The Argosy — page 60: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Spirit Organist of Seville. 47 And yet another year had passed away. The Abbess of the Convent of Santa Inez and the daughter of Maese Perez, were conversing together in a low tone, half concealed amid the shadows of the church choir. ‘The small tinkling bell in the tower was calling the people to assemble, and a stray’person or two would silently cross the porch and take a seat in some corner of the church, where the inhabitants of that neighbourhood ;were quietly waiting for midnight mass to commence. ‘You can plainly perceive,” the Abbess was saying, ‘‘ that your fears are very childish. ‘There is no one in the church here; all Seville is flocking to the cathedral. Do you play the organ to-night, my child, and play it confidently ; for we shall be only in Community. But why do you continue silent ? and why do you sigh ?” “Tam so afraid, mother,” the young novice replied in trembling accents. “Afraid ! and of what ?” “T know not—something supernatural. Last night, when I heard you say that you wished me to take the organ to-night during mass, I, proud of such a distinction, thought I would come and arrange the stops and tune the organ, in order to surprise you. I came to the choir—alone; I opened the door that leads to the organ gallery. ‘The clock of the cathedral was striking some hour, I know not which, but the strokes of the bell were very sad and many, oh many ! They continued their strokes during all the time that I remained nailed to the door, and those moments seemed to me an age. ‘The church was empty and dark. ‘There, at the farther end, shining like a lost star in the heavens of night, flickered a light—the light of the lamp that burns before the high altar. By its faint reflection, which only contributed to render more visible all the deep-felt gloom of the shadows, I saw, I saw im / Oh, mother! Do not doubt me! I saw a man, who, silently and with his back turned towards where I stood, was sweeping over the keys of the organ with one hand, whilst with the other he touched the stops—and the organ sounded, but in an indescribable manner. Each note was like asmothered sigh coming from within each of the metal tubes, and vibrated in the compressed air within, producing a hoarse strain, almost imperceptible, yet in perfect tune. And the clock of the cathedral continued striking, and that man still touched the keys. I thought I could even hear his breathing. ‘Terror had chilled the blood in my veins. I felt a glacial cold spread itself over the whole of my body, and my temples seemed on fire, I tried to cry out but could not. That man had turned his head round and looked at me. I say wrong ; he had not looked at me, for he was blind. It was my father!’ “Go, my daughter,” the Abbess replied, ‘‘ and put away these fantasias, by which the Evil Spirit endeavours to frighten and trouble weak and timid minds. ‘Take courage; do as I bid you, and go CoOnniclooolks (SO)