Кармілла
An Early Fright
Thenearestinhabitedschlossofanyhistoricassociations,isthatofoldGeneralSpielsdorf,nearlytwentymilesawaytotheright.
Ihavesaid"thenearestinhabitedvillage,"becausethereis,onlythreemileswestward,thatistosayinthedirectionofGeneralSpielsdorf’sschloss,aruinedvillage,withitsquaintlittlechurch,nowroofless,intheaisleofwhicharethemolderingtombsoftheproudfamilyofKarnstein,nowextinct,whoonceownedtheequallydesolatechateauwhich,inthethickoftheforest,overlooksthesilentruinsofthetown.
Respectingthecauseofthedesertionofthisstrikingandmelancholyspot,thereisalegendwhichIshallrelatetoyouanothertime.
Imusttellyounow,howverysmallisthepartywhoconstitutetheinhabitantsofourcastle.Idon’tincludeservants,orthosedependentswhooccupyroomsinthebuildingsattachedtotheschloss.Listen,andwonder!Myfather,whoisthekindestmanonearth,butgrowingold;andI,atthedateofmystory,onlynineteen.Eightyearshavepassedsincethen.
Iandmyfatherconstitutedthefamilyattheschloss.Mymother,aStyrianlady,diedinmyinfancy,butIhadagood-naturedgoverness,whohadbeenwithmefrom,Imightalmostsay,myinfancy.Icouldnotrememberthetimewhenherfat,benignantfacewasnotafamiliarpictureinmymemory.
ThiswasMadamePerrodon,anativeofBerne,whosecareandgoodnaturenowinpartsuppliedtomethelossofmymother,whomIdonotevenremember,soearlyIlosther.Shemadeathirdatourlittledinnerparty.
