The Red Room by H.G. Wells
Section [1 | 2]
the red room

by H .G .Wells

" I_can assure you," said I, " that_it_will take a very tangible ghost to frighten me ." and I stood up before_the fire with my glass in my hand .

" it_is your own choosing," said the man with_the withered arm, and glanced at me askance .

"Eight- and-twenty years," said I, " I_have lived, and never a ghost have I seen as_yet ."

the old woman sat staring hard into_the fire, her pale eyes wide open ."Ay," she broke in; " and eight- and-twenty years you_have lived and never seen the likes of_this house, I reckon . there's a many things to_see, when one's still but eight- and-twenty ." she swayed her head slowly from side to side ."A many things to_see and sorrow for ."

I half suspected the old people were trying to enhance the spiritual terrors of_their house by their droning insistence .I put down my empty glass on_the table and looked about_the room, and caught a glimpse of myself, abbreviated and broadened to an impossible sturdiness, in_the queer old mirror at_the end of_the room ." well," I_said, " if I_see anything to- night, I_shall_be so_much the wiser . for I come to_the business with an open mind ."

" it's your own choosing," said the man with_the withered arm once more .

I heard the sound of a stick and ashambling step on_the flags in_the passage outside, and_the door creaked on its hinges as a second old man entered, more bent, more wrinkled, more aged even than_the first . he supported himself by a single crutch, his eyes were covered by a shade, and_his lower lip, half averted, hung pale and pink from_his decaying yellow teeth . he_made straight for an arm- chair on_the opposite side of_the table, sat down clumsily, and began to cough . the man with_the withered arm gave this new-comer a short glance of positive dislike; the old woman took no notice of_his arrival, but remained with her eyes fixed steadily on_the fire .

" I_said-- it's your own choosing," said the man with_the withered arm, when_the coughing had ceased for a while .

" it's my own choosing," I answered .

the man with_the shade became aware of_my presence for_the first time, and threw his head back for a moment and sideways, to_see me .I caught a momentary glimpse of_his eyes, small and bright and inflamed . then he began to cough and splutter again .

" why don't you drink ? " said the man with_the withered arm, pushing the beer towards him . the man with_the shade poured out a glassful with a shaky hand that splashed half as_much again on_the deal table .a monstrous shadow of him crouched upon_the wall and mocked his action as he poured and drank . I_must confess I had scarce expected these grotesque custodians . there_is to my mind something inhuman in senility, something crouching and atavistic; the human qualities seem to drop from old people insensibly day by day . the three of_them made me feel uncomfortable, with their gaunt silences, their bent carriage, their evident unfriendliness to_me and to one another .

" if," said I, " you_will show me to_this haunted room of yours, i_will make myself comfortable there ."

the old man with_the cough jerked his head back so suddenly that_it startled me, and shot another glance of_his red eyes at me from under the shade; but no one answered me .I waited a minute, glancing from one to_the other .

" if," I_said a little louder, " if_you_will show me to_this haunted room of yours, i_will relieve you from_the task of entertaining me ."

" there's a candle on_the slab outside the door," said the man with_the withered arm, looking at my feet as he addressed me ." but if_you go to_the red room to- night----"

(" this night of all nights ! " said the old woman .)

" you go alone ."

" very_well," I answered ." and which_way do I go ? "

" you go along the passage for a bit," said he, " until you come to a door, and through_that is a spiral staircase, and half- way up that_is alanding and another door covered with baize . go through_that and down the long corridor to_the end, and_the red room is on_your left up the steps ."

" have I got that right ? " I_said, and repeated his directions . he corrected me in one particular .

" and are_you really going ? " said the man with_the shade, looking at me again for_the third time, with_that queer, unnatural tilting of_the face .

(" this night of all nights ! " said the old woman .)

" it_is what I_came for," I_said, and moved towards the door . as I_did so, the old man with_the shade rose and staggered round the table, so as to_be closer to_the others and to_the fire . at_the door I turned and looked at them, and saw they were all close together, dark against the firelight, staring at me over their shoulders, with an intent expression on their ancient faces .

" good- night," I_said, setting the door open .

" it's your own choosing," said the man with_the withered arm .

I left the door wide open until the candle was well alight, and then I shut them in and walked down the chilly, echoing passage .

I_must confess that_the oddness of_these three old pensioners in whose charge her ladyship had left the castle, and_the deep- toned, old- fashioned furniture of_the housekeeper's room in_which they foregathered, affected me in_spite of_my efforts to_keep myself at a matter- of- fact phase . they seemed to belong to another age, an older age, an age when things spiritual were different from_this of ours, less certain; an age when omens and witches were credible, and ghosts beyond denying . their very existence was spectral; the cut of_their clothing, fashions born in dead brains . the ornaments and conveniences of_the room about_them were ghostly-- the thoughts of vanished men, which still haunted rather than participated in_the_world of to- day . but with an effort I_sent such thoughts to_the right- about . the long, draughty subterranean passage was chilly and dusty, and my candle flared and made the shadows cower and quiver . the echoes rang up and down the spiral staircase, and a shadow came sweeping up after me, and one fled before me into_the darkness overhead . I_came to_the landing and stopped there for a moment, listening to arustling that I fancied I heard; then, satisfied of_the absolute silence, I pushed open the baize- covered door and stood in_the corridor .

