Category Archives: M R James

Clasics in Ñspel: NUMBER 13, by M R James

11/12/2020Clasics in Ñspel, M R James, Short storiesDenmark, Ghost storiesFrank Johnson

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NUMBR 13

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Amñ ɖ tǎnz v Jutḷnd, Vîborg justli holdz a hî ples. It z ɖ sīt v a biṣ́pric; it hz a hansm bt olmst intîrli ny cʈīdṛl, a ćarmñ gardn, a lec v gret byti, n mni storcs. Nir it z Hald, acǎntd wn v ɖ pritiist ʈñz in Denmarc; n hard bî z Finderup, ẃr Marsk Stig mrdrd Cñ Eric Glipñ on St Ssīła’z De, in ɖ yir 1286. Fifti-six bloz v sqer-hedd ayn mesz wr trest on Eric’s scul ẃn hiz tūm wz opnd in ɖ sevntīnʈ snćri. Bt I am nt raitñ a gîd-bc.

Ɖr r gd hotelz in Vîborg—Preisler’z n ɖ Fīnix r ol ɖt cn b dzîrd. Bt mî cuzn, huz xpirịnsz I hv t tel y nǎ, wnt t ɖ Goldn Layn ɖ frst tîm ɖt h viẓtd Vîborg. H hz nt bn ɖr sins, n ɖ folowñ pejz wl, phps, xplen ɖ rīzn v hiz abstnśn.

Ɖ Goldn Layn z wn v ɖ vri fy hǎzz in ɖ tǎn ɖt wr nt dstroid in ɖ gret fîr v 1726, ẃć practicli dmoliśt ɖ cʈīdṛl, ɖ Sognekirke, ɖ Raadhuus, n so mć els ɖt wz old n inṭrestñ. It z a gret red-bric hǎs—ɖt z, ɖ frunt z v bric, wɖ corbisteps on ɖ geblz n a txt ovr ɖ dor; bt ɖ cortyard intu ẃć ɖ omnibus drîvz z v blac n ẃît wŭd n plastr.

Ɖ sún wz dclînñ in ɖ hevnz ẃn mî cuzn wōct p t ɖ dor, n ɖ lît smout fl upn ɖ impozñ fsād v ɖ hǎs. H wz dlîtd wɖ ɖ old-faśnd aspect v ɖ ples, n promist himslf a ʈuṛli saṭsfactri n aḿzñ ste in an ín so tipicl v old Jutḷnd.

It wz nt biznis in ɖ ordnri sns v ɖ wrd ɖt hd bròt Mr Anḍsn t Vîborg. H wz ingejd upn sm rsrćz intu ɖ Ćrć hisṭri v Denmarc, n it hd cm t hiz nolij ɖt in ɖ Rigsarkiv v Vîborg ɖr wr peprz, sevd fṛm ɖ fîr, rletñ t ɖ last dez v Romn Cʈoḷsizm in ɖ cuntri. H pṛpozd, ɖrfr, t spend a cnsidṛbl tîm—phps az mć az a fortnît or ʈri wīcs—in xaṃnñ n copiyñ ɖz, n h hopt ɖt ɖ Goldn Layn wd b ebl t gv him a rūm v sfiśnt sîz t srv alîc az a bedrūm n a studi. Hiz wśz wr xplend t ɖ landlord, n, aftr a srtn amǎnt v ʈt, ɖ latr sjstd ɖt phps it mt b ɖ bst we fr ɖ jntlmn t lc at wn or tū v ɖ larjr rūmz n pic wn fr himslf. It sīmd a gd îdīa.

Ɖ top flor wz sn rjctd az inteilñ tù mć gtñ upsterz aftr ɖ de’z wrc; ɖ secnd flor cntend no rūm v xacli ɖ dmnśnz rqîrd; bt on ɖ frst flor ɖr wz a ćôs v tū or ʈri rūmz ẃć wd, so far az sîz wnt, sūt admṛbli.

Ɖ landlord wz stroñli in fevr v Numbr 17, bt Mr Anḍsn pôntd ǎt ɖt its windoz cmandd onli ɖ blanc wōl v ɖ nxt hǎs, n ɖt it wd b vri darc in ɖ afṭnun. Îɖr Numbr 12 or Numbr 14 wd b betr, fr bʈ v ɖm lct on ɖ strīt, n ɖ brît īvnñ lît n ɖ priti vy wd mor ɖn compnset him fr ɖ adiśnl amǎnt v nôz.

Ivnć̣li Numbr 12 wz s’lectd. Lîc its nebrz, it hd ʈri windoz, ol on wn sîd v ɖ rūm; it wz ferli hî n unyẓ́li loñ. Ɖr wz, v cors, no fîrples, bt ɖ stov wz hansm n rɖr old—a cást-ayn irex́n, on ɖ sîd v ẃć wz a repriznteśn v Ebṛham sacṛfîsñ Îzac, n ɖ inscripśn, ‘I Bog Mose, Cap. 22,’ abv. Nʈñ els in ɖ rūm wz rmarcbl; ɖ onli inṭrestñ picćr wz an old culrd print v ɖ tǎn, det abt 1820.

Suprtîm wz aproćñ, bt ẃn Anḍsn, rfreśt bî ɖ ordnri ablūśnz, dsndd ɖ sterces, ɖr wr stl a fy minits bfr ɖ bel rañ. H dvotd ɖm t xaṃnñ ɖ list v hiz felolojrz. Az z yźl in Denmarc, ɖer nemz wr dspleid on a larj blacbōrd, dvîdd intu coḷmz n lînz, ɖ numbrz v ɖ rūmz biyñ pentd in at ɖ bginñ v ć lîn. Ɖ list wz nt xîtñ. Ɖr wz an advc̣t, or Sagförer, a Jrmn, n sm bagmen fṛm Copnhagn. Ɖ wn n onli pônt ẃć sjstd eni fūd fr ʈt wz ɖ absns v eni Numbr 13 fṛm ɖ têl v ɖ rūmz, n īvn ɖs wz a ʈñ ẃć Anḍsn hd olrdi notist haf a duzn tîmz in hiz xpirịns v Deniś hotelz. H cd nt hlp wunḍrñ ẃɖr ɖ objx́n t ɖt ptiklr numbr, comn az it z, wz so wîdspred n so stroñ az t mc it dificlt t let a rūm so tic̣td, n h rzolvd t asc ɖ landlord f h n hiz colīgz in ɖ pṛfeśn hd acć̣li met wɖ mni claynts hu rfyzd t b acoṃdetd in ɖ ʈrtīnʈ rūm.

H hd nʈñ t tel m (I am gvñ ɖ stori az I hŕd it fṛm him) abt ẃt pást at supr, n ɖ īvnñ, ẃć wz spent in unpacñ n arenjñ hiz cloɖz, bcs, n peprz, wz nt mor ivntfl. Twdz ilevn o’cloc h rzolvd t g t bed, bt wɖ him, az wɖ a gd mni uɖr ppl nawdez, an olmst nesṣri priliminri t bed, f h mnt t slīp, wz ɖ rīdñ v a fy pejz v print, n h nǎ rmembrd ɖt ɖ ptiklr bc ẃć h hd bn rīdñ in ɖ tren, n ẃć alon wd saṭsfî him at ɖt preznt momnt, wz in ɖ pocit v hiz gretcot, ɖen haññ on a peg ǎtsd ɖ dînñrūm.

T run dǎn n s’kr it wz ɖ wrc v a momnt, n, az ɖ paṣjz wr bî no mīnz darc, it wz nt dificlt fr him t fînd hiz we bac t hiz ǒn dor. So, at līst, h ʈt; bt ẃn h arîvd ɖr, n trnd ɖ handl, ɖ dor intîrli rfyzd t opn, n h còt ɖ sǎnd v a hesti muvmnt twdz it fṛm wɖn. H hd traid ɖ roñ dor, v cors. Wz hiz ǒn rūm t ɖ rît or t ɖ left? H glanst at ɖ numbr: it wz 13. Hiz rūm wd b on ɖ left; n so it wz. N nt bfr h hd bn in bed fr sm minits, hd réd hiz wóntd ʈri or for pejz v hiz bc, bloun ǎt hiz lît, n trnd ovr t g t slīp, dd it ocŕ t him ɖt, ẃr-az on ɖ blacbōrd v ɖ hotel ɖr hd bn no Numbr 13, ɖr wz undǎtidli a rūm numbrd 13 in ɖ hotel. H flt rɖr sori h hd nt ćozn it fr hiz ǒn. Phps h mt hv dn ɖ landlord a litl srvis bî okpayñ it, n gvn him ɖ ćans v seyñ ɖt a wel-born Ñgliś jntlmn hd livd in it fr ʈri wīcs n lîct it vri mć. Bt probbli it wz yzd az a srvnt’s rūm or smʈñ v ɖ cnd. Aftr ol, it wz most lîcli nt so larj or gd a rūm az hiz ǒn. N h lct drǎẓli abt ɖ rūm, ẃć wz ferli psptbl in ɖ haf-lît fṛm ɖ strīt-lamp. It wz a krịs ifct, h ʈt. Rūmz yẓ́li lc larjr in a dim lît ɖn a fl wn, bt ɖs sīmd t hv cntractd in leñʈ n groun pṛporśṇtli hayr. Wel, wel! slīp wz mor importnt ɖn ɖz veg rūṃneśnz—n t slīp h wnt.

On ɖ de aftr hiz arîvl Anḍsn atact ɖ Rigsarkiv v Vîborg. H wz, az wn mt xpct in Denmarc, cîndli rsivd, n axes t ol ɖt h wśt t si wz md az īzi fr him az poṣbl. Ɖ dokmnts leid bfr him wr far mor ńmṛs n inṭrestñ ɖn h hd at ol antiṣpetd. Bsdz ofiśl peprz, ɖr wz a larj bundl v corispondns rletñ t Biṣ́p Jörgen Friis, ɖ last Romn Caʈ̇lic hu hld ɖ si, n in ɖz ɖr cropt p mni aḿzñ n ẃt r cōld ‘intiṃt’ dītelz v prîṿt lîf n indivijl caṛctr. Ɖr wz mć tōc v a hǎs ǒnd bî ɖ Biṣ́p, bt nt inhaḅtd bî him, in ɖ tǎn. Its tennt wz apaṛntli smẃt v a scandl n a stumḅlñbloc t ɖ rformñparti. H wz a dsgres, ɖe rout, t ɖ siti; h practist sīcrit n wicid arts, n hd sold hiz soul t ɖ eṇmi. It wz v a pìs wɖ ɖ gros c’rupśn n sūṗstiśn v ɖ Baḅloniś Ćrć ɖt sć a vîpr n blud-sucñ Troldmand śd b patṛnîzd n harbrd bî ɖ Biṣ́p. Ɖ Biṣ́p met ɖz rproćz boldli; h pṛtstd hiz ǒn abhoṛns v ol sć ʈñz az sīcrit arts, n rqîrd hiz antaġnists t brñ ɖ matr bfr ɖ propr cort—v cors, ɖ spirićl cort—n sift it t ɖ botm. Nwn cd b mor redi n wilñ ɖn himslf t cndem Mag. Nicolas Francken f ɖ evidns śoud him t hv bn gilti v eni v ɖ crîmz inforṃli alejd agnst him.

Anḍsn hd nt tîm t d mor ɖn glans at ɖ nxt letr v ɖ Protistnt līdr, Rasmus Nielsen, bfr ɖ record ofis wz clozd fr ɖ de, bt h gaɖrd its jenṛl tenr, ẃć wz t ɖ ifct ɖt Crisćn men wr nǎ no longr baund bî ɖ dsiźnz v Biṣ́ps v Rom, n ɖt ɖ Biṣ́p’s Cort wz nt, n cd nt b, a fit or compitnt trîbynl t juj so grev n weiti a cōz.

On līvñ ɖ ofis, Mr Anḍsn wz acumṗnid bî ɖ old jntlmn hu prizîdd ovr it, n, az ɖe wōct, ɖ convseśn vri naćṛli trnd t ɖ peprz v ẃć I hv jst bn spīcñ.

Herr Scavenius, ɖ Arc̣vist v Vîborg, ɖo vri wel informd az t ɖ jenṛl run v ɖ dokmnts undr hiz ćarj, wz nt a speṣ́list in ɖoz v ɖ Ref̣meśn pirịd. H wz mć inṭrestd in ẃt Anḍsn hd t tel him abt ɖm. H lct fwd wɖ gret pleźr, h sd, t siyñ ɖ pubḷceśn in ẃć Mr Anḍsn spouc v imbodiyñ ɖer contents. ‘Ɖs hǎs v ɖ Biṣ́p Friis,’ h add, ‘it z a gret puzl t m ẃr it cn hv std. I hv studid cerf̣li ɖ tpogṛfi v old Vîborg, bt it z most unluci—v ɖ old térịr v ɖ Biṣ́p’s proṗti ẃć wz md in 1560, n v ẃć w hv ɖ gretr part in ɖ Arkiv—jst ɖ pìs ẃć hd ɖ list v ɖ tǎn proṗti z misñ. Nvr mînd. Phps I śl sm de s’xid t fînd him.’

Aftr tecñ sm x’sîz—I fget xacli hǎ or ẃr—Anḍsn wnt bac t ɖ Goldn Layn, hiz supr, hiz gem v peśns, n hiz bed. On ɖ we t hiz rūm it ocŕd t him ɖt h hd fgotn t tōc t ɖ landlord abt ɖ omiśn v Numbr 13 fṛm ɖ hotel bōrd, n olso ɖt h mt az wel mc śr ɖt Numbr 13 dd acć̣li xist bfr h md eni refṛns t ɖ matr.

Ɖ dsiźn wz nt dificlt t arîv at. Ɖr wz ɖ dor wɖ its numbr az plen az cd b, n wrc v sm cnd wz evidntli gwñ on insd it, fr az h nird ɖ dor h cd hír ftsteps n vôsz, or a vôs, wɖn. Jrñ ɖ fy secndz in ẃć h hōltd t mc śr v ɖ numbr, ɖ ftsteps sīst, sīmñli vri nir ɖ dor, n h wz a litl startld at hírñ a qc hisñ briɖñ az v a prsn in stroñ xîtmnt. H wnt on t hiz ǒn rūm, n agn h wz s’prîzd t fînd hǎ mć smōlr it sīmd nǎ ɖn it hd ẃn h s’lectd it. It wz a slît dis’pôntmnt, bt onli slît. F h faund it riyli nt larj inuf, h cd vri īẓli śift t anɖr. In ɖ mntm h wontd smʈñ—az far az I rmembr it wz a pocithanc̣ćīf—ǎt v hiz portmanto, ẃć hd bn plest bî ɖ portr on a vri inadiqt tresl or stūl agnst ɖ wōl at ɖ farɖist end v ɖ rūm fṛm hiz bed. Hir wz a vri krịs ʈñ: ɖ portmanto wz nt t b sìn. It hd bn muvd bî ofiśs srvnts; dǎtlis ɖ contents hd bn pt in ɖ wordrob. No, nn v ɖm wr ɖr. Ɖs wz vxeśs. Ɖ îdīa v a ʈeft h dsmist at wns. Sć ʈñz rerli hapn in Denmarc, bt sm pìs v stypidti hd srtnli bn pformd (ẃć z nt so uncomn), n ɖ stuepige mst b svirli spocn t. Ẃtvr it wz ɖt h wontd, it wz nt so nesṣri t hiz cumf̣t ɖt h cd nt wêt tl ɖ mornñ fr it, n h ɖrfr setld nt t rñ ɖ bel n dstrb ɖ srvnts. H wnt t ɖ windo—ɖ rît-hand windo it wz—n lct ǎt on ɖ qayt strīt. Ɖr wz a tōl bildñ oṗzit, wɖ larj spesz v ded wōl; no pasrz-bî; a darc nît; n vri litl t b sìn v eni cnd.

