Johanna Spyri - Heidi

At last, Miss Rottenmeier persuaded John and Sebastian to spend a night downstairs in the room next to the drawing‐room, to see if they could discover the cause of the mystery. They were provided with weapons belonging to Mr Sesemann, and a bottle of wine to fortify them for whatever might happen.

When evening came they settled down and immediately opened the wine which soon made them talkative. then they grew sleepy and lolled back in their armchairs and fell into a doze. The clock striking twelve brought Sebastian to his senses and he said something to John but John was fast asleep and only settled himself more comfortably into his chair at each effort to rouse him. Sebastian, however, was wide awake now, and listening for unusual sounds. But none came, either from the house or from the street. In fact, the silence was so deep that he grew uneasy. He saw it was no use trying to wake John by calling to him so he shook him, but another hour passed before John was really awake and remembered what he was there for. He got to his feet then, with a fine show of courage, and said:

‘We’d better go and see what’s going on. Don’t be afraid. Just follow me.’

He pushed open the door, which had been left ajar, and went out into the passage. Almost at once the candle in his hand was blown out by a gust of wind from the front door which was standing wide open. He rushed back into the room at that, almost knocking Sebastian over, and slammed the door and locked it. Then he struck a match and lit the candle again. Sebastian did not know what had happened. John was portly enough to block his view completely and he had seen nothing. He had not even felt the draught. But John was white as a sheet and trembling like an aspen leaf.

‘What’s the matter? What was outside?’ Sebastian asked anxiously.

‘The front door was wide open,’ John told him, ‘and there was a white figure on the stairs which suddenly vanished.’

A cold shiver ran down Sebastian’s spine. They sat down close together and did not stir thereafter until it was broad daylight and they could hear people going by in the street. Then they went and shut the front door and then reported to Miss Rottenmeier. They found her already up and dressed, for she had been awake most of the night wondering what they would discover. As soon as she had heard their story, she sat down and wrote very emphatically to Mr Sesemann, telling him she was so paralysed with fright she could hardly hold a pen, and must beg him to come home at once as no one in the house could sleep easily in their beds for fear of what might happen next.

The answer, by return of post, said that it was not possible for Mr Sesemann to leave his business and return home so precipitately. He was surprised to hear of a ‘ghost’ about the house, and hoped it was only some temporary disturbance. However, if the trouble continued, he suggested that Miss Rottenmeier should write and ask his mother to return to Frankfurt. She would certainly know how to deal with any ‘ghosts’ effectively, so that they did not show themselves again. Miss Rottenmeier was annoyed that he did not take the matter more seriously. She wrote immediately to Mrs Sesemann, but got no satisfaction from this quarter either. The old lady replied somewhat tartly that she had no intention of travelling all the way to Frankfurt again because Rottenmeier imagined she had seen a ghost. There had never been a ‘ghost’ in the house, and in the old lady’s opinion, the present one would prove to be very much alive. If Rottenmeier could not deal with the matter herself, the letter went on, she should send for the police.

Miss Rottenmeier was not inclined to endure much more, and she had a shrewd idea how to make the Sesemanns take notice of her complaint. So far she had not told the children anything, as she was afraid they would be too frightened ever to be left alone — and that would have been most tiresome. Now, however, she went straight to the study and told them in a hoarse whisper about the nightly visitations. Clara at once demanded that she should not be left alone, never, not for a single second.

‘Papa must come home. You must sleep in my room,’ she cried. ‘Heidi mustn’t be left alone either, in case the ghost does anything to her. We’d better all stay together in one room and keep the light on all night, and Tinette will have to sleep in the next room and John and Sebastian had better be out in the corridor so that they can frighten the ghost away if it comes upstairs.’ Clara was thoroughly worked up by that time, and Miss Rottenmeier had great difficulty in calming her.

‘I’ll write at once to your papa,’ she promised, ‘and put my bed in your room so that you’re never alone. But we can’t all sleep in one room. If Adelheid is frightened Tinette shall put up a bed in her room.’ But Heidi was much more afraid of Tinette than of ghosts, of which indeed she had never heard, so she said she was not frightened and would sleep alone in her own room. Miss Rottenmeier then went to her desk and wrote dutifully to Mr Sesemann to let him know that the mysterious happenings in the house still continued, and were threatening to have a very bad effect on Clara in her delicate state of health. ‘Fright might even send her into fits,’ she wrote, ‘or bring on an attack of St Vitus’ dance.’

Her plot was successful. Two days later Mr Sesemann stood at his front door, ringing the bell so vigorously that everyone jumped, thinking the ghost had started playing tricks by daylight. Sebastian peeped through one of the upstairs windows to see what was happening, and at that moment the bell rang again so loudly that there could be no real doubt that a human hand had pulled it. He realized that it was his master and rushed downstairs, almost falling head over heels in his haste. Mr Sesemann hardly noticed him, but went at once to Clara’s room. She welcomed him joyfully and he was greatly relieved to find her so cheerful and, to all appearances, much as usual. Clara assured him she was really no worse, and was so pleased to see him that she felt quite grateful to the ghost for bringing him home.

‘And how has the “ghost” been behaving, Miss Rotten‐meier?’ he asked that lady with a smile.

‘Oh, it’s a serious matter,’ she replied stiffly. ‘I don’t think even you will be laughing about it tomorrow. It seems to me that something terrible must have happened here some time in the past, though it has not come out until now.’

‘I must ask you not to cast reflections on my entirely respectable forebears!’ said Mr Sesemann. ‘Now please send Sebastian to me in the dining‐room. I want to talk to him alone.’ He had noticed that Sebastian and Miss Rottenmeier were not exactly on the best of terms and that gave him an idea.

‘Come here,’ he said, as Sebastian entered, ‘and tell me the truth. Did you play the ghost to frighten Miss Rottenmeier?’

‘Oh, sir, please don’t think that. I’m just as frightened as she is,’ replied Sebastian, and it was plain that he was speaking the truth.

‘Well, if that’s the case, I shall have to show you and the worthy John what ghosts look like by daylight. A great strong chap like you ought to be ashamed of running away from such a thing. Now I want you to take a message to Dr Classen. Give him my regards and ask him to come and see me without fail at nine o’clock tonight. Say I’ve come back from Paris on purpose to consult him, and that the matter is so serious that he’d better come prepared to spend the night. Is that clear?’

‘Yes, sir. I’ll see to it at once.’

Mr Sesemann then went back to tell his daughter that he hoped to lay the ghost by the next day.

Punctually at nine o’clock, when both children were in bed and Miss Rottenmeier had retired for the night, the doctor arrived. Although his hair was grey, he had a fresh complexion and his eyes were bright and kind. He looked rather worried when he came in, but as soon as he saw his friend, he burst out laughing.