The Unquiet Grave.docx

The Unquiet Grave.docx

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TheUnquietGrave

TheUnquietGravebyM.R.James

■ThePicture

　　ForseveralyearsMrWilliamsworkedforthemuseumattheUniversityofOxford，enlargingitsalreadyfamouscollectionofdrawingsandpicturesofEnglishcountryhousesandchurches．Itishardtoimagineanythinglessalarmingthancollectingpicturesofhousesandchurches，butMrWilliamsfoundthateventhispeacefulworkhaditsunexpecteddarkcorners．

　　HeboughtmanypicturesforthemuseumfromtheLondonshopofMrJ．W．Britnell．TwiceayearMrBritnellsentalistofpicturestoallhisregularcustomers，whocouldthenchoosewhichpicturestheywantedtolookatbeforedecidingwhethertobuy．

　　InFebruary1895MrWilliamsreceivedalistfromMrBritnellwiththefollowingletter：

　　DearSir，

　　IthinkyoumightbeinterestedinPictureNumber978inourlist，whichIwillbehappytosendtoyouifyouwish．

　　J．W．Britnell

　　MrWilliamsturnedtoNumber978inthelistandfoundthefollowingnote：

　　Number978．Artistunknown．PictureofanEnglishcountryhouse，earlynineteenthcentury．25centimetresby40centimetres．￡20．

　　Itdidnotsoundveryinterestingandthepriceseemedhigh．However，MrWilliamsaddedittothepicturesthatheaskedMrBritnelltosendtohim．

　　ThepicturesarrivedatthemuseumoneSaturdayafternoon，justafterMrWilliamshadleft．Theywerebroughtroundtohisroomsincollegesothathecouldlookatthemovertheweekend．MrWilliamsfoundthemonhistablewhenheandhisfriend，MrBinks，cameintohavetea．

　　PictureNumber978showedthefrontofquitealargecountryhouse．Ithadthreerowsofwindowswiththedoorinthemiddleofthebottomrow．Thereweretreesonbothsidesofthehouseandalargelawninfrontofit．ThelettersA．W．F．werewritteninthecornerofthepicture．MrWilliamsthoughtthatitwasnotverywelldone，probablytheworkofanamateurartist，andhecouldnotunderstandwhyMrBritnellthoughtitwasworthtwentypounds．Heturneditoverandsawthattherewasapieceofpaperonthebackwithpartofanameonit．AllhecouldreadweretheendsoftwolinesofWritingThefirstsaid，'—nglyHall'；thesecond，'—ssex'．

　　MrWilliamsthoughtthatitwouldbeinterestingtoseeifhecouldfindthenameofthehouseinoneofhisguidebooksbe－foresendingthepicturebackonMondaymorning．Meanwhile，heputthepictureonthetable，litthelampbecauseitwasnowgettingdark，andmadethetea．

　　Whiletheywerehavingtea，hisfriendpickedupthepicture，lookedatitandsaid，Where'sthishouse，Williams？

'

　　'That'sjustwhatIwasgoingtofindout，'saidWilliams，takingabookfromtheshelf．'Ifyoulookattheback，you'llseeit'sSomethingHallineitherEssexorSussex．Halfthename'smissing，yousee．Idon'tsupposeyourecognizethehouse，doyou？

'

　　'No，Idon't，'saidMrBinks．'It'sfromBritnell，'Isuppose，isn'tit？

Isitforthemuseum？

'

　　'Well，Iwouldbuyitifthepricewastwopounds，'repliedMrWilliams，'butforsomereasonhewantstwentypoundsforit．Ican'tthinkwhy．It'snotaverygoodpictureandtherearen'tevenanyfiguresinittomakeitmoreinteresting．'

　　'Iagreeit'snotworthtwentypounds，'saidBinks，'butIdon'tthinkit'stoobad．ThelightseemsrathergoodtomeandIthinkthereisafigurehere，justattheedge，inthefront．'

　　'Letmesee，'saidWilliams．'Well，it'struethelightisquitewelldone．Where'sthefigure？

Oh，yes！

Justthehead，intheveryfrontofthepicture．'

　　Andindeedtherewas——rightontheedgeofthepicture—justtheheadofamanorawoman，whowaslookingtowardsthehouse．Williamshadnotnoticeditbefore．

　　'Still，'hesaid，'thoughit'sbetterthanIthoughtatfirst，Ican'tspendtwentypoundsofthemuseum'smoneyonapictureofahouseIdon'tevenknow．'

　　MrBinks，whohadsomeworktofinish，soonleftandMrWilliamsspentthetimebeforedinnertryingtofindthenameofthehouseinhisguidebooks．

　　'IfIknewtheletterbeforethe“—ngly”，'hesaidtohimself，'itwouldbeeasyenough．Buttherearemanymorenamesendingin“—ngly”thanIthought．'

　　DinnerinMrWilliams'collegewasatseveno'clockandafterwardsafewofhisfriendscamebacktohisroomstoplaycards．DuringapauseinthegameMrWilliamspickedupthepicturefromthetablewithoutlookingatitandpassedittoamannamedGarwood，whowasinterestedinpictures．Garwoodlookedatitandsaid：

　　'Thisisreallyaveryfinepicture，youknow，Williams．Thelightisverywelldone，inmyopinion，andthoughthefigureisratherunpleasant，itisquiteinteresting．'

　　'Yes，isn'tit？

'saidWilliams，whowastoobusygivingdrinkstohisgueststolookatthepictureagain．

　　Whenhisvisitorshadgone，Williamshadtofinishwritingaletter，soitwasaftermidnightbeforehewasreadytogotobed．ThepicturelayfaceupwardsonthetablewhereGarwoodhadleftitand，asWilliamswasputtingoutthelamp，hesawit．Foramomenthewastoosurprisedtomove，thenheslowlypickedupthepictureandstaredatitinhorror．Inthemiddleofthelawn，infrontoftheunknownhouse，therewasafigurewheretherehadbeennofigureearlier．Itwascrawlingonhandsandkneestowardsthehouse，anditwascoveredinastrangeblackgarmentwithawhitecrossontheback．