Ɖ lît wz bhnd him, n h cd si hiz ǒn śado clirli cast on ɖ wōl oṗzit. Olso ɖ śado v ɖ birdd man in Numbr 11 on ɖ left, hu pást t n fro in śrtslīvz wns or twîs, n wz sìn frst bruśñ hiz her, n lêtr on in a nîtgǎn. Olso ɖ śado v ɖ okpnt v Numbr 13 on ɖ rît. Ɖs mt b mor inṭrestñ. Numbr 13 wz, lîc himslf, līnñ on hiz elboz on ɖ windosil lcñ ǎt intu ɖ strīt. H sīmd t b a tōl ʈin man—or wz it bî eni ćans a wmn?—at līst, it wz smwn hu cuvrd hiz or hr hed wɖ sm cnd v dreṗri bfr gwñ t bed, n, h ʈt, mst b pzest v a red lampśêd—n ɖ lamp mst b flic̣rñ vri mć. Ɖr wz a dstñt pleyñ p n dǎn v a dul red lît on ɖ oṗzit wōl. H crend ǎt a litl t si f h cd mc eni mor v ɖ figr, bt bynd a fold v sm lît, phps ẃît, mtirịl on ɖ windosil h cd si nʈñ.

Nǎ cem a distnt step in ɖ strīt, n its aproć sīmd t rcōl Numbr 13 t a sns v hiz xpozd pziśn, fr vri swiftli n sudnli h swept asd fṛm ɖ windo, n hiz red lît wnt ǎt. Anḍsn, hu hd bn smocñ a siġrét, leid ɖ end v it on ɖ windosil n wnt t bed.

Nxt mornñ h wz wocn bî ɖ stuepige wɖ hot wōtr, ets. H rǎzd himslf, n aftr ʈncñ ǎt ɖ c’rect Deniś wrdz, sd az dstñtli az h cd:

‘Y mst nt muv mî portmanto. Ẃr z it?’

Az z nt uncomn, ɖ meid laft, n wnt awe wɖt mcñ eni dstñt ansr.

Anḍsn, rɖr iṛtetd, sat p in bed, intndñ t cōl hr bac, bt h rmend sitñ p, stẹrñ stret in frunt v him. Ɖr wz hiz portmanto on its tresl, xacli ẃr h hd sìn ɖ portr pt it ẃn h frst arîvd. Ɖs wz a rūd śoc fr a man hu prîdd himslf on hiz akṛsi v obẓveśn. Hǎ it cd poṣbli hv iscept him ɖ nît bfr h dd nt pritnd t unḍstand; at eni ret, ɖr it wz nǎ.

Ɖ dêlît śoud mor ɖn ɖ portmanto; it let ɖ tru pṛporśnz v ɖ rūm wɖ its ʈri windoz apir, n saṭsfaid its tennt ɖt hiz ćôs aftr ol hd nt bn a bad wn. Ẃn h wz olmst drest h wōct t ɖ midl wn v ɖ ʈri windoz t lc ǎt at ɖ weɖr. Anɖr śoc awêtd him. Strenjli un’bzrvnt h mst hv bn last nît. H cd hv sworn ten tîmz ovr ɖt h hd bn smocñ at ɖ rît-hand windo ɖ last ʈñ bfr h wnt t bed, n hir wz hiz siġrét-end on ɖ sil v ɖ midl windo.

H startd t g dǎn t brecfst. Rɖr lêt, bt Numbr 13 wz lêtr: hir wr hiz būts stl ǎtsd hiz dor—a jntlmn’z būts. So ɖen Numbr 13 wz a man, nt a wmn. Jst ɖen h còt sît v ɖ numbr on ɖ dor. It wz 14. H ʈt h mst hv pást Numbr 13 wɖt noṭsñ it. Ʈri stypid mstecs in twelv aurz wr tù mć fr a mʈodicl, akṛt-mîndd man, so h trnd bac t mc śr. Ɖ nxt numbr t 14 wz numbr 12, hiz ǒn rūm. Ɖr wz no Numbr 13 at ol.

Aftr sm minits dvotd t a cerfl cnsiḍreśn v evrʈñ h hd hd t īt n drinc jrñ ɖ last twenti-for aurz, Anḍsn dsîdd t gv ɖ qsćn p. F hiz îz or hiz bren wr gvñ we h wd hv plenti v oṗtyṇtiz fr aṣtenñ ɖt fact; f nt, ɖen h wz evidntli biyñ trītd t a vri inṭrestñ xpirịns. In îɖr ces ɖ dveḷpmnt v ivnts wd srtnli b wrʈ woćñ.

Jrñ ɖ de h cntinyd hiz xaṃneśn v ɖ ipisc̣pl corispondns ẃć I hv olrdi súṃrîzd. T hiz dis’pôntmnt, it wz incmplit. Onli wn uɖr letr cd b faund ẃć rfŕd t ɖ afer v Mag. Nicolas Francken. It wz fṛm ɖ Biṣ́p Jörgen Friis t Rasmus Nielsen. H sd:

‘Olɖo w r nt in ɖ līst dgri inclînd t asnt t yr jujmnt cnsrnñ ǎr cort, n śl b priperd f nīd b t wɖstand y t ɖ utrmost in ɖt bhaf, yt fr-az-mć az ǎr trusti n wel-ḅluvid Mag. Nicolas Francken, agnst hūm y hv derd t alej srtn fōls n mliśs ćarjz, hʈ bn sudnli rmuvd fṛm amñ s, it z apaṛnt ɖt ɖ qsćn fr ɖs tîm fōlz. Bt fr-az-mć az y frɖr alej ɖt ɖ Aposl n Ivanjlist St Jon in hiz hevnli Apoc̣lips dscrîbz ɖ Holi Romn Ćrć undr ɖ gîz n simbl v ɖ Scarlit Wmn, b it noun t y,’ ets.

Srć az h mt, Anḍsn cd fînd no sīql t ɖs letr nr eni clu t ɖ cōz or manr v ɖ ‘rmuvl’ v ɖ casus belli. H cd onli s’poz ɖt Francken hd daid sudnli; n az ɖr wr onli tū dez btwn ɖ det v Nielsen’z last letr—ẃn Francken wz evidntli stl in biyñ—n ɖt v ɖ Biṣ́p’s letr, ɖ deʈ mst hv bn cmplitli unixpctd.

In ɖ afṭnun h peid a śort vizit t Hald, n tc hiz ti at Baekkelund; nr cd h notis, ɖo h wz in a smẃt nrṿs frem v mînd, ɖt ɖr wz eni indceśn v sć a fełr v î or bren az hiz xpirịnsz v ɖ mornñ hd léd him t fir.

At supr h faund himslf nxt t ɖ landlord.

‘Ẃt,’ h asct him, aftr sm indifṛnt convseśn, ‘z ɖ rīzn ẃ in most v ɖ hotelz wn vizits in ɖs cuntri ɖ numbr ʈrtīn z left ǎt v ɖ list v rūmz? I si y hv nn hir.’

Ɖ landlord sīmd aḿzd.

‘T ʈnc ɖt y śd hv notist a ʈñ lîc ɖt! I’v ʈt abt it wns or twîs mslf, t tel ɖ truʈ. An edycetd man, I’v sd, hz no biznis wɖ ɖz sūṗstiśs nośnz. I wz bròt p mslf hir in ɖ hî scūl v Vîborg, n ǎr old mastr wz olwz a man t set hiz fes agnst enʈñ v ɖt cnd. H’z bn ded nǎ ɖs mni yirz—a fîn upstandñ man h wz, n redi wɖ hiz handz az wel az hiz hed. I rec̣lect s bôz, wn snǒi de—’

Hir h plunjd intu reṃnisns.

‘Ɖen y d’nt ʈnc ɖr z eni ptiklr objx́n t hvñ a Numbr 13?’ sd Anḍsn.

‘Ā! t b śr. Wel, y unḍstand, I wz bròt p t ɖ biznis bî mî pur old faɖr. H cept a hotel in Aarhuus frst, n ɖen, ẃn w wr born, h muvd t Vîborg hir, ẃć wz hiz netiv ples, n hd ɖ Fīnix hir untl h daid. Ɖt wz in 1876. Ɖen I startd biznis in Silkeborg, n onli ɖ yir bfr last I muvd intu ɖs hǎs.’

Ɖen foloud mor dītelz az t ɖ stet v ɖ hǎs n biznis ẃn frst tecn ovr.

‘N ẃn y cem hir, wz ɖr a Numbr 13?’

‘No, no. I wz gwñ t tel y abt ɖt. Y si, in a ples lîc ɖs, ɖ cmrśl clas—ɖ travlrz—r ẃt w hv t pṛvîd fr in jenṛl. N pt ɖm in Numbr 13? Ẃ, ɖ’d az sn slīp in ɖ strīt, or snr. Az far az I’m cnsrnd mslf, it wd’nt mc a peni difṛns t m ẃt ɖ numbr v mî rūm wz, n so I’v ofn sd t ɖm; bt ɖe stic t it ɖt it brñz ɖm bad luc. Qonttiz v storiz ɖe hv amñ ɖm v men ɖt hv slept in a Numbr 13 n nvr bn ɖ sem agn, or lost ɖer bst custmrz, or—wn ʈñ n anɖr,’ sd ɖ landlord, aftr srćñ fr a mor grafic frêz.

‘Ɖen ẃt d y yz yr Numbr 13 fr?’ sd Anḍsn, conśs az h sd ɖ wrdz v a krịs añzayti qt dispṛporśṇt t ɖ importns v ɖ qsćn.

‘Mî Numbr 13? Ẃ, d’nt I tel y ɖt ɖr z’nt sć a ʈñ in ɖ hǎs? I ʈt y mt hv notist ɖt. F ɖr wz it wd b nxt dor t yr ǒn rūm.’

‘Wel, yes; onli I hapnd t ʈnc—ɖt z, I fansid last nît ɖt I hd sìn a dor numbrd ʈrtīn in ɖt pasij; n, riyli, I am olmst srtn I mst hv bn rît, fr I sw it ɖ nît bfr az wel.’

V cors, Herr Kristensen laft ɖs nośn t scorn, az Anḍsn hd xpctd, n emf̣sîzd wɖ mć iṭreśn ɖ fact ɖt no Numbr 13 xistd or hd xistd bfr him in ɖt hotel.

Anḍsn wz in sm wez rlivd bî hiz srtnti, bt stl puzld, n h bgan t ʈnc ɖt ɖ bst we t mc śr ẃɖr h hd indd bn subjict t an iluźn or nt wz t invît ɖ landlord t hiz rūm t smoc a sgar lêtr on in ɖ īvnñ. Sm foṭgrafs v Ñgliś tǎnz ẃć h hd wɖ him formd a sfiśntli gd xks.

Herr Kristensen wz flatrd bî ɖ invteśn, n most wilñli axptd it. At abt ten o’cloc h wz t mc hiz apiṛns, bt bfr ɖt Anḍsn hd sm letrz t rait, n rtîrd fr ɖ prṗs v raitñ ɖm. H olmst bluśt t himslf at cnfesñ it, bt h cd nt dnî ɖt it wz ɖ fact ɖt h wz bcmñ qt nrṿs abt ɖ qsćn v ɖ xistns v Numbr 13; so mć so ɖt h aproćt hiz rūm bî we v Numbr 11, in ordr ɖt h mt nt b oblîjd t pas ɖ dor, or ɖ ples ẃr ɖ dor òt t b. H lct qcli n sspiśsli abt ɖ rūm ẃn h entrd it, bt ɖr wz nʈñ, bynd ɖt indfîṇbl er v biyñ smōlr ɖn yźl, t woṛnt eni msgvñz. Ɖr wz no qsćn v ɖ prezns or absns v hiz portmanto tnît. H hd himslf emtid it v its contents n lojd it undr hiz bed. Wɖ a srtn ef̣t h dsmist ɖ ʈt v Numbr 13 fṛm hiz mînd, n sat dǎn t hiz raitñ.

Hiz nebrz wr qayt inuf. Oceźṇli a dor opnd in ɖ pasij n a per v būts wz ʈroun ǎt, or a bagman wōct past humñ t himslf, n ǎtsd, fṛm tîm t tîm, a cart ʈundrd ovr ɖ atrośs coblstonz, or a qc step hurid alñ ɖ flagz.

Anḍsn finiśt hiz letrz, ordrd in ẃisci n soda, n ɖen wnt t ɖ windo n studid ɖ ded wōl oṗzit n ɖ śadoz upn it.

Az far az h cd rmembr, Numbr 14 hd bn okpaid bî ɖ loyr, a stêd man, hu sd litl at mīlz, biyñ jenṛli ingejd in studiyñ a smōl bundl v peprz bsd hiz plet. Apaṛntli, hvr, h wz in ɖ habit v gvñ vnt t hiz animl spirits ẃn alon. Ẃ els śd h b dansñ? Ɖ śado fṛm ɖ nxt rūm evidntli śoud ɖt h wz. Agn n agn hiz ʈin form crost ɖ windo, hiz armz wevd, n a gōnt leg wz cict p wɖ s’prîzñ ajiḷti. H sīmd t b bér-fŭtd, n ɖ flor mst b wel leid, fr no sǎnd btreid hiz muvmnts. Sagförer Herr Anders Jensen, dansñ at ten o’cloc at nît in a hotel bedrūm, sīmd a fitñ subjict fr a historicl pentñ in ɖ grand stîl; n Anḍsn’z ʈts, lîc ɖoz v Eṃli in ɖ ‘Misṭriz v Ūdolfo’, bgan t ‘arenj ɖmslvz in ɖ folowñ lînz’:

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Ẃn I rtrn t mî hotel,

At ten o’cloc p.m.,

Ɖ wêtrz ʈnc I am unwel;

I d nt cer fr ɖm.

Bt ẃn I’v loct mî ćembr dor,

N pt mî būts ǎtsd,

I dans ol nît upn ɖ flor.

N īvn f mî nebrz swòr,

I’d g on dansñ ol ɖ mor,

Fr I’m aqentd wɖ ɖ lw,

N in dspt v ol ɖer jw,

Ɖer protests I d’rîd.

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Hd nt ɖ landlord at ɖs momnt noct at ɖ dor, it z probbl ɖt qt a loñ powm mt hv bn leid bfr ɖ rīdr. T juj fṛm hiz lc v s’prîz ẃn h faund himslf in ɖ rūm, Herr Kristensen wz struc, az Anḍsn hd bn, bî smʈñ unyźl in its aspect. Bt h md no rmarc. Anḍsn’z foṭgrafs inṭrestd him mîṭli, n formd ɖ txt v mni ōṭbạgraficl dscorsz. Nr z it qt clir hǎ ɖ convseśn cd hv bn dvrtd intu ɖ dzîrd ćanl v Numbr 13, hd nt ɖ loyr at ɖs momnt bgun t sñ, n t sñ in a manr ẃć cd līv no dǎt in enwn’z mînd ɖt h wz îɖr xidñli drunc or revñ mad. It wz a hî, ʈin vôs ɖt ɖe hŕd, n it sīmd drî, az f fṛm loñ dsys. V wrdz or tyn ɖr wz no qsćn. It wnt sêlñ p t a s’prîzñ hît, n wz carid dǎn wɖ a dsperñ mon az v a wintrwind in a holo ćimni, or an orgn huz wind felz sudnli. It wz a riyli hoṛbl sǎnd, n Anḍsn flt ɖt f h hd bn alon h mst hv fled fr refyj n ssayti t sm nebr bagman’z rūm.

