wish to leave her body to our
relations here, but must take to my father her head, at least, that he
may see his daughter's face once more."

This custom of cutting off the head of beloved relatives seemed to me
somewhat repulsive, but I did not venture to raise any objections,
fearing to give offence to the stranger. I therefore told him that I
well understood embalming the dead and begged him to take me to the
deceased. At the same time I could not refrain from asking him why all
this must be done so mysteriously, and in the night. To this he
answered, that his relations, considering his intention as somewhat
cruel, would prevent him if he attempted it during the daytime; but
that if the head was once severed they would say little about it; that
he, indeed, would have brought me the head himself had not a natural
feeling deterred him from performing the operation.

In the meanwhile we arrived at a large, splendid mansion, which my
companion pointed out as the end of our nocturnal walk. Passing the
principal gate we entered the house by a small door, which he carefully
fastened after him, and ascended, in the dark, a narrow winding
staircase. This led to a faintly lighted corridor through which we
came to an apartment, which was lighted by a lamp suspended from the
ceiling.

In this apartment was a bed in which the corpse lay. The stranger
averted his face and seemed anxious to hide his tears. Pointing to the
bed, he ordered me to do my business well and expeditiously, and left
the apartment.

I took my knives out of the case, which, as a doctor, I always carried,
and approached the bed. Only the head of the corpse was visible; it
was so beautiful that, involuntarily, I felt compassion in my inmost
heart; the dark hair hung in long tresses over the pale face, and the
eyes were closed. I commenced, according to the custom of surgeons
when they amputate a limb, by making an incision in the skin. Then
taking my sharpest knife I cut the throat with one stroke. Oh! horror!
the dead opened her eyes, but closed them again immediately, and with
one deep sigh now breathed forth her life. At the same time a stream
of hot blood gushed over me from the wound. I was convinced that I
only had killed the poor lady. That she was dead now I could no longer
doubt, since such a wound was sure to be fatal. I stood for some
minutes in fearful anxiety as to what I had done. Had the Red Cloak
imposed on me, or had his si