The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

A Stra7ige Revenge. 323
" Perhaps there is a modicum of truth in your theory ;
but I was not thinking of my age, my dear son, nor of the
infirmities it threatens to bring, but of an incident in my
early Hfe which is curiously interesting, though I have
never told it to you or any one else. I don't know what
has recalled it so frequently of late, but with strange
suddenness I have found myself repeatedly dwelling upon
this incident in detail, as if I had received or was receiving
a warning that my life is yet to be affected by it. That,
however, is impossible, as the other party concerned has
been lost to my knowledge for 35 years, and ma\' be in the
kingdom come for all I know. It's pure nonsense ; but I
raked up the thing for curiosity's sake. Here it is. What
sort of ink is that document written in, think you ?"
He handed a yellow looking sheet of paper, large in
size, and bearing faint traces of writing in prominent letters.
Before answering, David produced a small microscope and
examined the document with growing interest.
" Good gracious," he at last exclaimed, " there are
blood corpuscles here, and they have, apparently, been
mixed in some reddish fluid which has preserved them
wonderfully."
" You are right, the ink used was the writer's own
blood, chemicalised, so to speak, in a mysterious way— the
fellow, d n him, was always dabbling in the dark arts."
" Really blood, father ?
" Yes. Try if you can make out, at least, the tenor of
the document. After that I will tell you the story, which
may interest you, seeing it concerns your late mother."
" Ah, that indeed gives it interest, dear father."
It was not easy to decipher the writing, owing to its
faded condition, but ultimately it was found to read, as
•near as might be, thus :
"In the blood which you have spilt, I warn you that I
will have REVENGE for this morning's work. I will wait a
lifetime for it, but it shall come, aye sure, and when you
least expect it— a terrible revenge. Curse you in all but
Jife. You must live for my REVENGE after that you ; may