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He scarcely hears what you say, before he is asked, What is God? It is at the same instant, from the same lips, that he learns that there are ghosts, goblins, were-wolves and a God. The diversity of religious opinions has led the deists to invent an argument that is perhaps more singular than sound.
A vivid picture sprang up in him of these strange leaders of a strange band, these cadaverous poets and artists of Louis Philippe's early days, beings in love with Lord Byron and suicide, having Art for God, and Hugo for prophet, talking of were-wolves, vampires, cathedrals, sunrises, forests, passion and despair, hatted like brigands, cloaked after Vandyke, curled like Absalom, making new laws unto themselves in verse as in morals, and leaving all petty talk of duty or common sense to the Academy and the nursery.
It was not likely that a belief so widely spread should not have extended itself to the North; and the grave assertions of Olaus Magnus in the sixteenth century, in his Treatise De Gentibus Septentrionalibus, show how common the belief in were-wolves was in Sweden so late as the time of Gustavus Vasa.
Altomaris gives a horrid case; and Fincelius mentions one occurring as late as 1541, the subject of which was captured, still insisting that he was a wolf, only that the hair of his hide was turned in! Versipelles, it may be remembered, was the Latin name for these "were-wolves." As for the cases where rabid persons have barked and bit like dogs, there are plenty of such on record.
But in Flanders a great log of wood, called the kersavondblok and usually cut from the roots of a fir or a beech, is still put on the fire; all the lights in the house are extinguished, and the whole family gathers round the log to spend part of the night in singing, in telling stories, especially about ghosts, were-wolves, and so on, and also in drinking gin.
The strange part of it was, though my reason told me that he had been a victim of his own brilliant imagination, part of my mind that part that believed in second sight and banshees and were-wolves, and stuff of that sort told me that he was not so very much wrong after all. "I'll get to sleep," he said, interrupting the train of my thoughts. "I'll be fresh when my turn comes for guard."
You doubtless consider the Brinvilliers, Fredegonds, Fulvias and Faustinas, quite as fabulous as Centaurs, Sirens and Were-wolves; and I feel as reluctant to shake your fair faith in womanhood, as to dash the dew from a rose-bud, or rudely brush the bloom a cluster of tempting grapes; but the grim truth must be told, that our old friend was robbed and murdered by a woman." "One of his servants?
While in this state he was especially ravenous after young children, whom he carried off as the were-wolf carried off William in the old romance, though all were-wolves did not treat their prey with the same tenderness as that were-wolf treated William. Egil's Sag., Hrolf Krak.
"Who now would have dreamed that heart of thine could talk with goblins and with were-wolves that those eyes of thine could bear to look on murder and those white hands find strength to do the sin?" She held up her shapely arms and, looking on them, laughed. "Would that they had been fashioned in a stronger mould," she said.
"I will go by the woodpath, and give her one, too. She shall live with me: I will spread the cedar branches and stir the fire. She shall be safe. Hush! Go, go softly, for their wicked eyes are everywhere, the were-wolves!" She put her fingers on my lips for an instant, and then, turning, stole softly away towards the St. Charles River. Doltaire's mockery brought me back to myself.
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