Curious, if True: Strange TalesGaskell, Elizabeth Cleghorn
General
Curious, if True: Strange Tales
Gaskell, Elizabeth Cleghorn
Curiosities and wonders -- Fiction; Horror tales; Short stories
As winter drew on, and the days grew shorter, I was sometimes almost
certain that I heard a noise as if someone was playing on the great
organ in the hall. I did not hear it every evening; but, certainly, I
did very often, usually when I was sitting with Miss Rosamond, after I
had put her to bed, and keeping quite still and silent in the bedroom.
Then I used to hear it booming and swelling away in the distance. The
first night, when I went down to my supper, I asked Dorothy who had
been playing music, and James said very shortly that I was a gowk to
take the wind soughing among the trees for music; but I saw Dorothy
look at him very fearfully, and Bessy, the kitchen-maid, said something
beneath her breath, and went quite white. I saw they did not like my
question, so I held my peace till I was with Dorothy alone, when I knew
I could get a good deal out of her. So, the next day, I watched my
time, and I coaxed and asked her who it was that played the organ; for
I knew that it was the organ and not the wind well enough, for all I
had kept silence before James. But Dorothy had had her lesson, I'll
warrant, and never a word could I get from her. So then I tried Bessy,
though I had always held my head rather above her, as I was evened to
James and Dorothy, and she was little better than their servant. So she
said I must never, never tell; and if ever I told, I was never to say
_she_ had told me; but it was a very strange noise, and she had heard
it many a time, but most of all on winter nights, and before storms;
and folks did say it was the old lord playing on the great organ in the
hall, just as he used to do when he was alive; but who the old lord
was, or why he played, and why he played on stormy winter evenings in
particular, she either could not or would not tell me. Well! I told you
I had a brave heart; and I thought it was rather pleasant to have that
grand music rolling about the house, let who would be the player; for
now it rose above the great gusts of wind, and wailed and triumphed
just like a living creature, and then it fell to a softness most
complete, only it was always music, and tunes, so it was nonsense to
call it the wind. I thought at first, that it might be Miss Furnivall
who played, unknown to Bessy; but one day, when I was in the hall by
myself, I opened the organ and peeped all about it and around it, as I
had done to the organ in Crosthwaite church once before, and I saw it
was all broken and destroyed inside, though it looked so brave and
fine; and then, though it was noon-day, my flesh began to creep a
little, and I shut it up, and run away pretty quickly to my own bright
nursery; and I did not like hearing the music for some time after that,
any more than James and Dorothy did. All this time Miss Rosamond was
making herself more and more beloved. The old ladies liked her to dine
with them at their early dinner. James stood behind Miss Furnivall's
chair, and I behind Miss Rosamond's all in state; and after dinner, she
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account