cry uttered there can reach the outer world--and was
submitted to the ancient process for slaying a vampire. From that hour
no supernatural visitant has troubled the district; but--"

"But," said Dr. Cairn quietly, "the strain came from Mirza, the
sorceress. What of her?"

Lord Lashmore's eyes shone feverishly.

"How do you know that she was a sorceress?" he asked, hoarsely. "These
are family secrets."

"They will remain so," Dr. Cairn answered. "But my studies have gone
far, and I know that Mirza, wife of the third Baron Lashmore,
practised the Black Art in life, and became after death a ghoul. Her
husband surprised her in certain detestable magical operations and
struck her head off. He had suspected her for some considerable time,
and had not only kept secret the birth of her son but had secluded
the child from the mother. No heir resulting from his second marriage,
however, the son of Mirza became Baron Lashmore, and after death
became what his mother had been before him.

"Lord Lashmore, the curse of the house of Dhoon will prevail until the
Polish Jewess who originated it has been treated as her son was
treated!"

"Dr. Cairn, it is not known where her husband had her body concealed.
He died without revealing the secret. Do you mean that the taint, the
devil's taint, may recur--Oh, my God! do you want to drive me mad?"

"I do not mean that after so many generations which have been free
from it, the vampirism will arise again in your blood; but I mean that
the spirit, the unclean, awful spirit of that vampire woman, is still
earth-bound. The son was freed, and with him went the hereditary
taint, it seems; but the mother was _not_ freed! Her body was
decapitated, but her vampire soul cannot go upon its appointed course
until the ancient ceremonial has been performed!"

Lord Lashmore passed his hand across his eyes.

"You daze me, Dr. Cairn. In brief, what do you mean?"

"I mean that the spirit of Mirza is to this day loose upon the world,
and is forced, by a deathless, unnatural longing to seek incarnation
in a human body. It is such awful pariahs as this, Lord Lashmore, that
constitute the danger of so-called spiritualism. Given suitable
conditions, such a spirit might gain control of a human being."

"Do you suggest that the spirit of the second lady--"

"It is distinctly possible that she haunts her descendants. I seem to
remember a tradition of Dhoon Castle, to the effect that births and
deaths are