　　AfterasecondortwoMrWilliamstookthepicturebyonecornerandcarriedittoanemptyroom．There，helockedit，facedownwards，inacupboard，thenclosedandlockedthedooroftheemptyroom．Hewentbacktohisownroomandlockedthedoorbehindhim．Beforegoingtobed，hesatdownandwroteanotedescribingindetailtheextraordinarychangeinthepicturesincehehadreceivedit．

　　HewasgladtorememberthatMrGarwood，whohadlookedatthepictureearlierintheevening，hadalsoseena'ratherunpleasant'figure．Hedecidedthatinthemorninghemustasksomeonetolookcarefullyatthepicturewithhim，andhemusttryveryhardtodiscoverthenameofthehouse．Hewouldaskhisneighbour，MrNisbet，tohavebreakfastwithhim．Thenhewouldspendthemorninglookingforthehouseinhisguidebooks．

　　MrNisbetarrivedatnineo'clockandthetwomensatdowntobreakfast．Whentheyhadfinished，MrWilliams，feelingbothnervousandexcited，hurriedtotheemptyroom．Heunlockedthecupboard，tookoutthepicture，stillfacedown-wards，and，withoutlookingatit，wentbacktohisownroomandputitintoNisbet'shands．

　　'Now，Nisbet，'hesaid，'Iwantyoutotellmewhatyouseeinthatpicture．Describeit，please，indetail．I'lltellyouwhyafterwards．'

　　'Well，'saidNisbet，'IhavehereapictureofanEnglishcountryhousebymoonlight．'

　　'Moonligh？

Areyousure？

'

　　'Oh，yes．Themoonisshownquiteclearlyandtherearecloudsinthesky．'

　　'Allright．Goon．ButI'msure，'addedWilliamsquietly，'thattherewasnomoonwhenIfirstsawit．'

　　'Well，there'snotmuchmoreIcansay，'Nisbetcontinued．'Thehousehasthreerowsofwindows，fiveineachrow，exceptatthebottom，wherethere'sadoorinsteadofthemiddleoneand…'

　　'Butwhataboutfigures？

'saidWilliamswithgreatinterest．

　　'Figures？

'repliedNisbet．'Therearen'tany．'

　　'What？

Nofigureonthegrassinfront？

'

　　'No．Notathing．'

　　'Areyousure？

'

　　'OfcourseIam．Butthere'soneotherthing．'

　　'What'sthat？

'

　　'Oneofmewindowsonthegroundfloor，ontheleftofthedoor，isopen．'

　　'Isitreally？

Ohdear！

Isupposehe'sgotintothehouse，'saidWilliams，withgreatexcitement．

　　HehurriedacrosstowhereNisbetwassittingand，takingthepicturefromhim，sawforhimself．Itwasquitetrue．Therewasnofigureonthelawn，andtherewastheopenwin-dow．

　　Foramomentwilliamswastoosurprisedtospeak，thenhesatdownathisdeskandwroteforafewminutes．Whenhehadfinished，hebroughttwopapersacrosstoNisbet．Heaskedhimtosignthefirstone，whichwasNisbet'sownde－scriptionofthepicture，thentoreadtheotherone，whichwasthenoteWilliamshadwrittenthenightbefore．

　　'Whatcanitallmean？

'askedNisbet．

　　'That'swhatImustfindout，'saidWilliams．'Now，therearethreethingsImustdo．First，ImustaskGarwoodexactlywhathesawwhenhelookedatthepicturelastnight，thenImusthavethepicturephotographedbeforeitgoesanyfurtherand，thirdly，Imustfindoutwherethishouseis．'

　　'Icantakethephotographforyoumyself，'saidNisbet．'But，youknow，Ithinkweareseeingsomethingterriblehappeninghere．Thequestionis，hasitalreadyhappenedorisitgoingtohappen？

Youreallymustfindoutwherethishouseis．'Helookedatthepictureagainandshookhishead．'Ithinkyouareright，youknow．Hehasgotin．I'msuretherewillbesometroubleinthathouse．'

　　'I'lltellyouwhatI'lldo，'saidWilliams．'I'llshowthepicturetooldDoctorGreen．HegrewupinEssexandheoftengoestoSussextoseehisbrotherwholivesthere．He'sbeengoingthereforyears．Hemustknowbothplacesquitewell．'

　　'That'saverygoodidea，'agreedNisbet．'ButIthinkIheardGreensaythathewasgoingawaythisweekend．'

　　'You'reright，saidWilliams．'Iremembernow—he'sgonetoBrightonfortheweekend．I'llleaveanoteaskinghimtoseemeassoonashereturns．Meanwhile，youtakethepictureandphotographitandI'llseeGarwoodandaskhimwhathesawwhenhelookedatitlastnight．'Hepaused．'Youknow，'headded，'Idon'tthinktwentypoundsistoomuchtoaskforthispicture，afterall．'

　　InashorttimeWilliamsreturnedtohisroom，bringingMrGarwoodwithhim．MrGarwoodsaidthatwhenhehadlookedatthepicturethefigurewasjuststartingtocrawlacrossthelawn．Herememberedthatitwaswearingablackgarmentwithsomethingwhiteontheback—hewasnotsureifitwasacross．Whilehewaswritingthisdown，MrNisbetreturnedandsaidthathehadphotographedthepicture．

　　'Whatareyougoingtodonow，Williams？

'askedMrGar－wood．'Areyougoi