Ghosts

"Ghosts" by Guy de Maupassant is a collection of short stories that delves into the themes of the supernatural and the unseen, exploring the intersection of life and death. With Maupassant's characteristic psychological depth and keen observation, the tales feature haunted individuals, eerie experiences, and the lingering presence of the past in everyday life. Each story reflects on human emotions and existential questions, showcasing Maupassant's mastery of tension and atmosphere while inviting readers to ponder the mysteries that lie beyond the veil of the ordinary.

• Short story

								
Just at the time when the Concordat was in its most flourishing
condition, a young man belonging to a wealthy and highly respected
middle class family went to the office of the head of the police at
P----, and begged for his help and advice, which was immediately
promised him.

"My father threatens to disinherit me," the young man then began,
"although I have never offended against the laws of the State, of
morality or of his paternal authority, merely because I do not share his
blind reverence for the Catholic Church and her Ministers. On that
account he looks upon me, not merely as Latitudinarian, but as a perfect
Atheist, and a faithful old manservant of ours, who is much attached to
me, and who accidentally saw my father's will, told me in confidence
that he had left all his property to the Jesuits. I think this is highly
suspicious, and I fear that the priests have been maligning me to my
father. Until less than a year ago, we used to live very quietly and
happily together, but ever since he has had so much to do with the
clergy, our domestic peace and happiness are at an end."

"What you have told me," the official replied, "is as likely as it is
regrettable, but I fail to see how I can interfere in the matter. Your
father is in the full possession of all his mental faculties, and can
dispose of all his property exactly as he pleases. I also think that
your protest is premature; you must wait until his will can legally take
effect, and then you can invoke the aid of justice; I am sorry to say
that I can do nothing for you."

"I think you will be able to," the young man replied; "for I believe
that a very clever piece of deceit is being carried on here."

"How? Please explain yourself more clearly."

"When I remonstrated with him, yesterday evening, he referred to my dead
mother, and at last assured me, in a voice of the deepest conviction,
that she had frequently appeared to him, and had threatened him with all
the torments of the damned, if he did not disinherit his son, who had
fallen away from God, and leave all his property to the Church. Now I do
not believe in ghosts."

"Neither do I," the police director replied; "but I cannot well do
anything on this dangerous ground, if I had nothing but superstitions to
go upon. You know how the Church rules all our affairs since the
Concordat with Rome, and if I investigate this matter, and obtain no
results, I am risking my post. It would be very different if you could
adduce any proofs for your suspicions. I do not deny that I should like
to see the clerical party, which will, I fear, be the ruin of Austria,
receive a staggering blow; try, therefore, to get to the bottom of this
business, and then we will talk it over again."

About a month passed, without the young Latitudinarian being heard of;
but then he suddenly came one evening, evidently in a great state of
excitement, and told him that he was in a position to expose the
priestly deceit which he had mentioned, if the authorities would assist
him. The police director asked for further information.

"I have obtained a number of important clues," the young man said. "In
the first place, my father confessed to me, that my mother did not
appear to him in our house, but in the churchyard where she is buried.
My mother was consumptive for many years, and a few weeks before her
death she went to the village of S----, where she died and was buried.
In addition to this, I found out from our footman, that my father has
already left the house twice, late at night, in company of X----, the
Jesuit priest, and that on both occasions he did not return till
morning. Each time he was remarkably uneasy and low-spirited after his
return, and had three masses said for my dead mother. He also told me
just now, that he has to leave home this evening on business, but
immediately he told me that, our footman saw the Jesuit go out of the
house. We may, therefore, assume that he intends this evening to consult
the spirit of my dead mother again, and this would be an excellent
opportunity for getting on the track of the matter, if you do not object
to opposing the most powerful force in the Empire, for the sake of such
an insignificant individual as myself."

"Every citizen has an equal right to the protection of the State," the
police director replied; "and I think that I have shown often enough,
that I am not wanting in courage to perform my duty, no matter how
serious the consequences may be; but only very young men act without any
prospects of success, as they are carried away by their feelings. When
you came to me the first time, I was obliged to refuse your request for
assistance, but to-day your shares have risen in value. It is now eight
o'clock, and I shall expect you in two hours' time, here in my office.
At present, all you have to do is to hold your tongue; everything else
is my affair."

As soon as it was dark, four men got into a closed carriage in the yard
of the police office, and were driven in the direction of the village of
S----; their carriage, however, did not enter the village, but stopped
at the edge of a small wood in the immediate neighborhood. Here they all
four alighted; they were the police director, accompanied by the young
Latitudinarian, a police sergeant and an ordinary policeman, who was,
however, dressed in plain clothes.

"The first thing for us to do is to examine the locality carefully," the
police director said; "it is eleven o'clock and the exorcisers of ghosts
will not arrive before midnight, so we have time to look round us, and
to take our measure."

The four men went to the churchyard, which lay at the end of the
village, near the little wood. Everything was as still as death, and not
a soul was to be seen. The sexton was evidently sitting in the public
house, for they found the door of his cottage locked, as well as the
door of the little chapel that stood in the middle of the churchyard.

"Where is your mother's grave?" the police director asked; but as there
were only a few stars visible, it was not easy to find it, but at last
they managed it, and the police director looked about in the
neighborhood of it.

"The position is not a very favorable one for us," he said at last;
"there is nothing here, not even a shrub, behind which we could hide."

But just then the policeman said that he had tried to get into the
sexton's hut through the door or the window, and that at last he had
succeeded in doing so by breaking open a square in a window, which had
been mended with paper, and that he had opened it and obtained
possession of the key, which he brought to the police director.

His plans were very quickly settled. He had the chapel opened and went
in with the young Latitudinarian; then he told the police sergeant to
lock the door behind him and to put the key back where he had found it,

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