Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from Weird Tales October 1937. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
"Good-bye for eternity!" we heard her sob.
Pledged to the Dead
By SEABURY QUINN
A tale of a lover who was pledged to a sweetheart who hadbeen in her grave for more than a century, and of thestriking death that menaced him—a story of Jules deGrandin
he autumn dusk had stained the sky with shadows and orange oblongstraced the windows in my neighbors' homes as Jules de Grandin and Isat sipping kaiserschmarrn and coffee in the study after dinner. "MonDieu," the little Frenchman sighed, "I have the mal du pays, myfriend. The little children run and play along the roadways at SaintCloud, and on the Ile de France the pastry cooks set up their booths.Corbleu, it takes the strength of character not to stop and buythose cakes of so much taste and fancy! The Napoléons, they are crispand fragile as a coquette's promise, the éclairs filled with cool,sweet cream, the cream-puffs all aglow with cherries. Just to see themis to love life better. They——"
The shrilling of the door-bell startled me. The pressure on the buttonmust have been that of one who leant against it. "Doctor Trowbridge; Imust see him right away!" a woman's voice demanded as Nora McGinnis,my household factotum, grudgingly responded to the hail.
"Th' docthor's offiss hours is over, ma'am," Nora answered frigidly."Ha'f past nine ter eleven in th' marnin', an' two ter four in th'afthernoon is when he sees his patients. If it's an urgent case yehave there's lots o' good young docthors in th' neighborhood, butDocthor Trowbridge——"
"Is he here?" the visitor demanded sharply.
"He is, an' he's afther digestin' his dinner—an' an illigant dinnerit wuz, though I do say so as shouldn't—an' he can't bedisturbed——"
"He'll see me, all right. Tell him it's Nella Bentley, and I've gotto talk to him!"
De Grandin raised an eyebrow eloquently. "The fish at the aquariumhave greater privacy than we, my friend," he murmured, but broke offas the visitor came clacking down the hall on high French heels andrushed into the study half a dozen paces in advance of my thoroughlydisapproving and more than semi-scandalized Nora.
"Doctor Trowbridge, won't you help me?" cried the girl as she fairlyleaped across the study and flung her arms about my shoulders. "Ican't tell Dad or Mother, they wouldn't understand; so you're the onlyone—oh, excuse me, I thought you were alone!" Her face went crimsonas she saw de Grandin standing by the fire.
"It's quite all right, my dear," I soothed, freeing myself from heralmost hysterical clutch. "This is Doctor de Grandin, with whom I'vebeen associated many times; I'd be glad to have the benefit of hisadvice, if you don't mind."
She gave him her hand and a wan smile as I performed