Ghost Stories of an AntiquaryJames, M. R. (Montague Rhodes)
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Ghost Stories of an Antiquary
James, M. R. (Montague Rhodes)
Ghost stories, English; Horror tales, English; Short stories, English
“Exactly,” said Williams. “Well, one thing I must do—or three things,
now I think of it. I must find out from Garwood”—this was his last
night’s visitor—“what he saw, and then I must get the thing
photographed before it goes further, and then I must find out what the
place is.”
“I can do the photographing myself,” said Nisbet, “and I will. But, you
know, it looks very much as if we were assisting at the working out of
a tragedy somewhere. The question is, has it happened already, or is it
going to come off? You must find out what the place is. Yes,” he said,
looking at the picture again, “I expect you’re right: he has got in.
And if I don’t mistake there’ll be the devil to pay in one of the rooms
upstairs.”
“I’ll tell you what,” said Williams: “I’ll take the picture across to
old Green” (this was the senior Fellow of the College, who had been
Bursar for many years). “It’s quite likely he’ll know it. We have
property in Essex and Sussex, and he must have been over the two
counties a lot in his time.”
“Quite likely he will,” said Nisbet; “but just let me take my
photograph first. But look here, I rather think Green isn’t up today.
He wasn’t in Hall last night, and I think I heard him say he was going
down for the Sunday.”
“That’s true, too,” said Williams; “I know he’s gone to Brighton. Well,
if you’ll photograph it now, I’ll go across to Garwood and get his
statement, and you keep an eye on it while I’m gone. I’m beginning to
think two guineas is not a very exorbitant price for it now.”
In a short time he had returned, and brought Mr Garwood with him.
Garwood’s statement was to the effect that the figure, when he had seen
it, was clear of the edge of the picture, but had not got far across
the lawn. He remembered a white mark on the back of its drapery, but
could not have been sure it was a cross. A document to this effect was
then drawn up and signed, and Nisbet proceeded to photograph the
picture.
“Now what do you mean to do?” he said. “Are you going to sit and watch
it all day?”
“Well, no, I think not,” said Williams. “I rather imagine we’re meant
to see the whole thing. You see, between the time I saw it last night
and this morning there was time for lots of things to happen, but the
creature only got into the house. It could easily have got through its
business in the time and gone to its own place again; but the fact of
the window being open, I think, must mean that it’s in there now. So I
feel quite easy about leaving it. And, besides, I have a kind of idea
that it wouldn’t change much, if at all, in the daytime. We might go
out for a walk this afternoon, and come in to tea, or whenever it gets
dark. I shall leave it out on the table here, and sport the door. My
skip can get in, but no one else.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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