Ɖ landlord sat opn-mǎɖd.

‘I d’nt unḍstand it,’ h sd at last, wîpñ hiz fōrhed. ‘It z dredfl. I hv hŕd it wns bfr, bt I md śr it wz a cat.’

‘Z h mad?’ sd Anḍsn.

‘H mst b; n ẃt a sad ʈñ! Sć a gd custmr, tù, n so s’xesfl in hiz biznis, bî ẃt I hír, n a yuñ faṃli t brñ p.’

Jst ɖen cem an impeśnt noc at ɖ dor, n ɖ nocr entrd, wɖt wêtñ t b asct. It wz ɖ loyr, in déshabillé n vri ruf-herd; n vri angri h lct.

‘I beg pardn, sr,’ h sd, ‘bt I śd b mć oblîjd f y wd cîndli dzist—’

Hir h stopt, fr it wz evidnt ɖt nɖr v ɖ prsnz bfr him wz rsponsbl fr ɖ dstrbns; n aftr a momnt’s lul it sweld fʈ agn mor wîldli ɖn bfr.

‘Bt ẃt in ɖ nem v Hevn dz it mīn?’ brouc ǎt ɖ loyr. ‘Ẃr z it? Hu z it? Am I gwñ ǎt v mî mînd?’

‘Śrli, Herr Jensen, it cmz fṛm yr rūm nxt dor? Z’nt ɖr a cat or smʈñ stuc in ɖ ćimni?’

Ɖs wz ɖ bst ɖt ocŕd t Anḍsn t se n h riylîzd its fytiḷti az h spouc; bt enʈñ wz betr ɖn t stand n lisn t ɖt hoṛbl vôs, n lc at ɖ brōd, ẃît fes v ɖ landlord, ol pspîrñ n qiṿrñ az h clućt ɖ armz v hiz ćer.

‘Imposbl,’ sd ɖ loyr, ‘imposbl. Ɖr z no ćimni. I cem hir bcz I wz cnvinst ɖ nôz wz gwñ on hir. It wz srtnli in ɖ nxt rūm t mîn.’

‘Wz ɖr no dor btwn yrz n mîn?’ sd Anḍsn īgrli.

‘No, sr,’ sd Herr Jensen, rɖr śarpli. ‘At līst, nt ɖs mornñ.’

‘Ā!’ sd Anḍsn. ‘Nr tnît?’

‘I am nt śr,’ sd ɖ loyr wɖ sm hezteśn.

Sudnli ɖ crayñ or sññ vôs in ɖ nxt rūm daid awe, n ɖ sñr wz hŕd sīmñli t laf t himslf in a crūnñ manr. Ɖ ʈri men acć̣li śivrd at ɖ sǎnd. Ɖen ɖr wz a sîḷns.

‘Cm,’ sd ɖ loyr, ‘ẃt hv y t se, Herr Kristensen? Ẃt dz ɖs mīn?’

‘Gd Hevn!’ sd Kristensen. ‘Hǎ śd I tel! I nǒ no mor ɖn y, jntlṃn. I pre I me nvr hír sć a nôz agn.’

‘So d I,’ sd Herr Jensen, n h add smʈñ undr hiz breʈ. Anḍsn ʈt it sǎndd lîc ɖ last wrdz v ɖ Sōltr, ‘omnis spiritus laudet Dominum,’ bt h cd nt b śr.

‘Bt w mst d smʈñ,’ sd Anḍsn—‘ɖ ʈri v s. Śl w g n invstget in ɖ nxt rūm?’

‘Bt ɖt z Herr Jensen’z rūm,’ weild ɖ landlord. ‘It z no ys; h hz cm fṛm ɖr himslf.’

‘I am nt so śr,’ sd Jensen. ‘I ʈnc ɖs jntlmn z rît: w mst g n si.’

Ɖ onli wepnz v dfns ɖt cd b mustrd on ɖ spot wr a stic n umbrela. Ɖ xpdiśn wnt ǎt intu ɖ pasij, nt wɖt qecñz. Ɖr wz a dedli qayt ǎtsd, bt a lît śon fṛm undr ɖ nxt dor. Anḍsn n Jensen aproćt it. Ɖ latr trnd ɖ handl, n gev a sudn vigṛs pś. No ys. Ɖ dor std fast.

‘Herr Kristensen,’ sd Jensen, ‘wl y g n feć ɖ strongist srvnt y hv in ɖ ples? W mst si ɖs ʈru.’

Ɖ landlord nodd, n hurid of, glad t b awe fṛm ɖ sīn v ax́n. Jensen n Anḍsn rmend ǎtsd lcñ at ɖ dor.

‘It z Numbr 13, y si,’ sd ɖ latr.

‘Yes; ɖr z yr dor, n ɖr z mîn,’ sd Jensen.

‘Mî rūm hz ʈri windoz in ɖ dêtîm,’ sd Anḍsn wɖ dificlti, s’presñ a nrṿs laf.

‘Bî Jorj, so hz mîn!’ sd ɖ loyr, trnñ n lcñ at Anḍsn. Hiz bac wz nǎ t ɖ dor. In ɖt momnt ɖ dor opnd, n an arm cem ǎt n clwd at hiz śoldr. It wz clad in ragid, yelǒiś linn, n ɖ bér scin, ẃr it cd b sìn, hd loñ gre her upn it.

Anḍsn wz jst in tîm t pl Jensen ǎt v its rīć wɖ a crî v dsgust n frît, ẃn ɖ dor śut agn, n a lo laf wz hŕd.

Jensen hd sìn nʈñ, bt ẃn Anḍsn huridli tld him ẃt a risc h hd run, h fél intu a gret stet v ajteśn, n sjstd ɖt ɖe śd rtîr fṛm ɖ enṭprîz n loc ɖmslvz p in wn or uɖr v ɖer rūmz.

Hvr, ẃl h wz dveḷpñ ɖs plan, ɖ landlord n tū ebl-bodid men arîvd on ɖ sīn, ol lcñ rɖr sirịs n alarmd. Jensen met ɖm wɖ a toṛnt v dscripśn n xpḷneśn, ẃć dd nt at ol tnd t incurij ɖm fr ɖ fre.

Ɖ men dropt ɖ crobarz ɖe hd bròt, n sd flatli ɖt ɖe wr nt gwñ t risc ɖer ʈrots in ɖt devl’z den. Ɖ landlord wz mizṛbli nrṿs n undisîdd, conśs ɖt f ɖ denjr wr nt fest hiz hotel wz ruind, n vri loʈ t fes it himslf. Luc̣li Anḍsn hit upn a we v raliyñ ɖ dmoṛlîzd fors.

‘Z ɖs,’ h sd, ‘ɖ Deniś curij I hv hŕd so mć v? It z’nt a Jrmn in ɖr, n f it wz, w r fîv t wn.’

Ɖ tū srvnts n Jensen wr stuñ intu ax́n bî ɖs, n md a daś at ɖ dor.

‘Stop!’ sd Anḍsn. ‘D’nt lūz yr hedz. Y ste ǎt hir wɖ ɖ lît, landlord, n wn v y tū men brec in ɖ dor, n d’nt g in ẃn it gvz we.’

Ɖ men nodd, n ɖ yungr stept fwd, rezd hiz crobar, n dlt a tṛmnḍs blo on ɖ upr panl. Ɖ rzult wz nt in ɖ līst ẃt eni v ɖm antiṣpetd. Ɖr wz no cracñ or rendñ v wŭd—onli a dul sǎnd, az f ɖ solid wōl hd bn struc. Ɖ man dropt hiz tūl wɖ a śǎt, n bgan rubñ hiz elbo. Hiz crî drù ɖer îz upn him fr a momnt; ɖen Anḍsn lct at ɖ dor agn. It wz gn; ɖ plastr wōl v ɖ pasij stérd him in ɖ fes, wɖ a cnsidṛbl gaś in it ẃr ɖ crobar hd struc it. Numbr 13 hd pást ǎt v xistns.

Fr a brīf spes ɖe std prf̣cli stl, gezñ at ɖ blanc wōl. An rli coc in ɖ yard bnʈ wz hŕd t cro; n az Anḍsn glanst in ɖ d’rex́n v ɖ sǎnd, h sw ʈru ɖ windo at ɖ end v ɖ loñ pasij ɖt ɖ īstn scî wz pelñ t ɖ dōn.

‘Phps,’ sd ɖ landlord, wɖ hezteśn, ‘y jntlṃn wd lîc anɖr rūm fr tnît—a dubl-bedd wn?’

Nɖr Jensen nr Anḍsn wz avrs t ɖ sjsćn. Ɖe flt inclînd t hunt in cuplz aftr ɖer lêt xpirịns. It wz faund cnvińnt, ẃn ć v ɖm wnt t hiz rūm t c’lect ɖ articlz h wontd fr ɖ nît, ɖt ɖ uɖr śd g wɖ him n hold ɖ candl. Ɖe notist ɖt bʈ Numbr 12 n Numbr 14 hd ʈri windoz.

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Nxt mornñ ɖ sem parti ri’smbld in Numbr 12. Ɖ landlord wz naćṛli añśs t avôd ingejñ ǎtsd hlp, n yt it wz impeṛtiv ɖt ɖ misṭri ataćñ t ɖt part v ɖ hǎs śd b clird p. Acordñli ɖ tū srvnts hd bn indyst t tec upn ɖm ɖ fuñśn v carpntrz. Ɖ frnićr wz clird awe, n, at ɖ cost v a gd mni iritriṿbli damijd plancs, ɖt porśn v ɖ flor wz tecn p ẃć le nirist t Numbr 14.

Y wl naćṛli s’poz ɖt a scelitn—se ɖt v Mag. Nicolas Francken—wz dscuvrd. Ɖt wz nt so. Ẃt ɖe dd fînd layñ btwn ɖ bīmz ẃć s’portd ɖ florñ wz a smōl copr box. In it wz a nītli-foldd veḷm dokmnt, wɖ abt twenti lînz v raitñ. Bʈ Anḍsn n Jensen (hu pruvd t b smʈñ v a paliogṛfr) wr mć xîtd bî ɖs dscuṿri, ẃć promist t aford ɖ ci t ɖz xtrordnri fnomina.

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I pzes a copi v an astṛlojicl wrc ẃć I hv nvr réd. It hz, bî we v frunṭspìs, a wŭdcut bî Hanz Sebald Beham, reprizntñ a numbr v sejz sītd rnd a tebl. Ɖs dītel me inebl coṇsŕz t îdnṭfî ɖ bc. I canot mslf rec̣lect its tîtl, n it z nt at ɖs momnt wɖn rīć; bt ɖ flîlīvz v it r cuvrd wɖ raitñ, n, jrñ ɖ ten yirz in ẃć I hv ǒnd ɖ volym, I hv nt bn ebl t dtrmin ẃć we p ɖs raitñ òt t b réd, mć les in ẃt lanḡj it z. Nt dsimilr wz ɖ pziśn v Anḍsn n Jensen aftr ɖ pṛtractd xaṃneśn t ẃć ɖe sbmitd ɖ dokmnt in ɖ copr box.

Aftr tū dez’ contmpleśn v it, Jensen, hu wz ɖ boldr spirit v ɖ tū, haẓdd ɖ cnjcćr ɖt ɖ lanḡj wz îɖr Latin or Old Deniś.

Anḍsn vnćrd upn no s’mîzz, n wz vri wilñ t srendr ɖ box n ɖ parćmnt t ɖ Historicl Ssayti v Vîborg t b plest in ɖer ḿziym.

I hd ɖ hol stori fṛm him a fy munʈs lêtr, az w sat in a wŭd nir Upsala, aftr a vizit t ɖ lîbrri ɖr, ẃr w—or, rɖr, I—hd laft ovr ɖ contract bî ẃć Daniel Salthenius (in lêtr lîf Pṛfesr v Hībru at Königsberg) sold himslf t Setn. Anḍsn wz nt riyli aḿzd.

‘Yuñ idịt!’ h sd, mīnñ Salthenius, hu wz onli an unḍgrajụt ẃn h cmitd ɖt indiscreśn, ‘hǎ dd h nǒ ẃt cumṗni h wz cortñ?’

N ẃn I sjstd ɖ yźl cnsiḍreśnz h onli gruntd. Ɖt sem afṭnun h tld m ẃt y hv réd; bt h rfyzd t drw eni infṛnsz fṛm it, n t asnt t eni ɖt I drù fr him.

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CLASICS IN ÑSPEL

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ÑSPEL

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Clasics in Ñspel: THE ASH TREE by M R James

08/12/2020Clasics in Ñspel, M R James, Short storiesGhost storiesFrank Johnson

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Ɖ AŚTRĪ

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M R JEMZ

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Evrwn hu hz travld ovr Īstn Ñgḷnd nz ɖ smōlr cuntrihǎzz wɖ ẃć it z studd—ɖ rɖr danc litl bildñz, yẓ́li in ɖ Itałn stîl, srǎndd wɖ parcs v sm eti t a hundṛd ecrz. Fr m ɖe hv olwz hd a vri stroñ atrax́n, wɖ ɖ gre pelñ v split oc, ɖ nobl triz, ɖ mírz wɖ ɖer rìdbedz, n ɖ lîn v distnt wŭdz. Ɖen, I lîc ɖ pilrd portico—phps stuc on t a red-bric Qīn Án hǎs ẃć hz bn fest wɖ stuco t brñ it intu lîn wɖ ɖ ‘Grìśn’ test v ɖ end v ɖ etīnʈ snćri; ɖ hōl insd, gwñ p t ɖ rūf, ẃć hōl òt olwz t b pṛvîdd wɖ a gaḷri n a smōl orgn. I lîc ɖ lîbrri, tù, ẃr y me fînd enʈñ fṛm a Sōltr v ɖ ʈrtīnʈ snćri t a Śecspir qorto. I lîc ɖ picćrz, v cors; n phps most v ol I lîc fansiyñ ẃt lîf in sć a hǎs wz ẃn it wz frst bilt, n in ɖ pîpñ tîmz v landlordz’ pṛspeṛti, n nt līst nǎ, ẃn, f muni z nt so plentifl, test z mor vẹrid n lîf qt az inṭrestñ. I wś t hv wn v ɖz hǎzz, n inuf muni t cīp it tgɖr n entten mî frendz in it moḍstli.

Bt ɖs z a dgreśn. I hv t tel y v a krịs siriz v ivnts ẃć hapnd in sć a hǎs az I hv traid t dscrîb. It z Castrñm Hōl in Suf̣c. I ʈnc a gd dīl hz bn dn t ɖ bildñ sins ɖ pirịd v mî stori, bt ɖ isnśl fīćrz I hv scećt r stl ɖr—Itałn portico, sqer bloc v ẃît hǎs, oldr insd ɖn ǎt, parc wɖ frinj v wŭdz, n mír. Ɖ wn fīćr ɖt marct ǎt ɖ hǎs fṛm a scor v uɖrz z gn. Az y lct at it fṛm ɖ parc, y sw on ɖ rît a gret old aśtrī growñ wɖn haf a duzn yardz v ɖ wōl, n olmst or qt tućñ ɖ bildñ wɖ its branćz. I s’poz it hd std ɖr evr sins Castrñm sīst t b a forṭfaid ples, n sins ɖ mot wz fild in n ɖ Iliẓbīʈn dwelñhǎs bilt. At eni ret, it hd wel-nî atend its fl dmnśnz in ɖ yir 1690.

