"The Mysterious Stranger:" Classic Vampire Story -- a Summary

This is a classic vampire novella, recently made available electronically at LitGothic.com. I am providing a summary of the story. It was published anonymously.

Published in "Odds and Ends" 1860 German in origin: version I am using is from LitGothic provided to them by Dr.Dick Collins of Inchigeela, Co. Cork, Ireland.

Synopsis -- be patient -- the vampire appears early -- see Azzo.

A band of travelers is traversing the Carpathian mountains to get to their inherited estate when they are forced by an attack of wolves to take sanctuary in the ruined castle Klatka, and its ruined attached Church. They do so over the protest of their local guide who knows it is haunted. They have just made the grounds then the wolves attack. They are rescued by a stranger, tall, well-built, armed with a sword. His very presence seems to drive the wolves back from their attack. In discussing the stranger with the guide, it turns out that they Knight is owner of the ruined castle. It has been uninhabited for a hundred years, since the last owner had "Iniquitous dealings with some Turkish-Sclavonian hordes," or so the local legend ran. Within an hour of this encounter they get to the local village, and their nice castle.

Within four weeks they have settled in to life, with the Baron and Knight fully engaged in estate affairs, and Franziska and Bertha settling into routine as well. Franziska quite liked the romantic appearance of the area, the hovels in which the smoke came out the walls instead of the chimneys, and the rough, rude inhabitants. Bertha saw the poverty as it was -- poverty. Soon they are so settled in that boredom is setting in.

Franziska talks everyone into an afternoon excursion to explore Klatka. She finds the mysterious stranger romantic and interesting. They spend a great deal of time exploring the graveyard and the church, discovering the grave and sepulcher of Ezzelin von Klatka, the Knight who had last owned the castle over a hundred years before. He had been killed by any villagers for making off with their women, who never returned. The moon is rising when they finally prepare to leave, and it is then that they meet the stranger who assisted them against the wolves on their arrival night. Franzeka is must taken with him, and presses an invitation for him to visit them any evenings he wishes. He allows that he will, if she really wishes him to.

He seems quite taken with the women, and contemptuous of the men.

The next day they receive a letter from the knight of Fahenberg, who declares that he will soon be coming to get his Bertha, who has promised to marry him. He has done well financially though the war with the Turks, and his master the Duke has given him a hand made of gold to replace the hand that he lost in his service. The hand gives him superhuman strength.

They are all sitting in the parlor discussing the merits of the stranger when he walks in. He is about fourty, tall and thin. He is coldly polite, takes nothing to eat, and refuses drink as well -- although he tells Franzeka that he will get his own later. He stays only a bit, but it is enough to make Franzeka more attracted to him, and for her to twit Franz over.

The next morning Franziska wakes pale and exhausted. She declares to her cousin Bertha who as come to check on her that this is because of the argument with Franz. She then recounts her dream:

A sort of mist filled my room, and our if it stepped the knight Azzo. He gazed at me for a time then let himself slowly down on one knee, imprinted a kiss on my throat. Lond did his lips rest there, and I felt a slight pain, which always went on increasing until I could bear it no more. With all my strength I tried to force the vision from me, but succeeded only after a long struggle.

She awoke only after she gave a slight scream. Even after she awoke, she declared, "it still appeared as if Azzo's figure were still by my bed, then gradually it disappeared into the mist, and vanished at my door." Bertha now discovers marks on Franziska's throat.

Several weeks pass, and they stay in the area to allow the knight to set his estate in order, and to allow Franziska to recuperate from the ailment that appeared to afflict her. She is becoming thinner and paller each day, and in the month that has passed she has totally lost the bloom on her cheek. She complained that the dream kept repeating, and the day after each dream she felt even more awful. The wound on her throat that she had noted that first night has refused to heal, and it still bothers her.

The knight of Azzo was a frequent visitor, but only on the evenings when the moon was bright. He never as any more polite to the knight, Franz or Bertha, but he was "friendliness itself" to Franziska. His appearance is improving in direct proportion to Franziska's deterioration. He has filled out and his cheeks now bear a tint of red, and appear round and plump. The tension between Azzo and Franz grew until Franz was tempted to call him out.

