d--"what has happened?"

"That is more than I know as yet," the man replied. "Come, Fanny," he
added, "tell me what it is you fear. What caused you to scream out in
that dreadful manner?"

"Oh, father--the vampyre!"

"Great God! what do you mean, Fanny, by that?"

"I hardly know, father. I was fast asleep, when I thought I felt
something at my threat; but being very sound asleep, I did not
immediately awake. Presently I felt the sharp pang of teeth being driven
into the flesh of my neck--I awoke, and found the vampyre at his repast.
Oh, God! oh, God! what shall I do?"

"Stay, my child, let us examine the wound," said the fisherman, and he
held the candle to the spot where the vampyre's teeth had been applied.
There, sure enough, were teeth marks, such as a human being's would make
were they applied, but no blood had been drawn therefrom.

"Come, come, Fanny; so far, by divine Providence, you are not injured;
another moment, and the mischief would have been done entire and
complete, and you would have been his victim."

Then turning to the stranger, he said,--

"You have had some hand in this. No human being but you could come into
this place. The cottage door is secured. You must be the vampyre."

"I!"

"Yes; who else could?"

"I!--As Heaven's my judge--but there, it's useless to speak of it; I
have not been out of my bed. In this place, dark as it is, and less used
to darkness than you, I could not even find my way about.--It is
impossible."

"Get out of your bed, and let me feel," said the ferryman,
peremptorily--"get out, and I will soon tell."

The stranger arose, and began to dress himself, and the ferryman
immediately felt the bed on which he had been lying; but it was ice
cold--so cold that he started upon his legs in an instant, exclaiming
with vehemence,--

"It is you, vile wretch! that has attempted to steal into the cottage of
the poor man, and then to rob him of his only child, and that child of
her heart's blood, base ingrate!"

"My friend, you are wrong, entirely wrong. I am not the creature you
believe me. I have slept, and slept soundly, and awoke not until your
daughter screamed."

"Scoundrel!--liar!--base wretch! you shall not remain alive to injure
those who have but one life to lose."

As he spoke, the ferryman made a desperate rush at the vampyre, and
seized him by the throat, and a violent struggle ensued, in which the
superior strength of the ferryman prevailed, and he broug