In ɖt yir ɖ district in ẃć ɖ Hōl z sićuetd wz ɖ sīn v a numbr v wićtrîlz. It wl b loñ, I ʈnc, bfr w arîv at a just esṭmet v ɖ amǎnt v solid rīzn—f ɖr wz eni—ẃć le at ɖ rūt v ɖ yṇvrsl fir v wićz in old tîmz. Ẃɖr ɖ prsnz akzd v ɖs ofns riyli dd imajin ɖt ɖe wr pzest v unyźl pǎr v eni cnd; or ẃɖr ɖe hd ɖ wil at līst, f nt ɖ pǎr, v dwñ misćif t ɖer nebrz; or ẃɖr ol ɖ cnfeśnz, v ẃć ɖr r so mni, wr xtortd bî ɖ cruwlti v ɖ wićfîndrz—ɖz r qsćnz ẃć r nt, I fansi, yt solvd. N ɖ preznt naṛtiv gvz m pōz. I canot oltgɖr swīp it awe az mir invnśn. Ɖ rīdr mst juj fr himslf.

Castrñm cntribytd a victim t ɖ auto-da-fé. Msz Muɖ̇sǒl wz hr nem, n ś difrd fṛm ɖ ordnri run v vilijwićz onli in biyñ rɖr betr of n in a mor influenśl pziśn. Ef̣ts wr md t sev hr bî sevṛl repytbl farmrz v ɖ pariś. Ɖe dd ɖer bst t tsṭfî t hr caṛctr, n śoud cnsidṛbl añzayti az t ɖ vrdict v ɖ jri.

Bt ẃt sīmz t hv bn fetl t ɖ wmn wz ɖ evidns v ɖ ɖen pṛpraytr v Castrñm Hōl—Sr Máʈy Fél. H dpozd t hvñ woćt hr on ʈri difṛnt oceźnz fṛm hiz windo, at ɖ fl v ɖ mūn, gaɖ̇rñ sprigz ‘fṛm ɖ aśtrī nir mî hǎs’. Ś hd clîmd intu ɖ branćz, clad onli in hr śift, n wz cutñ of smōl twigz wɖ a pkłrli crvd nîf, n az ś dd so ś sīmd t b tōcñ t hrslf. On ć oceźn Sr Máʈy hd dn hiz bst t capćr ɖ wmn, bt ś hd olwz tecn alarm at sm axdntl nôz h hd md, n ol h cd si ẃn h got dǎn t ɖ gardn wz a hér runñ acrs ɖ paʈ in ɖ d’rex́n v ɖ vilij.

On ɖ ʈrd nît h hd bn at ɖ penz t folo at hiz bst spīd, n hd gn stret t Msz Muɖ̇sǒl’z hǎs; bt h hd hd t wêt a qortr v an aur baṭrñ at hr dor, n ɖen ś hd cm ǎt vri cros, n apaṛntli vri slīpi, az f jst ǎt v bed; n h hd no gd xpḷneśn t ofr v hiz vizit.

Mnli on ɖs evidns, ɖo ɖr wz mć mor v a les strîcñ n unyźl cnd fṛm uɖr p’riṣ́nrz, Msz Muɖ̇sǒl wz faund gilti n cndemd t dî. Ś wz hañd a wīc aftr ɖ trîl, wɖ fîv or six mor unhapi crīćrz, at Beri St Edṃndz.

Sr Máʈy Fél, ɖen Depytiśerif, wz preznt at ɖ x’kśn. It wz a damp, drizli Marć mornñ ẃn ɖ cart md its we p ɖ ruf grashil ǎtsd Norʈget, ẃr ɖ galoz std. Ɖ uɖr victimz wr aṗʈetic or brocn dǎn wɖ miẓri; bt Msz Muɖ̇sǒl wz, az in lîf so in deʈ, v a vri difṛnt tmpr. Hr ‘pôzṇs Rej’, az a rportr v ɖ tîm pts it, ‘dd so wrc upn ɖ Bîstandrz—ye, īvn upn ɖ Hañmn—ɖt it wz constntli afrmd v ol ɖt sw hr ɖt ś prizntd ɖ livñ Aspect v a mad Divl. Yt ś ofrd no Rzistns t ɖ Ofisrz v ɖ Lw; onli ś lct upn ɖoz ɖt leid Handz upn hr wɖ so dîrfl n veṇṃs an Aspect ɖt—az wn v ɖm aftwdz aśurd m—ɖ mir Ʈt v it préid inẉdli upn hiz Mînd fr six Munʈs aftr.’

Hvr, ol ɖt ś z rportd t hv sd wr ɖ sīmñli mīnñlis wrdz: ‘Ɖr wl b gsts at ɖ Hōl.’ Ẃć ś rpitd mor ɖn wns in an unḍton.

Sr Máʈy Fél wz nt unimprest bî ɖ bẹrñ v ɖ wmn. H hd sm tōc upn ɖ matr wɖ ɖ Vicr v hiz pariś, wɖ hūm h travld hom aftr ɖ asîzbiznis wz ovr. Hiz evidns at ɖ trîl hd nt bn vri wilñli gvn; h wz nt speṣ́li infctd wɖ ɖ wić-fîndñ meńa, bt h dclerd, ɖen n aftwdz, ɖt h cd nt gv eni uɖr acǎnt v ɖ matr ɖn ɖt h hd gvn, n ɖt h cd nt poṣbli hv bn mstecn az t ẃt h sw. Ɖ hol trnzax́n hd bn rpugnnt t him, fr h wz a man hu lîct t b on pleznt trmz wɖ ɖoz abt him; bt h sw a dyti t b dn in ɖs biznis, n h hd dn it. Ɖt sīmz t hv bn ɖ jist v hiz sntimnts, n ɖ Vicr aplōdd it, az eni rīzṇbl man mst hv dn.

A fy wīcs aftr, ẃn ɖ mūn v Me wz at ɖ fl, Vicr n Sqîr met agn in ɖ parc, n wōct t ɖ Hōl tgɖr. Ledi Fél wz wɖ hr muɖr, hu wz denjṛsli il, n Sr Máʈy wz alon at hom; so ɖ Vicr, Mr Crǒm, wz īẓli pswedd t tec a lêt supr at ɖ Hōl.

Sr Máʈy wz nt vri gd cumṗni ɖs īvnñ. Ɖ tōc ran ćīfli on faṃli n pariś matrz, n, az luc wd hv it, Sr Máʈy md a meṃrandm in raitñ v srtn wśz or intnśnz v hiz rgardñ hiz istets, ẃć aftwdz pruvd xidñli ysfl.

Ẃn Mr Crǒm ʈt v startñ fr hom, abt haf past nîn o’cloc, Sr Máʈy n h tc a priliminri trn on ɖ gravld wōc at ɖ bac v ɖ hǎs. Ɖ onli insidnt ɖt struc Mr Crǒm wz ɖs: ɖe wr in sît v ɖ aśtrī ẃć I dscrîbd az growñ nir ɖ windoz v ɖ bildñ, ẃn Sr Máʈy stopt n sd:

‘Ẃt z ɖt ɖt runz p n dǎn ɖ stem v ɖ aś? It z nvr a sqiṛl? Ɖe wl ol b in ɖer nsts bî nǎ.’

Ɖ Vicr lct n sw ɖ muvñ crīćr, bt h cd mc nʈñ v its culr in ɖ mūnlît. Ɖ śarp ǎtlîn, hvr, sìn fr an instnt, wz imprintd on hiz bren, n h cd hv sworn, h sd, ɖo it sǎndd fūliś, ɖt, sqiṛl or nt, it hd mor ɖn for legz.

Stl, nt mć wz t b md v ɖ momntri viźn, n ɖ tū men partd. Ɖe me hv met sins ɖen, bt it wz nt fr a scor v yirz.

Nxt de Sr Máʈy Fél wz nt dǎnsterz at six in ɖ mornñ, az wz hiz custm, nr at sevn, nr yt at et. Hiṛpon ɖ srvnts wnt n noct at hiz ćembrdor. I nīd nt pṛloñ ɖ dscripśn v ɖer añśs liṣnñz n rnyd baṭrñz on ɖ panlz. Ɖ dor wz opnd at last fṛm ɖ ǎtsd, n ɖe faund ɖer mastr ded n blac. So mć y hv gest. Ɖt ɖr wr eni marcs v vayḷns dd nt at ɖ momnt apir; bt ɖ windo wz opn.

Wn v ɖ men wnt t feć ɖ parsn, n ɖen bî hiz d’rex́nz roud on t gv notis t ɖ coṛnr. Mr Crǒm himslf wnt az qc az h mt t ɖ Hōl, n wz śoun t ɖ rūm ẃr ɖ ded man le. H hz left sm nots amñ hiz peprz ẃć śo hǎ jenyin a rspct n soro wz flt fr Sr Máʈy, n ɖr z olso ɖs pasij, ẃć I trnscrîb fr ɖ sec v ɖ lît it ʈroz upn ɖ cors v ivnts, n olso upn ɖ comn b’lifs v ɖ tîm:

‘Ɖr wz nt eni ɖ līst Tres v an Entṛns hvñ bn forst t ɖ Ćembr: bt ɖ Cesmnt std opn, az mî pur Frend wd olwz hv it in ɖs Sīzn. H hd hiz Īvnñdrinc v smōl El in a silvr vesl v abt a pîntmeźr, n tnît hd nt drunc it ǎt. Ɖs Drinc wz xamind bî ɖ Fziśn fṛm Beri, a Mr Hojcinz, hu cd nt, hvr, az h aftwdz declerd upn hiz Oʈ, bfr ɖ Coṛnr’z qst, dscuvr ɖt eni matr v a veṇṃs cnd wz preznt in it. Fr, az wz naćṛl, in ɖ gret Swelñ n Blacnis v ɖ Corps, ɖr wz tōc md amñ ɖ Nebrz v Pôzn. Ɖ Bodi wz vri mć Dsordrd az it leid in ɖ Bed, biyñ twistd aftr so xtrim a sort az gev tù probbl Cnjcćr ɖt mî wrɖi Frend n Petṛn hd expîrd in gret Pen n Aġni. N ẃt z az yt unixplend, n t mslf ɖ Arğmnt v sm Horid n Artfl Dzîn in ɖ Prṗtretrz v ɖs Barbṛs Mrɖr, wz ɖs, ɖt ɖ Wimin ẃć wr intrustd wɖ ɖ leyñ-ǎt v ɖ Corps n wośñ it, biyñ bʈ sad Prsnz n vri wel Rspctd in ɖer Mōrnfl Pṛfeśn, cem t m in a gret Pen n Dstres bʈ v Mînd n Bodi, seyñ, ẃt wz indd cnfrmd upn ɖ frst Vy, ɖt ɖe hd no snr tućt ɖ Brest v ɖ Corps wɖ ɖer necid Handz ɖn ɖe wr snṣbl v a mor ɖn ordnri vayḷnt Smart n Ecñ in ɖer Pāmz, ẃć, wɖ ɖer hol Fōrarmz, in no loñ tîm sweld so imodṛtli, ɖ Pen stl cntinywñ, ɖt, az aftwdz pruvd, jrñ mni wīcs ɖe wr forst t le bî ɖ x’sîz v ɖer Cōlñ; n yt no marc sìn on ɖ Scin.

‘Upn hírñ ɖs, I snt fr ɖ Fziśn, hu wz stl in ɖ Hǎs, n w md az cerfl a Prūf az w wr ebl bî ɖ Hlp v a smōl Magṇfayñ Lénz v Cristl v ɖ cndiśn v ɖ Scin on ɖs Part v ɖ Bodi: bt cd nt dtct wɖ ɖ Instṛmnt w hd eni Matr v Importns bynd a cupl v smōl Puñćrz or Prics, ẃć w ɖen cncludd wr ɖ Spots bî ẃć ɖ Pôzn mt b intṛdyst, rmemḅrñ ɖt Rñ v Pǒp Borgia, wɖ uɖr noun Spesimnz v ɖ Horid Art v ɖ Itałn Pôznrz v ɖ last ej.

‘So mć z t b sd v ɖ Simtmz sìn on ɖ Corps. Az t ẃt I am t ad, it z mirli mî ǒn Xperimnt, n t b left t Psteṛti t juj ẃɖr ɖr b enʈñ v Valy ɖr-in. Ɖr wz on ɖ Tebl bî ɖ Bedsîd a Bîbl v ɖ smōl sîz, in ẃć mî Frend—puñćl az in Matrz v les Momnt, so in ɖs mor weiti wn—yst nîtli, n upn hiz Frst Rîzñ, t rīd a sét Porśn. N I tecñ it p—nt wɖt a Tir dyli peid t him ẃć fṛm ɖ Studi v ɖs purr Admbreśn wz nǎ pást t ɖ contmpleśn v its gret Orijinl—it cem intu mî Ʈts, az at sć momnts v Hlplisnis w r pron t cać at eni ɖ līst Glimr ɖt mcs promis v Lît, t mc trîl v ɖt old n bî mni acǎntd Sūṗstiśs Practis v drw̃ ɖ Sortes; v ẃć a Prinsipl Instns, in ɖ ces v hiz lêt Secrid Maɉsti ɖ Blesid Martr Cñ Ćarlz n mî Lord Fōcḷnd, wz nǎ mć tōct v. I mst nīdz admit ɖt bî mî Trîl nt mć Asistns wz afordd m: yt, az ɖ Cōz n Oṛjin v ɖz Dredfl Ivnts me hiraftr b srćt ǎt, I set dǎn ɖ Rzults, in ɖ ces it me b faund ɖt ɖe pôntd ɖ tru Qortr v ɖ Misćif t a qcr Intelijns ɖn mî ǒn.

‘I md, ɖen, ʈri trîlz, oṗnñ ɖ Bc n plesñ mî Fngr upn srtn Wrdz: ẃć gev in ɖ frst ɖz wrdz, fṛm Lūc xiii. 7, Cut it dǎn; in ɖ secnd, Îzaia xiii. 20, It śl nvr b inhaḅtd; n upn ɖ ʈrd Xperimnt, Job xxxiv. 30, Hr yuñ wnz olso suc p blud.’

Ɖs z ol ɖt nīd b qotd fṛm Mr Crǒm’z peprz. Sr Máʈy Fél wz dyli cofind n leid intu ɖ rʈ, n hiz fynṛl srmn, prīćt bî Mr Crǒm on ɖ folowñ Súnde, hz bn printd undr ɖ tîtl v ‘Ɖ Unsrćbl We; or, Ñgḷnd’z Denjr n ɖ Mliśs Dīlñz v Anticrîst’, it biyñ ɖ Vicr’z vy, az wel az ɖt most comnli hld in ɖ nebrhd, ɖt ɖ Sqîr wz ɖ victim v a rīcrudesns v ɖ Pǒpiś Plot.