the effect was scarcely what I expected, for_the moonlight, coming in by_the great window on_the grand staircase, picked out everything in vivid black shadow or silvery illumination . everything was in its place: the house might_have_been deserted on_the yesterday instead of eighteen months_ago . there were candles in_the sockets of_the sconces, and whatever dust had gathered on_the carpets or upon_the polished flooring was distributed so evenly as to_be invisible in_the moonlight . i_was about to advance, and stopped abruptly .a bronze group stood upon_the landing, hidden from me by_the corner of_the wall, but its shadow fell with marvellous distinctness upon_the white panelling, and gave_me the impression of someone crouching to waylay me .I stood rigid for half a minute perhaps . then, with my hand in_the pocket that held my revolver, I advanced, only to discover aGanymede and eagle glistening in_the moonlight . that incident for a time restored my nerve, and a porcelain Chinaman on abuhl table, whose head rocked silently as I passed him, scarcely startled me .

the door to_the red room and_the steps up to_it were in a shadowy corner .I moved my candle from side to side, in_order_to_see clearly the nature of_the recess in_which I stood before opening the door . here it_was, thought I, that my predecessor was found, and_the memory of_that story gave_me a sudden twinge of apprehension .I glanced over my shoulder at_the Ganymede in_the moonlight, and opened the door of_the red room rather hastily, with my face half turned to_the pallid silence of_the landing .

I entered, closed the door behind me at once, turned the key I_found in_the lock within, and stood with_the candle held aloft, surveying the scene of_my vigil, the great red room of Lorraine castle, in_which_the young duke had died . or, rather, in_which he had begun his dying, for he had opened the door and fallen headlong down the steps I had just ascended . that had_been the end of_his vigil, of_his gallant attempt to conquer the ghostly tradition of_the place, and never, i_thought, had apoplexy better served the ends of superstition . and there were other and older stories that clung to_the room, back to_the half- credible beginning of it all, the tale of a timid wife and_the tragic end that came to her husband's jest of frightening her . and looking around that large sombre room, with its shadowy window bays, its recesses and alcoves, one could well understand the legends that had sprouted in its black corners, its germinating darkness . my candle was a little tongue of light in its vastness, that failed to pierce the opposite end of_the room, and left an ocean of mystery and suggestion beyond its island of light .

I resolved to_make asystematic examination of_the place at once, and dispel the fanciful suggestions of_its obscurity before_they obtained a hold upon me . after satisfying myself of_the fastening of_the door, I began to walk about_the room, peering round each article of furniture, tucking up the valances of_the bed, and opening its curtains wide .I pulled up the blinds and examined the fastenings of_the several windows before closing the shutters, leant forward and looked up the blackness of_the wide chimney, and tapped the dark oak panelling for any secret opening . there were two big mirrors in_the room, each with a pair of sconces bearing candles, and on_the mantelshelf, too, were more candles in china candlesticks . all these I lit one after_the other . the fire was laid, an unexpected consideration from_the old housekeeper,-- and I lit it, to_keep down any disposition to shiver, and when it_was burning well, I stood round with my back to_it and regarded the room again .I had pulled up a chintz- covered arm- chair and a table, to_form a kind of barricade before me, and on_this lay my revolver ready to hand . my precise examination had done me good, but I still found the remoter darkness of_the place, and its perfect stillness, too stimulating for_the imagination . the echoing of_the stir and crackling of_the fire was no sort of comfort to_me . the shadow in_the alcove at_the end in_particular, had that undefinable quality of a presence, that odd suggestion of alurking, living thing, that comes so easily in silence and solitude . at last, to reassure myself, I walked with a candle into_it, and satisfied myself that there_was nothing tangible there .I stood that candle upon_the floor of_the alcove, and left it in_that position .

by_this_time i_was in a state of considerable nervous tension, although to my reason there_was no adequate cause for_the condition . my mind, however, was perfectly clear .I postulated quite unreservedly that nothing supernatural could happen, and to_pass the time I began to string some rhymes together, Ingoldsby fashion, of_the original legend of_the place .a few I spoke aloud, but the echoes were_not pleasant . for_the same reason I also abandoned, after a time, a conversation with myself upon_the impossibility of ghosts and haunting . my mind reverted to_the three old and distorted people downstairs, and I tried to_keep it upon that topic . the sombre reds and blacks of_the room troubled, me; even with seven candles the place was merely dim . the one in_the alcove flared in a draught, and_the fire-flickering kept the shadows and penumbra perpetually shifting and stirring .Casting about for a remedy, I recalled the candles I had seen in_the passage, and, with a slight effort, walked out into_the moonlight, carrying a candle and leaving the door open, and presently returned with as_many as ten . these I put in various knick-knacks of china with_which the room was sparsely adorned, lit and placed where the shadows had lain deepest, some on_the floor, some in_the window recesses, until at last my seventeen candles were so arranged that not an inch of_the room but had the direct light of at_least one_of_them . it occurred to_me that when_the ghost came, I_could warn him not to trip over them . the room was now quite brightly illuminated . there_was something very cheery and reassuring in_these little streaming flames, and snuffing them gave_me an occupation, and afforded a helpful sense of_the passage of_time . even with_that, however, the brooding expectation of_the vigil weighed heavily upon me . it_was after midnight that_the candle in_the alcove suddenly went out, and_the black shadow sprang back to its place there . I_did_not see the candle go out; I simply turned and saw that_the darkness was there, as one might start and_see the unexpected presence of a stranger ." by Jove ! " said I aloud; " that draught's a strong one ! " and, taking the matches from_the table, I walked across the room in a leisurely manner, to relight the corner again . my first match would_not strike, and as I succeeded with_the second, something seemed to blink on_the wall before me .I turned my

Section [1 | 2]