, ‘following on what happened to me. “

“We’ll let him sleep it out. He’ll be himself before the day’s out.”

We went back to the schoolroom.

Fritz was telling Liesel: “And I dreamed that someone came in and picked me up and I was carried away and away and I was in a new country and there was a horse, a horse with a man on it and the man had a crown on his head .. all polished it was.”

That afternoon I was in my room when there was a tap on the door. I called “Come in’ and Prinzstein entered.

“I have the carriage below. Miss Trant,” he said. The Duchess sent a message that I was to take you to the Landhaus. She is holding a meeting there of those who are to help her in the hospital. “

“I had no message,” I said.

“It came some time ago. I told Freda to tell you. I believe Frau Graben called her away for something. She must have forgotten it. I hope you will not be too angry with her. She is of a nervous nature and the fire in the turret-room upset her, so she is not herself.”

“I understand, of course, but I am not ready.”

“Perhaps you will be as quick as possible. Miss Trant. We must not keep Her Grace waiting.”

The idea of meeting that woman again made me very apprehensive. This time, however, there would be others there -her helpers. I knew that war was very close indeed. It seemed inevitable now; and she would naturally wish to get her hospital into working order as soon as possible.