Hiz sun, Sr Máʈy ɖ secnd, s’xidd t ɖ tîtl n istets. N so endz ɖ frst act v ɖ Castrñm traɉdi. It z t b mnśnd, ɖo ɖ fact z nt s’prîzñ, ɖt ɖ ny Baṛnét dd nt okpî ɖ rūm in ẃć hiz faɖr hd daid. Nr, indd, wz it slept in bî enwn bt an oceźnl vizitr jrñ ɖ hol v hiz okpeśn. H daid in 1735, n I d nt fînd ɖt enʈñ ptiklr marct hiz rên, sev a krịsli constnt mortaḷti amñ hiz catl n lîvstoc in jenṛl, ẃć śoud a tndnsi t incris slîtli az tîm wnt on.

Ɖoz hu r inṭrestd in ɖ dītelz wl fînd a sttisticl acǎnt in a letr t ɖ Jntlmn’z Maġzīn v 1772, ẃć drwz ɖ facts fṛm ɖ Baṛnét’s ǒn peprz. H pt an end t it at last bî a vri simpl xpīdịnt, ɖt v śutñ p ol hiz bīsts in śedz at nît, n cīpñ no śīp in hiz parc. Fr h hd notist ɖt nʈñ wz evr atact ɖt spent ɖ nît indorz. Aftr ɖt ɖ dsordr cnfînd itslf t wîld brdz, n bīsts v ćes. Bt az w hv no gd acǎnt v ɖ simtmz, n az ol-nît woćñ wz qt unpṛductiv v eni clu, I d nt dwel on ẃt ɖ Suf̣c farmrz cōld ɖ ‘Castrñm sicnis.’

Ɖ secnd Sr Máʈy daid in 1735, az I sd, n wz dyli s’xidd bî hiz sun, Sr Rićd. It wz in hiz tîm ɖt ɖ gret faṃli py wz bilt ǎt on ɖ norʈ sîd v ɖ pariśćrć. So larj wr ɖ Sqîr’z îdīaz ɖt sevṛl v ɖ grevz on ɖt unhaloud sîd v ɖ bildñ hd t b dstrbd t saṭsfî hiz rqîrmnts. Amñ ɖm wz ɖt v Msz Muɖ̇sǒl, ɖ pziśn v ẃć wz akṛtli noun, ʈancs t a not on a plan v ɖ ćrć n yard, bʈ md bî Mr Crǒm.

A srtn amǎnt v inṭrest wz xîtd in ɖ vilij ẃn it wz noun ɖt ɖ feṃs wić, hu wz stl rmembrd bî a fy, wz t b xymd. N ɖ fīlñ v s’prîz, n indd dsqayt, wz vri stroñ ẃn it wz faund ɖt, ɖo hr cofin wz ferli sǎnd n unbrocn, ɖr wz no tres ẃtvr insd it v bodi, bonz, or dust. Indd, it z a krịs fnominn, fr at ɖ tîm v hr beriyñ no sć ʈñz wr dremt v az reẓrex́nmen, n it z dificlt t cnsiv eni raṣ́nl motiv fr stìlñ a bodi uɖ̇wz ɖn fr ɖ ysz v ɖ dsctñrūm.

Ɖ insidnt rvîvd fr a tîm ol ɖ storiz v wićtrîlz n v ɖ xplôts v ɖ wićz, dormnt fr forti yirz, n Sr Rićd’z ordrz ɖt ɖ cofin śd b brnt wr ʈt bî a gd mni t b rɖr fūlhardi, ɖo ɖe wr dyli carid ǎt.

Sr Rićd wz a pstiḷnt iṇvetr, it z srtn. Bfr hiz tîm ɖ Hōl hd bn a fîn bloc v ɖ melǒist red bric; bt Sr Rićd hd travld in Iṭli n bcm infctd wɖ ɖ Itałn test, n, hvñ mor muni ɖn hiz prīdisesrz, h dtrmind t līv an Itałn palis ẃr h hd faund an Ñgliś hǎs. So stuco n aślr masct ɖ bric; sm indifṛnt Romn marblz wr plantd abt in ɖ entṛnshōl n gardnz; a rīpṛdux́n v ɖ Sibl’z tmpl at Tiṿli wz irectd on ɖ oṗzit banc v ɖ mír; n Castrñm tc on an intîrli ny, n, I mst se, a les ingejñ, aspect. Bt it wz mć admîrd, n srvd az a modl t a gd mni v ɖ neḅrñ jntri in afṭyirz.

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Wn mornñ (it wz in 1754) Sr Rićd wouc aftr a nît v dscumf̣t. It hd bn windi, n hiz ćimni hd smoct psistntli, n yt it wz so cold ɖt h mst cīp p a fîr. Olso smʈñ hd so ratld abt ɖ windo ɖt no man cd gt a momnt’s pīs. Frɖr, ɖr wz ɖ prospect v sevṛl gsts v pziśn arîvñ in ɖ cors v ɖ de, hu wd xpct sport v sm cnd, n ɖ inrodz v ɖ dstmpr (ẃć cntinyd amñ hiz gem) hd bn lêtli so sirịs ɖt h wz afreid fr hiz repyteśn az a gemprizrvr. Bt ẃt riyli tućt him most nirli wz ɖ uɖr matr v hiz slīplis nît. H cd srtnli nt slīp in ɖt rūm agn.

Ɖt wz ɖ ćīf subjict v hiz medteśnz at brecfst, n aftr it h bgan a sisṭmatic xaṃneśn v ɖ rūmz t si ẃć wd sūt hiz nośnz bst. It wz loñ bfr h faund wn. Ɖs hd a windo wɖ an īstn aspect n ɖt wɖ a norɖn; ɖs dor ɖ srvnts wd b olwz pasñ, n h dd nt lîc ɖ bedsted in ɖt. No, h mst hv a rūm wɖ a wstn lc-ǎt, so ɖt ɖ sún cd nt wec him rli, n it mst b ǎt v ɖ we v ɖ biznis v ɖ hǎs. Ɖ hǎscīpr wz at ɖ end v hr rzorsz.

‘Wel, Sr Rićd,’ ś sd, ‘y nǒ ɖt ɖr z bt ɖ wn rūm lîc ɖt in ɖ hǎs.’

‘Ẃć me ɖt b?’ sd Sr Rićd.

‘N ɖt z Sr Máʈy’z—ɖ Wst Ćembr.’

‘Wel, pt m in ɖr, fr ɖr I’l lî tnît,’ sd hr mastr. ‘Ẃć we z it? Hir, t b śr’; n h hurid of.

‘Ǒ, Sr Rićd, bt nwn hz slept ɖr ɖz forti yirz. Ɖ er hz hardli bn ćenjd sins Sr Máʈy daid ɖr.’

Ɖus ś spouc, n rusld aftr him.

‘Cm, opn ɖ dor, Msz Ćiḍc. I’l si ɖ ćembr, at līst.’

So it wz opnd, n, indd, ɖ smel wz vri clos n rʈi. Sr Rićd crost t ɖ windo, n, impeśntli, az wz hiz wǒnt, ʈrù ɖ śutrz bac, n fluñ opn ɖ cesmnt. Fr ɖs end v ɖ hǎs wz wn ẃć ɖ olṭreśnz hd bérli tućt, groun p az it wz wɖ ɖ gret aśtrī, n biyñ uɖ̇wz cnsild fṛm vy.

‘Er it, Msz Ćiḍc, ol tde, n muv mî bedfrnićr in in ɖ afṭnun. Pt ɖ Biṣ́p v Cilmor in mî old rūm.’

‘Pre, Sr Rićd,’ sd a ny vôs, brecñ in on ɖs spīć, ‘mt I hv ɖ fevr v a momnt’s inṭvy?’

Sr Rićd trnd rnd n sw a man in blac in ɖ dorwe, hu baud.

‘I mst asc yr induljns fr ɖs intruźn, Sr Rićd. Y wl, phps, hardli rmembr m. Mî nem z Wiłm Crǒm, n mî granfaɖr wz Vicr in yr granfaɖr’z tîm.’

‘Wel, sr,’ sd Sr Rićd, ‘ɖ nem v Crǒm z olwz a pasport t Castrñm. I am glad t rny a frendśp v tū jeṇreśnz’ standñ. In ẃt cn I srv y? fr yr aur v cōlñ—n, f I d nt mstec y, yr bẹrñ—śoz y t b in sm hest.’

‘Ɖt z no mor ɖn ɖ truʈ, sr. I am rîdñ fṛm Norij t Beri St Edṃndz wɖ ẃt hest I cn mc, n I hv cōld in on mî we t līv wɖ y sm peprz ẃć w hv bt jst cm upn in lcñ ovr ẃt mî granfaɖr left at hiz deʈ. It z ʈt y me fînd sm matrz v faṃli inṭrest in ɖm.’

‘Y r mîti oblîjñ, Mr Crǒm, n, f y wl b so gd az t folo m t ɖ parlr, n drinc a glas v wîn, w wl tec a frst lc at ɖz sem peprz tgɖr. N y, Msz Ćiḍc, az I sd, b abt e’rñ ɖs ćembr… Yes, it z hir mî granfaɖr daid… Yes, ɖ tri, phps, dz mc ɖ ples a litl dampiś… No; I d nt wś t lisn t eni mor. Mc no dificltiz, I beg. Y hv yr ordrz—g. Wl y folo m, sr?’

Ɖe wnt t ɖ studi. Ɖ pacit ẃć yuñ Mr Crǒm hd bròt—h wz ɖen jst bcm a Felo v Cler Hōl in Cembrij, I me se, n subsiqntli bròt ǎt a rspctbl idiśn v Polieṇs—cntend amñ uɖr ʈñz ɖ nots ẃć ɖ old Vicr hd md upn ɖ oceźn v Sr Máʈy Fél’z deʈ. N fr ɖ frst tîm Sr Rićd wz cnfruntd wɖ ɖ eṇgmaticl Sortes Biblicae ẃć y hv hŕd. Ɖe aḿzd him a gd dīl.

‘Wel,’ h sd, ‘mî granfaɖr’z Bîbl gev wn prūdnt pìs v advîs—Cut it dǎn. F ɖt standz fr ɖ aśtrī, h me rest aśurd I śl nt nglect it. Sć a nst v ctarz n êgz wz nvr sìn.’

Ɖ parlr cntend ɖ faṃli bcs, ẃć, pndñ ɖ arîvl v a c’lex́n ẃć Sr Rićd hd md in Iṭli, n ɖ bildñ v a propr rūm t rsiv ɖm, wr nt mni in numbr.

Sr Rićd lct p fṛm ɖ pepr t ɖ bc̦es.

‘I wundr,’ sz h, ‘ẃɖr ɖ old prófit z ɖr yt? I fansi I si him.’

Crosñ ɖ rūm, h tc ǎt a dumpi Bîbl, ẃć, śr inuf, bòr on ɖ flîlīf ɖ inscripśn: ‘T Máʈy Fél, fṛm hiz Luvñ Godmuɖr, Án Ōlḍs, 2nd Sptmbr 1659.’

‘It wd b no bad plan t tst him agn, Mr Crǒm. I wl wejr w gt a cupl v nemz in ɖ Croniclz. H’m! ẃt hv w hir? “Ɖǎ ślt sīc m in ɖ mornñ, n I śl nt b.” Wel, wel! Yr granfaɖr wd hv md a fîn omn v ɖt, hé? No mor prófits fr m! Ɖe r ol in a têl. N nǎ, Mr Crǒm, I am infiṇtli oblîjd t y fr yr pacit. Y wl, I fir, b impeśnt t gt on. Pre alǎ m—anɖr glas.’

So wɖ ofrz v hosṗtaḷti, ẃć wr jenyinli mnt (fr Sr Rićd ʈt wel v ɖ yuñ man’z adres n manr), ɖe partd.

In ɖ afṭnun cem ɖ gsts—ɖ Biṣ́p v Cilmor, Ledi Mẹri Hrvi, Sr Wiłm Cntfīld, ets. Dinr at fîv, wîn, cardz, supr, n dsprsl t bed.

Nxt mornñ Sr Rićd z disinclînd t tec hiz gun wɖ ɖ rest. H tōcs wɖ ɖ Biṣ́p v Cilmor. Ɖs preḷt, unlîc a gd mni v ɖ Îriś Biṣ́ps v hiz de, hd viẓtd hiz si, n, indd, rzîdd ɖr, fr sm cnsidṛbl tîm. Ɖs mornñ, az ɖ tū wr wōcñ alñ ɖ teris n tōcñ ovr ɖ olṭreśnz n impruvmnts in ɖ hǎs, ɖ Biṣ́p sd, pôntñ t ɖ windo v ɖ Wst Rūm:

‘Y cd nvr gt wn v mî Îriś floc t okpî ɖt rūm, Sr Rićd.’

‘Ẃ z ɖt, mî lord? It z, in fact, mî ǒn.’

‘Wel, ǎr Îriś pezntri wl olwz hv it ɖt it brñz ɖ wrst v luc t slīp nir an aśtrī, n y hv a fîn groʈ v aś nt tū yardz fṛm yr ćembrwindo. Phps,’ ɖ Biṣ́p wnt on, wɖ a smîl, ‘it hz gvn y a tuć v its qoḷti olrdi, fr y d nt sīm, f I me se it, so mć ɖ freśr fr yr nît’s rest az yr frendz wd lîc t si y.’

‘Ɖt, or smʈñ els, it z tru, cost m mî slīp fṛm twelv t for, mî lord. Bt ɖ tri z t cm dǎn tmoro, so I śl nt hír mć mor fṛm it.’

‘I aplōd yr dtrṃneśn. It cn hardli b holsm t hv ɖ er y briɖ strend, az it wr, ʈru ol ɖt līfij.’

‘Yr lordśp z rît ɖr, I ʈnc. Bt I hd nt mî windo opn last nît. It wz rɖr ɖ nôz ɖt wnt on—no dǎt fṛm ɖ twigz swīpñ ɖ glas—ɖt cept m opn-aid.’

‘I ʈnc ɖt cn hardli b, Sr Rićd. Hir—y si it fṛm ɖs pônt. Nn v ɖz nirist branćz īvn cn tuć yr cesmnt unls ɖr wr a gel, n ɖr wz nn v ɖt last nît. Ɖe mis ɖ peinz bî a ft.’

‘No, sr, tru. Ẃt, ɖen, wl it b, I wundr, ɖt scraćt n rusld so—ai, n cuvrd ɖ dust on mî sil wɖ lînz n marcs?’

At last ɖe agrìd ɖt ɖ rats mst hv cm p ʈru ɖ îvi. Ɖt wz ɖ Biṣ́p’s îdīa, n Sr Rićd jumt at it.

So ɖ de pást qaytli, n nît cem, n ɖ parti dsprst t ɖer rūmz, n wśt Sr Rićd a betr nît.

N nǎ w r in hiz bedrūm, wɖ ɖ lît ǎt n ɖ Sqîr in bed. Ɖ rūm z ovr ɖ cićn, n ɖ nît ǎtsd stil n worm, so ɖ windo standz opn.

Ɖr z vri litl lît abt ɖ bedsted, bt ɖr z a strenj muvmnt ɖr; it sīmz az f Sr Rićd wr muvñ hiz hed rapidli t n fro wɖ onli ɖ slîtist poṣbl sǎnd. N nǎ y wd ges, so dsptiv z ɖ haf-darcnis, ɖt h hd sevṛl hedz, rǎnd n brǎniś, ẃć muv bac n fwd, īvn az lo az hiz ćst. It z a hoṛbl iluźn. Z it nʈñ mor? Ɖr! smʈñ drops of ɖ bed wɖ a soft plump, lîc a citn, n z ǎt v ɖ windo in a flaś; anɖr—for—n aftr ɖt ɖr z qayt agn.

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Ɖǎ śl sīc m in ɖ mornñ, n I śl nt b.