Finally a new guest arrived -- Bertha's long awaited fiance. He is made welcome, and they eventually clue him in on the dreams. He has heard of a similar case. But before he can elucidate, if he were going to, Azzo lets himself into the room. They sit talking late into the night, with Azzo constantly picking on Franz. Finally Azzo departs and Franz, having had enough, takes off after him to challenge him. Wioslaw has followed Franz from the room to try to prevent him doing so. Franz is wild to fight Azzo; however, and pulls his sword to try to force the fight. Azzo grasps Franz's sword and breaks it in the middle. Franz is so incensed that he throws himself on Azzo's sword to try to do the same, at this point Azzo lifts Franz and prepares to throw him into the moat. He is prevented from accomplishing this by Wioslaw who can use the strength of his wonderful gold hand to force him to release Franz. Azzo and Wioslaw exchange cryptic words, as Azzo mistakes him for a brother-vampire. Azzo departs.

Franz is now "dishonored." He has failed to properly engage his opponent. Wioslaw assures him that against such as Azzo, he must of necessity always loose, "infallibly be the victim." After a bit of further hysterics on Franz's part, Wioslaw gets his assurance that he will do nothing except what Wioslaw tells him to. They must needs also get Franziska's willingness, or Franziska will die. The only way they can get her acquiescence to the cure is by telling her that it was proposed by Azzo. She has already tried all sorts of doctor ordered remedies which have failed. They let her think it is a magical remedy, and but it is only after she has argued pettishly (which is her personality) about being treated like a baby.

The next morning, Wioslaw goes to the ruins of Klatka, and from the old oak-tree which is the center, proceeds to search. Making his way to the ruined chapel, he makes his way down the stairs into the basement crypt. He opens several coffins before he gingerly opens the last one in the sanctuary, and it contains the body of Azzo. He appears just as Wioslaw had seen him the night before. He looks like someone asleep -- except he doesn't breath. Hurriedly, as though afraid Azzo would awake, he secured the lid back on the coffin. He then leaves after placing a mysterious packet on top of the lid.

In the meantime, Franziska tells her father that she is going for a ride with Wioslaw to show him the area. He is fine with that, so together Wioslaw and Franziska take off. They read the wood about a half-hour before sunset, and Wioslaw again counsels Franziska gravely about the treatment that is to save her life. She promises to do as he asks.

As the sun is setting they reach the church. Together they kneel in the chancel to say and "Ave" before they progress. Then Wioslaw tells her what she must do. She must descend and take the "three long iron nails and a hammer" from the packet placed on a coffin, and while he saws the "Credo" in a loud voice, she must "knock with all [her] might, first one nail, then a second, and then a third, into the lid of the coffin, right up to their heads." She trembles, and he reminds her that she is in God's hands, which calms her. He tells her that she must pay no attention to anything she hears in the coffin, and must finish before his "Credo" ends with the rise of the moon. He warms her that some sort of liquid will flow from the coffin, and she should dip her finger in it and smear the scratch on her throat with it.

It is at this moment that she figures out that a human being is in the coffin. She freaks; he tells her it is her own blood "flowing in someone else's veins." But yet she does as she is ordered. AS she embeds each nail, the coffin shakes harder as the thing inside seeks to get out. After the third and final nail she faints. She comes to an hour later with Wioslaw kneeling beside her. She again freaks when she finds blood on her hands, shoulder, and throat. He tricks her into rubbing the blood on the wound in her neck.

A moment later they are back on the toad to her home. She asks all sorts of questions and is irritated by his refusal to answer any until the next morning. She goes straight to bed and has the first good night sleep she has had in months. She looks much better.

Soon the questions about the night before are answered by Wioslaw. He asks them if they have ever heard of Vampires? The others say yes, but that they have never believed in them. He tells them that he learned to believe in them, and relates an interior narrative. It is about his introduction to circumstances jus like those of her that occurred in Turkey. After noting the similarities between the circumstances, they all thank him for doing as he did.

The next day the knight had the vault in the Church of Klatka walled up forever. Franziska was changed by the experience, becoming a much nicer person. Franz finally won her affection by his treatment of the tenants. There was eventually a double wedding, Wioslaw and Bertha, Franz and Franziska.