The colourless hue of the moonlight gave the object a most horrific and
terrible appearance! The face of the dead man was turned towards the
moon's rays, and the body seemed to receive all the light that could
fall upon it.

It was a terrible object to look upon, and one that added a new and
singular interest to the scene! The world seemed then to be composed
almost exclusively of still life, and the body was no impediment to the
stillness of the scene.

It was, all else considered, a calm, beautiful scene, lovely the night,
gorgeous the silvery rays that lit up the face of nature; the hill and
dale, meadow, and wood, and river, all afforded contrasts strong,
striking, and strange.

But strange, and more strange than any contrast in nature, was that
afforded to the calm beauty of the night and place by the deep stillness
and quietude imposed upon the mind by that motionless human body.

The moon's rays now fell upon its full length; the feet were lying in
the water, the head lay back, with its features turned towards the
quarter of the heavens where the moon shone from; the hair floated on
the shallow water, while the face and body were exposed to all
influences, from its raised and prominent position.

The moonbeams had scarcely settled upon it--scarce a few minutes--when
the body moved. Was it the water that moved it? it could not be, surely,
that the moonbeams had the power of recalling life into that inanimate
mass, that lay there for some time still and motionless as the very
stones on which it lay.

It was endued with life; the dead man gradually rose up, and leaned
himself upon his elbow; he paused a moment like one newly recalled to
life; he seemed to become assured he did live. He passed one hand
through his hair, which was wet, and then rose higher into a sitting
posture, and then he leaned on one hand, inclining himself towards the
moon.

His breast heaved with life, and a kind of deep inspiration, or groan,
came from him, as he first awoke to life, and then he seemed to pause
for a few moments. He turned gradually over, till his head inclined down
the stream.

Just below, the water deepened, and ran swiftly and silently on amid
meads and groves of trees. The vampyre was revived; he awoke again to a
ghastly life; he turned from the heap of stones, he gradually allowed
himself to sink into deep water, and then, with a loud plunge, he swam
to the centre of the river.

Slowly and surely did he swim