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Az wɖ Sr Máʈy, so wɖ Sr Rićd—ded n blac in hiz bed!

A pel n sîḷnt parti v gsts n srvnts gaɖrd undr ɖ windo ẃn ɖ nyz wz noun. Itałn pôẓnrz, Pǒpiś emiṣriz, infctd er—ol ɖz n mor gesz wr haẓdd, n ɖ Biṣ́p v Cilmor lct at ɖ tri, in ɖ forc v huz lowr bauz a ẃît tomcat wz crǎćñ, lcñ dǎn ɖ holo ẃć yirz hd nwd in ɖ trunc. It wz woćñ smʈñ insd ɖ tri wɖ gret inṭrest.

Sudnli it got p n crend ovr ɖ houl. Ɖen a bit v ɖ éj on ẃć it std gev we, n it wnt sliɖ̇rñ in. Evrwn lct p at ɖ nôz v ɖ fōl.

It z noun t most v s ɖt a cat cn crî; bt fy v s hv hŕd, I hop, sć a yel az cem ǎt v ɖ trunc v ɖ gret aś. Tū or ʈri scrīmz ɖr wr—ɖ witṇsz r nt śr ẃć—n ɖen a slît n mufld nôz v sm cmośn or struġlñ wz ol ɖt cem. Bt Ledi Mẹri Hrvi fentd ǎtrît, n ɖ hǎscīpr stopt hr irz n fled tl ś fél on ɖ teris.

Ɖ Biṣ́p v Cilmor n Sr Wiłm Cntfīld steid. Yt īvn ɖe wr dōntd, ɖo it wz onli at ɖ crî v a cat; n Sr Wiłm swoloud wns or twîs bfr h cd se:

‘Ɖr z smʈñ mor ɖn w nǒ v in ɖt tri, mî lord. I am fr an instnt srć.’

N ɖs wz agrìd upn. A ladr wz bròt, n wn v ɖ gardnrz wnt p, n, lcñ dǎn ɖ holo, cd dtct nʈñ bt a fy dim indceśnz v smʈñ muvñ. Ɖe got a lantn, n let it dǎn bî a rop.

‘W mst gt at ɖ botm v ɖs. Mî lîf upn it, mî lord, bt ɖ sīcrit v ɖz teṛbl deʈs z ɖr.’

P wnt ɖ gardnr agn wɖ ɖ lantn, n let it dǎn ɖ houl cōśsli. Ɖe sw ɖ yelo lît upn hiz fes az h bnt ovr, n sw hiz fes struc wɖ an increjḷs terr n loɖñ bfr h craid ǎt in a dredfl vôs n fél bac fṛm ɖ ladr—ẃr, haṗli, h wz còt bî tū v ɖ men—letñ ɖ lantn fōl insd ɖ tri.

H wz in a ded fent, n it wz sm tîm bfr eni wrd cd b got fṛm him.

Bî ɖen ɖe hd smʈñ els t lc at. Ɖ lantn mst hv brocn at ɖ botm, n ɖ lît in it còt upn drî līvz n rubiś ɖt le ɖr fr in a fy minits a dns smoc bgan t cm p, n ɖen flem; n, t b śort, ɖ tri wz in a blêz.

Ɖ bîstandrz md a rñ at sm yardz’ distns, n Sr Wiłm n ɖ Biṣ́p snt men t gt ẃt wepnz n tūlz ɖe cd; fr, clirli, ẃtvr mt b yzñ ɖ tri az its ler wd b forst ǎt bî ɖ fîr.

So it wz. Frst, at ɖ forc, ɖe sw a rǎnd bodi cuvrd wɖ fîr—ɖ sîz v a man’z hed—apir vri sudnli, ɖen sīm t c’laps n fōl bac. Ɖs, fîv or six tîmz; ɖen a similr bōl lept intu ɖ er n fél on ɖ gras, ẃr aftr a momnt it le stl. Ɖ Biṣ́p wnt az nir az h derd t it, n sw—ẃt bt ɖ rmenz v an inorṃs spîdr, veṇs n sird! N, az ɖ fîr brnd lowr dǎn, mor teṛbl bodiz lîc ɖs bgan t brec ǎt fṛm ɖ trunc, n it wz sìn ɖt ɖz wr cuvrd wɖ grêiś her.

Ol ɖt de ɖ aś brnd, n untl it fél t pìsz ɖ men std abt it, n fṛm tîm t tîm cild ɖ brūts az ɖe dartd ǎt. At last ɖr wz a loñ inṭvl ẃn nn apird, n ɖe cōśsli clozd in n xamind ɖ rūts v ɖ tri.

‘Ɖe faund,’ sz ɖ Biṣ́p v Cilmor, ‘b’lo it a rǎndd holo ples in ɖ rʈ, ẃr-in wr tū or ʈri bodiz v ɖz crīćrz ɖt hd plenli bn smuɖrd bî ɖ smoc; n, ẃt z t m mor krịs, at ɖ sîd v ɖs den, agnst ɖ wōl, wz crǎćñ ɖ anaṭmi or scelitn v a hymn biyñ, wɖ ɖ scin draid upn ɖ bonz, hvñ sm rmenz v blac her, ẃć wz pṛnǎnst bî ɖoz ɖt xamind it t b undǎtidli ɖ bodi v a wmn, n clirli ded fr a pirịd v fifti yirz.’

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CLASICS IN ÑSPEL

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ÑSPEL

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Clasics in Ñspel: “Oh, whistle and I’ll come to you, my lad,” by M R James

07/12/2020Clasics in Ñspel, M R James, Short storiesGhost storiesFrank Johnson

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‘Ǒ, ẂISL, N I’L CM T Y, MÎ LAD’

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M R JEMZ

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‘I s’poz y wl b gtñ awe priti sn, nǎ Fl Trm z ovr, Pṛfesr,’ sd a prsn nt in ɖ stori t ɖ Pṛfesr v Ontography, sn aftr ɖe hd sat dǎn nxt t ć uɖr at a fīst in ɖ h’spitbl hōl v St Jemz’z Colij.

Ɖ Pṛfesr wz yuñ, nīt, n prisîs in spīć.

‘Yes,’ h sd; ‘mî frendz hv bn mcñ m tec p golf ɖs trm, n I mīn t g t ɖ Īst Cǒst—in pônt v fact t Brnsto—(I der se y nǒ it) fr a wīc or ten dez, t impruv mî gem. I hop t gt of tmoro.’

‘Ǒ, Parcinz,’ sd hiz nebr on ɖ uɖr sîd, ‘f y r gwñ t Brnsto, I wś y wd lc at ɖ sait v ɖ Tmplrz’ prīsepṭri, n let m nǒ f y ʈnc it wd b eni gd t hv a dig ɖr in ɖ suMr’

It wz, az y mt s’poz, a prsn v anṭqerịn psyts hu sd ɖs, bt, sins h mirli apirz in ɖs prolog, ɖr z no nīd t gv hiz intîtlmnts.

‘Srtnli,’ sd Parcinz, ɖ Pṛfesr: ‘f y wl dscrîb t m ẃr’bts ɖ sait z, I wl d mî bst t gv y an îdīa v ɖ lî v ɖ land ẃn I gt bac; or I cd rait t y abt it, f y wd tel m ẃr y r lîcli t b.’

‘D’nt trubl t d ɖt, ʈancs. It’s onli ɖt I’m ʈncñ v tecñ mî faṃli in ɖt d’rex́n in ɖ Loñ, n it ocŕd t m ɖt, az vri fy v ɖ Ñgliś prīsepṭriz hv evr bn proprli pland, I mt hv an oṗtyṇti v dwñ smʈñ ysfl on of-dez.’

Ɖ Pṛfesr rɖr snift at ɖ îdīa ɖt planñ ǎt a prīsepṭri cd b dscrîbd az ysfl. Hiz nebr cntinyd:

‘Ɖ sait—I dǎt f ɖr z enʈñ śowñ abv grǎnd—mst b dǎn qt clos t ɖ bīć nǎ. Ɖ sì hz incroćt tṛmndsli, az y nǒ, ol alñ ɖt bit v cǒst. I śd ʈnc, fṛm ɖ map, ɖt it mst b abt ʈri-qortrz v a mîl fṛm ɖ Glob Ín, at ɖ norʈ end v ɖ tǎn. Ẃr r y gwñ t ste?’

‘Wel, at ɖ Glob Ín, az a matr v fact,’ sd Parcinz; ‘I hv ingejd a rūm ɖr. I cd’nt gt in enẃr els; most v ɖ lojñhǎzz r śut p in wintr, it sīmz; n, az it z, ɖe tel m ɖt ɖ onli rūm v eni sîz I cn hv z riyli a dubl-bedd wn, n ɖt ɖe hv’nt a cornr in ẃć t stor ɖ uɖr bed, n so on. Bt I mst hv a ferli larj rūm, fr I am tecñ sm bcs dǎn, n mīn t d a bit v wrc; n ɖo I d’nt qt fansi hvñ an emti bed—nt t spīc v tū—in ẃt I me cōl fr ɖ tîm biyñ mî studi, I s’poz I cn manij t ruf it fr ɖ śort tîm I śl b ɖr.’

‘D y cōl hvñ an xtra bed in yr rūm rufñ it, Parcinz?’ sd a bluf prsn oṗzit. ‘Lc hir, I śl cm dǎn n okpî it fr a bit; it’l b cumṗni fr y.’

Ɖ Pṛfesr qivrd, bt manijd t laf in a crtịs manr.

‘Bî ol mīnz, Rojrz; ɖr’z nʈñ I śd lîc betr. Bt I’m afreid y wd fînd it rɖr dul; y d’nt ple golf, d y?’

‘No, ʈanc Hevn!’ sd rūd Mr Rojrz.

‘Wel, y si, ẃn I’m nt raitñ I śl most lîcli b ǎt on ɖ lincs, n ɖt, az I se, wd b rɖr dul fr y, I’m afreid.’

‘Ǒ, I d’nt nǒ! Ɖr’z srtn t b smbdi I nǒ in ɖ ples; bt, v cors, f y d’nt wont m, spīc ɖ wrd, Parcinz; I ś’nt b ofndd. Truʈ, az y olwz tel s, z nvr ofnsiv.’

Parcinz wz, indd, scrūpyḷsli p’lît n stricli truʈfl. It z t b fird ɖt Mr Rojrz smtmz practist upn hiz nolij v ɖz caṛcṭristics. In Parcinz’z brest ɖr wz a conflict nǎ rejñ, ẃć fr a momnt or tū dd nt alǎ him t ansr. Ɖt inṭvl biyñ ovr, h sd:

‘Wel, f y wont ɖ xact truʈ, Rojrz, I wz cnsiḍrñ ẃɖr ɖ rūm I spīc v wd riyli b larj inuf t acoṃdet s bʈ cumftbli; n olso ẃɖr (mînd, I śd’nt hv sd ɖs f y hd’nt prest m) y wd nt consttyt smʈñ in ɖ nećr v a hindṛns t mî wrc.’

Rojrz laft lǎdli.

‘Wel dn, Parcinz!’ h sd. ‘It’s ol rît. I promis nt t inṭrupt yr wrc; d’nt y dstrb yrslf abt ɖt. No, I w’nt cm f y d’nt wont m; bt I ʈt I śd d so nîsli t cīp ɖ gosts of.’ Hir h mt hv bn sìn t wnc n t nuj hiz nxt nebr. Parcinz mt olso hv bn sìn t bcm pnc. ‘I beg pardn, Parcinz,’ Rojrz cntinyd; ‘I òt’nt t hv sd ɖt. I fgot y dd’nt lîc leṿti on ɖz topics.’

‘Wel,’ Parcinz sd, ‘az y hv mnśnd ɖ matr, I frīli ǒn ɖt I d nt lîc cerlis tōc abt ẃt y cōl gosts. A man in mî pziśn,’ h wnt on, rezñ hiz vôs a litl, ‘canot, I fînd, b tù cerfl abt apirñ t sañśn ɖ cuṛnt b’lifs on sć subjicts. Az y nǒ, Rojrz, or az y òt t nǒ; fr I ʈnc I hv nvr cnsild mî vyz—’

‘No, y srtnli hv nt, old man,’ pt in Rojrz sotto voce.

‘—I hold ɖt eni smbḷns, eni apiṛns v cnseśn t ɖ vy ɖt sć ʈñz mt xist z iqivḷnt t a rnunsieśn v ol ɖt I hold most secrid. Bt I’m afreid I hv nt s’xidd in s’krñ yr atnśn.’

‘Yr undivîdd atnśn, wz ẃt Dr. Blimbr acć̣li sd,’ Rojrz inṭruptd, wɖ evri apiṛns v an rnist dzîr fr akṛsi. [Mr Rojrz wz roñ, vide “Dombi & Sun,” Ćaptr XII.] ‘Bt I beg yr pardn, Parcinz: I’m stopñ y.’

‘No, nt at ol,’ sd Parcinz. ‘I d’nt rmembr Blimbr; phps h wz bfr mî tîm. Bt I nīd’nt g on. I’m śr y nǒ ẃt I mīn.’

‘Yes, yes,’ sd Rojrz, rɖr hesṭli—‘jst so. W’l g intu it fŭli at Brnsto, or smẃr.’

In rpitñ ɖ abv daylog I hv traid t gv ɖ impreśn ẃć it md on m, ɖt Parcinz wz smʈñ v an old wmn—rɖr henlîc, phps, in hiz litl wez; toṭli desttyt, alas! v ɖ sns v hymr, bt at ɖ sem tîm dōntlis n snsir in hiz cnvix́nz, n a man dzrvñ v ɖ gretist rspct. Ẃɖr or nt ɖ rīdr hz gaɖrd so mć, ɖt wz ɖ caṛctr ẃć Parcinz hd.

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On ɖ folowñ de Parcinz dd, az h hd hopt, s’xid in gtñ awe fṛm hiz colij, n in arîvñ at Brnsto. H wz md welcm at ɖ Glob Ín, wz sefli instōld in ɖ larj dubl-bedd rūm v ẃć w hv hŕd, n wz ebl bfr rtîrñ t rest t arenj hiz mtirịlz fr wrc in apl-pî ordr upn a cmodịs tebl ẃć okpaid ɖ ǎtr end v ɖ rūm, n wz srǎndd on ʈri sîdz bî windoz lcñ ǎt sìẉd; ɖt z t se, ɖ sntṛl windo lct stret ǎt t sì, n ɖoz on ɖ left n rît cmandd prospects alñ ɖ śor t ɖ norʈ n sǎʈ rspctivli. On ɖ sǎʈ y sw ɖ vilij v Brnsto. On ɖ norʈ no hǎzz wr t b sìn, bt onli ɖ bīć n ɖ lo clif bacñ it. Imīɉtli in frunt wz a strip—nt cnsidṛbl—v ruf gras, dotd wɖ old ancrz, capstnz, n so fʈ; ɖen a brōd paʈ; ɖen ɖ bīć. Ẃtvr me hv bn ɖ orijinl distns btwn ɖ Glob Ín n ɖ sì, nt mor ɖn sixti yardz nǎ seṗretd ɖm.

