The Vampyre
The plot of "The Vampyre" details the story of Aubrey, a young man, who becomes friends with the mysterious nobleman Lord Ruthven, who enters London high society. Aubrey accompanies Ruthven to Rome but leaves when he discovers the Ruthven has seduced the daughter of someone they both know. Aubrey travels to Greece where he falls in love with Ianthe, the daughter of an innkeeper. Ianthe tells Aubrey about vampires. Soon thereafter, Ruthven arrives, and, coincidentally, Ianthe is killed by a vampire. Aubrey then joins with Ruthven again. Both are attacked by bandits, and Ruthven is mortally wounded. As he is dying, he makes Aubrey swear an oath that he cannot tell what happened to him to anyone for a year and a day. Aubrey agrees, and Ruthven, apparently, dies. Aubrey returns to London and then so does Ruthven. Ruthven reminds Aubrey of his oath and then seduces Aubrey's sister. Feeling helpless, Aubrey has a breakdown and his hospitalized. He discovers that Ruthven and his sister are set to get married on the day that the oath ends. The mental strain kills, but, before he dies, Aubrey writes his sister a letter explaining everything. It gets to her too late because she is discovered on her wedding night, dead, drained of blood, and Ruthven is nowhere to be found.
Polidori's "Introduction" notes the influence of Southey's footnote on his own work. Polidori even mentions the Middle Eastern influence as well by associating the vampire with Greece (then under Turkish control) as well as "afrits and gholes," two other Arabic supernatural entities.
