Випадок Чарльза Декстера Варда

           HegaveanaddressintheNeustadt,andannouncednomovetillthefollowingJanuary;whenhedroppedseveralcardsfromViennatellingofhispassagethroughthatcityonthewaytowardamoreeasterlyregionwhitheroneofhiscorrespondentsandfellow-delversintotheocculthadinvitedhim.

           ThenextcardwasfromKlausenburginTransylvania,andtoldofWard’sprogresstowardhisdestination.HewasgoingtovisitaBaronFerenczy,whoseestatelayinthemountainseastofRakus;andwastobeaddressedatRakusinthecareofthatnobleman.AnothercardfromRakusaweeklater,sayingthathishost’scarriagehadmethimandthathewasleavingthevillageforthemountains,washislastmessageforaconsiderabletime;indeed,hedidreplytohisparents’frequentlettersuntilMay,whenhewrotetodiscouragetheplanofhismotherforameetinginLondon,Paris,orRomeduringthesummer,whentheelderWardswereplanningtotraveltoEurope.Hisresearches,hesaid,weresuchthathecouldnotleavehispresentquarters;whilethesituationofBaronFerenczy’scastledidnotfavorvisits.Itwasonacraginthedarkwoodedmountains,andtheregionwassoshunnedbythecountryfolkthatnormalpeoplecouldnothelpfeelingillatease.Moreover,theBaronwasnotapersonlikelytoappealtocorrectandconservativeNewEnglandgentlefolk.Hisaspectandmannershadidiosyncrasies,andhisagewassogreatastobedisquieting.Itwouldbebetter,Charlessaid,ifhisparentswouldwaitforhisreturntoProvidence;whichcouldscarcelybefardistant.