Ɖ rest v ɖ popyleśn v ɖ ín wz, v cors, a golfñ wn, n includd fy elimnts ɖt cōl fr a speśl dscripśn. Ɖ most cnspiks figr wz, phps, ɖt v an ancien militaire, secṛtri v a Lundn club, n pzest v a vôs v increḍbl streñʈ, n v vyz v a pṛnǎnsidli Protistnt tîp. Ɖz wr apt t fînd utṛns aftr hiz atndns upn ɖ miṇstreśnz v ɖ Vicr, an estiṃbl man wɖ incḷneśnz twdz a picćresc rićl, ẃć h gaḷntli cept dǎn az far az h cd ǎt v defṛns t Īst Angłn tṛdiśn.

Pṛfesr Parcinz, wn v huz prinsipl caṛcṭristics wz pluc, spent ɖ gretr part v ɖ de folowñ hiz arîvl at Brnsto in ẃt h hd cōld impruvñ hiz gem, in cumṗni wɖ ɖs Crnl Wilsn: n jrñ ɖ afṭnun—ẃɖr ɖ proses v impruvmnt wr t blem or nt, I am nt śr—ɖ Crnl’z dmīnr asymd a cuḷrñ so lŭrid ɖt īvn Parcinz jibd at ɖ ʈt v wōcñ hom wɖ him fṛm ɖ lincs. H dtrmind, aftr a śort n frtiv lc at ɖt briṣlñ mstaś n ɖoz incarṇdînd fīćrz, ɖt it wd b wîzr t alǎ ɖ inflụnsz v ti n tbaco t d ẃt ɖe cd wɖ ɖ Crnl bfr ɖ dinr aur śd rendr a mītñ inevitbl.

‘I mt wōc hom tnît alñ ɖ bīć,’ h rflectd—‘yes, n tec a lc—ɖr wl b lît inuf fr ɖt—at ɖ ruinz v ẃć Dizni wz tōcñ. I d’nt xacli nǒ ẃr ɖe r, bî ɖ we; bt I xpct I cn hardli hlp stumḅlñ on ɖm.’

Ɖs h acumpliśt, I me se, in ɖ most litṛl sns, fr in picñ hiz we fṛm ɖ lincs t ɖ śnglbīć hiz ft còt, partli in a gorsrūt n partli in a bgiś ston, n ovr h wnt. Ẃn h got p n sveid hiz srǎndñz, h faund himslf in a pać v smẃt brocn grǎnd cuvrd wɖ smōl dpreśnz n mǎndz. Ɖz latr, ẃn h cem t xamin ɖm, pruvd t b simpli masz v flints imbedd in mortr n groun ovr wɖ trf. H mst, h qt rîtli cncludd, b on ɖ sait v ɖ prīsepṭri h hd promist t lc at. It sīmd nt unlîcli t rword ɖ sped v ɖ xplorr; inuf v ɖ fǎndeśnz wz probbli left at no gret depʈ t ʈro a gd dīl v lît on ɖ jenṛl plan. H rmembrd vegli ɖt ɖ Tmplrz, t hūm ɖs sait hd b’loñd, wr in ɖ habit v bildñ rǎnd ćrćz, n h ʈt a ptiklr siriz v ɖ humps or mǎndz nir him dd apir t b arenjd in smʈñ v a srklr form. Fy ppl cn rzist ɖ tmteśn t trî a litl aṃćr rsrć in a dpartmnt qt ǎtsd ɖer ǒn, f onli fr ɖ saṭsfax́n v śowñ hǎ s’xesfl ɖe wd hv bn hd ɖe onli tecn it p sirịsli. Ǎr Pṛfesr, hvr, f h flt smʈñ v ɖs mīn dzîr, wz olso trūli añśs t oblîj Mr Dizni. So h pêst wɖ cer ɖ srklr eria h hd notist, n rout dǎn its ruf dmnśnz in hiz pocit-bc. Ɖen h pṛsidd t xamin an obloñ eminns ẃć le īst v ɖ sntr v ɖ srcl, n sīmd t hiz ʈncñ lîcli t b ɖ bes v a platform or ōltr. At wn end v it, ɖ norɖn, a pać v ɖ trf wz gn—rmuvd bî sm bô or uɖr crīćr ferae naturae. It mt, h ʈt, b az wel t prob ɖ sôl hir fr evidnsz v mesnri, n h tc ǎt hiz nîf n bgan screpñ awe ɖ rʈ. N nǎ foloud anɖr litl dscuṿri: a porśn v sôl fél inwd az h scrept, n dsclozd a smōl caṿti. H lîtd wn mać aftr anɖr t hlp him t si v ẃt nećr ɖ houl wz, bt ɖ wind wz tù stroñ fr ɖm ol. Bî tapñ n scraćñ ɖ sîdz wɖ hiz nîf, hvr, h wz ebl t mc ǎt ɖt it mst b an arṭfiśl houl in mesnri. It wz rectanğlr, n ɖ sîdz, top, n botm, f nt acć̣li plastrd, wr smuɖ n reğlr. V cors it wz emti. No! Az h wɖdru ɖ nîf h hŕd a mtalic clinc, n ẃn h intṛdyst hiz hand it met wɖ a s’lindricl objict layñ on ɖ flor v ɖ houl. Naćṛli inuf, h pict it p, n ẃn h bròt it intu ɖ lît, nǎ fast fedñ, h cd si ɖt it, tù, wz v man’z mcñ—a metl tyb abt for inćz loñ, n evidntli v sm cnsidṛbl ej.

Bî ɖ tîm Parcinz hd md śr ɖt ɖr wz nʈñ els in ɖs od rspticl, it wz tù lêt n tù darc fr him t ʈnc v unḍtecñ eni frɖr srć. Ẃt h hd dn hd pruvd so unixpctidli inṭrestñ ɖt h dtrmind t sacṛfîs a litl mor v ɖ dêlît on ɖ moro t arcioḷji. Ɖ objict ẃć h nǎ hd sef in hiz pocit wz baund t b v sm slît valy at līst, h flt śr.

Blīc n soḷm wz ɖ vy on ẃć h tc a last lc bfr startñ homẉd. A fent yelo lît in ɖ wst śoud ɖ lincs, on ẃć a fy figrz muvñ twdz ɖ clubhǎs wr stl viẓbl, ɖ sqot martelo tǎr, ɖ lîts v Ōldzi vilij, ɖ pel ribn v sandz inṭsctd at inṭvlz bî blac wŭdn grônñz, ɖ dim n mrṃrñ sì. Ɖ wind wz bitr fṛm ɖ norʈ, bt wz at hiz bac ẃn h set ǎt fr ɖ Glob. H qcli ratld n claśt ʈru ɖ śngl n gend ɖ sand, upn ẃć, bt fr ɖ grônñz ẃć hd t b got ovr evri fy yardz, ɖ gwñ wz bʈ gd n qayt. Wn last lc bhnd, t meźr ɖ distns h hd md sins līvñ ɖ ruind Tmplrz’ ćrć, śoud him a prospect v cumṗni on hiz wōc, in ɖ śep v a rɖr indistñt prṣnij, hu sīmd t b mcñ gret ef̣ts t cać p wɖ him, bt md litl, f eni, progres. I mīn ɖt ɖr wz an apiṛns v runñ abt hiz muvmnts, bt ɖt ɖ distns btwn him n Parcinz dd nt sīm mtirịli t lesn. So, at līst, Parcinz ʈt, n dsîdd ɖt h olmst srtnli dd nt nǒ him, n ɖt it wd b absrd t wêt untl h cem p. Fr ol ɖt, cumṗni, h bgan t ʈnc, wd riyli b vri welcm on ɖt lonli śor, f onli y cd ćūz yr cmpańn. In hiz uninlîtnd dez h hd réd v mītñz in sć plesz ẃć īvn nǎ wd hardli ber ʈncñ v. H wnt on ʈncñ v ɖm, hvr, untl h rīćt hom, n ptiklrli v wn ẃć caćz most ppl’z fansi at sm tîm v ɖer ćîldhd. ‘Nǎ I sw in mî drīm ɖt Crisćn hd gn bt a vri litl we ẃn h sw a fǎl fīnd cmñ ovr ɖ fīld t mīt him.’ ‘Ẃt śd I d nǎ,’ h ʈt, ‘f I lct bac n còt sît v a blac figr śarpli dfînd agnst ɖ yelo scî, n sw ɖt it hd hornz n wñz? I wundr ẃɖr I śd stand or run fr it. Luc̣li, ɖ jntlmn bhnd z nt v ɖt cnd, n h sīmz t b abt az far of nǎ az ẃn I sw him frst. Wel, at ɖs ret, h w’nt gt hiz dinr az sn az I śl; n, dir m! it’s wɖn a qortr v an aur v ɖ tîm nǎ. I mst run!’

Parcinz hd, in fact, vri litl tîm fr dresñ. Ẃn h met ɖ Crnl at dinr, Pīs—or az mć v hr az ɖt jntlmn cd manij—rênd wns mor in ɖ militri bŭzm; nr wz ś pt t flît in ɖ aurz v brij ɖt foloud dinr, fr Parcinz wz a mor ɖn rspctbl pleyr. Ẃn, ɖrfr, h rtîrd twdz twelv o’cloc, h flt ɖt h hd spent hiz īvnñ in qt a saṭsfactri we, n ɖt, īvn fr so loñ az a fortnît or ʈri wīcs, lîf at ɖ Glob wd b s’portbl undr similr cndiśnz—’ispeṣ́li,’ ʈt h, ‘f I g on impruvñ mî gem.’

Az h wnt alñ ɖ paṣjz h met ɖ būts v ɖ Glob, hu stopt n sd:

‘Beg yr pardn, sr, bt az I wz abruśñ yr cot jst nǎ ɖr wz smʈñ fél ǎt v ɖ pocit. I pt it on yr ćst v drorz, sr, in yr rūm, sr—a pìs v a pîp or sumʈnc v ɖt, sr. Ʈanc y, sr. Y’l fînd it on yr ćst v drorz, sr—yes, sr. Gd nît, sr.’

Ɖ spīć srvd t rmînd Parcinz v hiz litl dscuṿri v ɖt afṭnun. It wz wɖ sm cnsidṛbl krioṣti ɖt h trnd it ovr bî ɖ lît v hiz candlz. It wz v bronz, h nǎ sw, n wz śept vri mć aftr ɖ manr v ɖ modn dogẃisl; in fact it wz—yes, srtnli it wz—acć̣li no mor nr les ɖn a ẃisl. H pt it t hiz lips, bt it wz qt fl v a fîn, cect-up sand or rʈ, ẃć wd nt yīld t nocñ, bt mst b lūsnd wɖ a nîf. Tîdi az evr in hiz habits, Parcinz clird ǎt ɖ rʈ on t a pìs v pepr, n tc ɖ latr t ɖ windo t emti it ǎt. Ɖ nît wz clir n brît, az h sw ẃn h hd opnd ɖ cesmnt, n h stopt fr an instnt t lc at ɖ sì n not a b’letd wondrr steśnd on ɖ śor in frunt v ɖ ín. Ɖen h śut ɖ windo, a litl s’prîzd at ɖ lêt aurz ppl cept at Brnsto, n tc hiz ẃisl t ɖ lît agn. Ẃ, śrli ɖr wr marcs on it, n nt mirli marcs, bt letrz! A vri litl rubñ rendrd ɖ dīpli-cut inscripśn qt leɉbl, bt ɖ Pṛfesr hd t cnfes, aftr sm rnist ʈt, ɖt ɖ mīnñ v it wz az obskr t him az ɖ raitñ on ɖ wōl t Belśazr. Ɖr wr lejndz bʈ on ɖ frunt n on ɖ bac v ɖ ẃisl. Ɖ wn réd ɖus:

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FLA

FUR BIS

FLE

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Ɖ uɖr:

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QUIS EST ISTE QUI UENIT

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‘I òt t b ebl t mc it ǎt,’ h ʈt; ‘bt I s’poz I am a litl rusti in mî Latin. Ẃn I cm t ʈnc v it, I d’nt b’liv I īvn nǒ ɖ wrd fr a ẃisl. Ɖ loñ wn dz sīm simpl inuf. It òt t mīn: “Hu z ɖs hu z cmñ?” Wel, ɖ bst we t fînd ǎt z evidntli t ẃisl fr him.’

H blù tnttivli n stopt sudnli, startld n yt plizd at ɖ not h hd iliṣtd. It hd a qoḷti v infiṇt distns in it, n, soft az it wz, h smhǎ flt it mst b ōḍbl fr mîlz rnd. It wz a sǎnd, tù, ɖt sīmd t hv ɖ pǎr (ẃć mni sénts pzes) v formñ picćrz in ɖ bren. H sw qt clirli fr a momnt a viźn v a wîd, darc xpans at nît, wɖ a freś wind blowñ, n in ɖ mdst a lonli figr—hǎ imploid, h cd nt tel. Phps h wd hv sìn mor hd nt ɖ picćr bn brocn bî ɖ sudn srj v a gust v wind agnst hiz cesmnt, so sudn ɖt it md him lc p, jst in tîm t si ɖ ẃît glint v a sìbrd’z wñ smẃr ǎtsd ɖ darc peinz.

Ɖ sǎnd v ɖ ẃisl hd so faṣnetd him ɖt h cd nt hlp trayñ it wns mor, ɖs tîm mor boldli. Ɖ not wz litl, f at ol, lǎdr ɖn bfr, n reṗtiśn brouc ɖ iluźn—no picćr foloud, az h hd haf hopt it mt. “Bt ẃt z ɖs? Gdnis! ẃt fors ɖ wind cn gt p in a fy minits! Ẃt a tṛmnḍs gust! Ɖr! I ń ɖt windofaṣnñ wz no ys! Ā! I ʈt so—bʈ candlz ǎt. It z inuf t ter ɖ rūm t pìsz.”

Ɖ frst ʈñ wz t gt ɖ windo śut. Ẃl y mt cǎnt twenti, Parcinz wz struġlñ wɖ ɖ smōl cesmnt, n flt olmst az f h wr pśñ bac a strdi brglr, so stroñ wz ɖ preśr. It slacnd ol at wns, n ɖ windo bañd t n laćt itslf. Nǎ t rīlît ɖ candlz n si ẃt damij, f eni, hd bn dn. No, nʈñ sīmd amis; no glas īvn wz brocn in ɖ cesmnt. Bt ɖ nôz hd evidntli rǎzd at līst wn membr v ɖ hǎshold: ɖ Crnl wz t b hŕd stumpñ in hiz stocñd fīt on ɖ flor abv, n grǎlñ. Qcli az it hd rizn, ɖ wind dd nt fōl at wns. On it wnt, monñ n ruśñ past ɖ hǎs, at tîmz rîzñ t a crî so dezḷt ɖt, az Parcinz disinṭrestidli sd, it mt hv md fansifl ppl fīl qt uncumftbl; īvn ɖ unimajiṇtiv, h ʈt aftr a qortr v an aur, mt b hapịr wɖt it.

Ẃɖr it wz ɖ wind, or ɖ xîtmnt v golf, or v ɖ rsrćz in ɖ prīsepṭri ɖt cept Parcinz awec, h wz nt śr. Awec h rmend, in eni ces, loñ inuf t fansi (az I am afreid I ofn d mslf undr sć cndiśnz) ɖt h wz ɖ victim v ol manr v fetl dsordrz: h wd lî cǎntñ ɖ bìts v hiz hart, cnvinst ɖt it wz gwñ t stop wrc evri momnt, n wd entten grev sspiśnz v hiz luñz, bren, livr, ets.—sspiśnz ẃć h wz śr wd b dspeld bî ɖ rtrn v dêlît, bt ẃć untl ɖen rfyzd t b pt asd. H faund a litl vcerịs cumf̣t in ɖ îdīa ɖt smwn els wz in ɖ sem bot. A nir nebr (in ɖ darcnis it wz nt īzi t tel hiz d’rex́n) wz tosñ n ruṣlñ in hiz bed, tù.

Ɖ nxt stej wz ɖt Parcinz śut hiz îz n dtrmind t gv slīp evri ćans. Hir agn oṿixîtmnt asrtd itslf in anɖr form—ɖt v mcñ picćrz. Experto crede, picćrz d cm t ɖ clozd îz v wn trayñ t slīp, n r ofn so litl t hiz test ɖt h mst opn hiz îz n dsprs ɖm.

Parcinz’z xpirịns on ɖs oceźn wz a vri dstresñ wn. H faund ɖt ɖ picćr ẃć prizntd itslf t him wz cntinẏs. Ẃn h opnd hiz îz, v cors, it wnt; bt ẃn h śut ɖm wns mor it fremd itslf afreś, n actd itslf ǎt agn, nɖr qcr nr slowr ɖn bfr. Ẃt h sw wz ɖs:

A loñ streć v śor—śngl éjd bî sand, n inṭsctd at śort inṭvlz wɖ blac grônz runñ dǎn t ɖ wōtr—a sīn, in fact, so lîc ɖt v hiz afṭnun’z wōc ɖt, in ɖ absns v eni landmarc, it cd nt b dstnḡśt ɖr-fṛm. Ɖ lît wz obskr, cnveyñ an impreśn v gaɖ̇rñ storm, lêt wintr īvnñ, n slît cold ren. On ɖs blīc stej at frst no actr wz viẓbl. Ɖen, in ɖ distns, a bobñ blac objict apird; a momnt mor, n it wz a man runñ, jumpñ, clamḅrñ ovr ɖ grônz, n evri fy secndz lcñ īgrli bac. Ɖ nirr h cem ɖ mor obvịs it wz ɖt h wz nt onli añśs, bt īvn teṛbli frîtnd, ɖo hiz fes wz nt t b dstnḡśt. H wz, morovr, olmst at ɖ end v hiz streñʈ. On h cem; ć s’xesiv obsṭcl sīmd t cōz him mor dificlti ɖn ɖ last. ‘Wl h gt ovr ɖs nxt wn?’ ʈt Parcinz; ‘it sīmz a litl hayr ɖn ɖ uɖrz.’ Yes; haf clîmñ, haf ʈrowñ himslf, h dd gt ovr, n fél ol in a hīp on ɖ uɖr sîd (ɖ sîd nirist t ɖ spectetr). Ɖr, az f riyli unebl t gt p agn, h rmend crǎćñ undr ɖ grôn, lcñ p in an attyd v penfl añzayti.

So far no cōz ẃtvr fr ɖ fir v ɖ runr hd bn śoun; bt nǎ ɖr bgan t b sìn, far p ɖ śor, a litl flicr v smʈñ lît-culrd muvñ t n fro wɖ gret swiftnis n ireğlaṛti. Rapidli growñ larjr, it, tù, dclerd itslf az a figr in pel, fluṭrñ dreṗriz, il-dfînd. Ɖr wz smʈñ abt its mośn ẃć md Parcinz vri unwilñ t si it at clos qortrz. It wd stop, rêz armz, bǎ itslf twdz ɖ sand, ɖen run stūpñ acrs ɖ bīć t ɖ wōtr éj n bac agn; n ɖen, rîzñ uprît, wns mor cntiny its cors fwd at a spīd ɖt wz starṭlñ n teṛfayñ. Ɖ momnt cem ẃn ɖ psywr wz hoṿrñ abt fṛm left t rît onli a fy yardz bynd ɖ grôn ẃr ɖ runr le in hîdñ. Aftr tū or ʈri inifcćl castñz hiɖr n ɖiɖr it cem t a stop, std uprît, wɖ armz rezd hî, n ɖen dartd stret fwd twdz ɖ grôn.

It wz at ɖs pônt ɖt Parcinz olwz feld in hiz reẓluśn t cīp hiz îz śut. Wɖ mni msgvñz az t insipịnt fełr v îsît, oṿwrct bren, xesiv smocñ, n so on, h fîṇli rzînd himslf t lît hiz candl, gt ǎt a bc, n pas ɖ nît wecñ, rɖr ɖn b tormntd bî ɖs psistnt paṇrama, ẃć h sw clirli inuf cd onli b a morbid rflex́n v hiz wōc n hiz ʈts on ɖt vri de.

Ɖ screpñ v mać on box n ɖ gler v lît mst hv startld sm crīćrz v ɖ nît—rats or ẃt nt—ẃć h hŕd scuri acrs ɖ flor fṛm ɖ sîd v hiz bed wɖ mć ruṣlñ. Dir, dir! ɖ mać z ǎt! Fūl ɖt it z! Bt ɖ secnd wn brnt betr, n a candl n bc wr dyli pṛkrd, ovr ẃć Parcinz pord tl slīp v a holsm cnd cem upn him, n ɖt in no loñ spes. Fr abt ɖ frst tîm in hiz ordrli n prūdnt lîf h fgot t blo ǎt ɖ candl, n ẃn h wz cōld nxt mornñ at et ɖr wz stl a flicr in ɖ socit n a sad mes v gutrd grīs on ɖ top v ɖ litl tebl.

Aftr brecfst h wz in hiz rūm, ptñ ɖ fiṇśñtućz t hiz golfñcostym—fortyn hd agn alotd ɖ Crnl t him fr a partnr—ẃn wn v ɖ meidz cem in.

‘Ǒ, f y plīz,’ ś sd, ‘wd y lîc eni xtra blancits on yr bed, sr?’

‘Ā! ʈanc y,’ sd Parcinz. ‘Yes, I ʈnc I śd lîc wn. It sīmz lîcli t trn rɖr coldr.’

In a vri śort tîm ɖ meid wz bac wɖ ɖ blancit.

‘Ẃć bed śd I pt it on, sr?’ ś asct.

‘Ẃt? Ẃ, ɖt wn—ɖ wn I slept in last nît,’ h sd, pôntñ t it.

‘Ǒ yes! I beg yr pardn, sr, bt y sīmd t hv traid bʈ v ’m; lìstwez, w hd t mc ’m bʈ p ɖs mornñ.’

‘Riyli? Hǎ vri absrd!’ sd Parcinz. ‘I srtnli nvr tućt ɖ uɖr, xpt t le sm ʈñz on it. Dd it acć̣li sīm t hv bn slept in?’

‘Ǒ yes, sr!’ sd ɖ meid. ‘Ẃ, ol ɖ ʈñz wz crumpld n ʈroud abt ol wez, f y’l xkz m, sr—qt az f enwn ’adn’t pást bt a vri pur nît, sr.’

‘Dir m,’ sd Parcinz. ‘Wel, I me hv dsordrd it mor ɖn I ʈt ẃn I unpáct mî ʈñz. I’m vri sori t hv gvn y ɖ xtra trubl, I’m śr. I xpct a frend v mîn sn, bî ɖ we—a jntlmn fṛm Cembrij—t cm n okpî it fr a nît or tū. Ɖt wl b ol rît, I s’poz, w’nt it?’

‘Ǒ yes, t b śr, sr. Ʈanc y, sr. It’s no trubl, I’m śr,’ sd ɖ meid, n dpartd t gigl wɖ hr colīgz.

Parcinz set fʈ, wɖ a strn dtrṃneśn t impruv hiz gem.

I am glad t b ebl t rport ɖt h s’xidd so far in ɖs enṭprîz ɖt ɖ Crnl, hu hd bn rɖr rpînñ at ɖ prospect v a secnd de’z ple in hiz cumṗni, bcem qt ćati az ɖ mornñ advanst; n hiz vôs būmd ǎt ovr ɖ flats, az srtn olso v ǎr ǒn mînr powts hv sd, ‘lîc sm gret bordn in a minstrtǎr’.

‘Xtrordnri wind, ɖt, w hd last nît,’ h sd. ‘In mî old hom w śd hv sd smwn hd bn ẃiṣlñ fr it.’

‘Śd y, indd!’ sd Parcinz. ‘Z ɖr a sūṗstiśn v ɖt cnd stl cuṛnt in yr part v ɖ cuntri?’

‘I d’nt nǒ abt sūṗstiśn,’ sd ɖ Crnl. ‘Ɖe b’liv in it ol ovr Denmarc n Norwe, az wel az on ɖ Yorx́r cǒst; n mî xpirịns z, mînd y, ɖt ɖr’z jenṛli smʈñ at ɖ botm v ẃt ɖz cuntrifoc hold t, n hv hld t fr jeṇreśnz. Bt it’s yr drîv’ (or ẃtvr it mt hv bn: ɖ golfñrīdr wl hv t imajin aproprịt dgreśnz at ɖ propr inṭvlz).

Ẃn convseśn wz rzymd, Parcinz sd, wɖ a slît heztnsi:

‘A propos v ẃt y wr seyñ jst nǎ, Crnl, I ʈnc I òt t tel y ɖt mî ǒn vyz on sć subjicts r vri stroñ. I am, in fact, a cnvinst disḅlivr in ẃt z cōld ɖ “sūṗnaćṛl”.’

‘Ẃt!’ sd ɖ Crnl, ‘d y mīn t tel m y d’nt b’liv in secnd-sît, or gosts, or enʈñ v ɖt cnd?’

‘In nʈñ ẃtvr v ɖt cnd,’ rtrnd Parcinz frmli.

‘Wel,’ sd ɖ Crnl, ‘bt it apirz t m at ɖt ret, sr, ɖt y mst b litl betr ɖn a Sadysi.’

Parcinz wz on ɖ pônt v anṣrñ ɖt, in hiz opińn, ɖ Sadysiz wr ɖ most snṣbl prsnz h hd evr réd v in ɖ Old Tsṭmnt; bt fīlñ sm dǎt az t ẃɖr mć mnśn v ɖm wz t b faund in ɖt wrc, h prifŕd t laf ɖ akześn of.

‘Phps I am,’ h sd; ‘bt—Hir, gv m mî clīc, bô!—Xkz m wn momnt, Crnl.’ A śort inṭvl. ‘Nǎ, az t ẃiṣlñ fr ɖ wind, let m gv y mî ʈiyri abt it. Ɖ lwz ẃć guvn windz r riyli nt at ol prf̣cli noun—t fiśrfoc n sć, v cors, nt noun at ol. A man or wmn v xntric habits, phps, or a strenjr, z sìn rpitidli on ɖ bīć at sm unyźl aur, n z hŕd ẃiṣlñ. Sn aftwdz a vayḷnt wind rîzz; a man hu cd rīd ɖ scî prf̣cli or hu pzest a b’romitr cd hv fōrtold ɖt it wd. Ɖ simpl ppl v a fiśñvilij hv no b’romitrz, n onli a fy ruf rūlz fr prof̣sayñ weɖr. Ẃt mor naćṛl ɖn ɖt ɖ xntric prṣnij I posć̣letd śd b rgardd az hvñ rezd ɖ wind, or ɖt h or ś śd cluć īgrli at ɖ repyteśn v biyñ ebl t d so? Nǎ, tec last nît’s wind: az it hapnz, I mslf wz ẃiṣlñ. I blù a ẃisl twîs, n ɖ wind sīmd t cm abṣlutli in ansr t mî cōl. F enwn hd sìn m—’

Ɖ ōdịns hd bn a litl restiv undr ɖs hrañ, n Parcinz hd, I fir, fōḷn smẃt intu ɖ ton v a lecćrr; bt at ɖ last sntns ɖ Crnl stopt.

‘Ẃiṣlñ, wr y?’ h sd. ‘N ẃt sort v ẃisl dd y yz?

Ple ɖs stroc frst.’ Inṭvl.

‘Abt ɖt ẃisl y wr ascñ, Crnl. It’s rɖr a krịs wn. I hv it in mî—No; I si I’v left it in mî rūm. Az a matr v fact, I faund it yesṭde.’

N ɖen Parcinz nretd ɖ manr v hiz dscuṿri v ɖ ẃisl, upn hírñ ẃć ɖ Crnl gruntd, n opînd ɖt, in Parcinz’z ples, h śd himslf b cerfl abt yzñ a ʈñ ɖt hd b’loñd t a set v Pepists, v hūm, spīcñ jenṛli, it mt b afrmd ɖt y nvr ń ẃt ɖe mt nt hv bn p t. Fṛm ɖs topic h dvrjd t ɖ inorṃtiz v ɖ Vicr, hu hd gvn notis on ɖ prīvịs Súnde ɖt Frîde wd b ɖ Fīst v St Toṃs ɖ Aposl, n ɖt ɖr wd b srvis at ilevn o’cloc in ɖ ćrć. Ɖs n uɖr similr pṛsidñz consttytd in ɖ Crnl’z vy a stroñ prizumśn ɖt ɖ Vicr wz a cnsild Pepist, f nt a Jeźuit; n Parcinz, hu cd nt vri reḍli folo ɖ Crnl in ɖs rījn, dd nt dis’gri wɖ him. In fact, ɖe got on so wel tgɖr in ɖ mornñ ɖt ɖr wz nt tōc on îɖr sîd v ɖer seṗretñ aftr lunć.

Bʈ cntinyd t ple wel jrñ ɖ afṭnun, or at līst, wel inuf t mc ɖm fget evrʈñ els untl ɖ lît bgan t fel ɖm. Nt untl ɖen dd Parcinz rmembr ɖt h hd mnt t d sm mor invstgetñ at ɖ prīsepṭri; bt it wz v no gret importns, h rflectd. Wn de wz az gd az anɖr; h mt az wel g hom wɖ ɖ Crnl.

Az ɖe trnd ɖ cornr v ɖ hǎs, ɖ Crnl wz olmst noct dǎn bî a bô hu ruśt intu him at ɖ vri top v hiz spīd, n ɖen, instd v runñ awe, rmend haññ on t him n pantñ. Ɖ frst wrdz v ɖ worịr wr naćṛli ɖoz v rprūf n obɉgeśn, bt h vri qcli dsrnd ɖt ɖ bô wz olmst spīćlis wɖ frît. Inqîriz wr yslis at frst. Ẃn ɖ bô got hiz breʈ h bgan t hǎl, n stl cluñ t ɖ Crnl’z legz. H wz at last dtaćt, bt cntinyd t hǎl.

‘Ẃt in ɖ wrld z ɖ matr wɖ y? Ẃt hv y bn p t? Ẃt hv y sìn?’ sd ɖ tū men.

‘Ǎ, I sìn it wîv at m ǎt v ɖ winda,’ weild ɖ bô, ‘n I d’nt lîc it.’

‘Ẃt windo?’ sd ɖ iṛtetd Crnl. ‘Cm pl yrslf tgɖr, mî bô.’

‘Ɖ frunt winda it wz, at ɖ ’otel,’ sd ɖ bô.

At ɖs pônt Parcinz wz in fevr v sndñ ɖ bô hom, bt ɖ Crnl rfyzd; h wontd t gt t ɖ botm v it, h sd; it wz most denjṛs t gv a bô sć a frît az ɖs wn hd hd, n f it trnd ǎt ɖt ppl hd bn pleyñ jocs, ɖe śd sufr fr it in sm we. N bî a siriz v qsćnz h md ǎt ɖs stori: Ɖ bô hd bn pleyñ abt on ɖ gras in frunt v ɖ Glob wɖ sm uɖrz; ɖen ɖe hd gn hom t ɖer tiz, n h wz jst gwñ, ẃn h hapnd t lc p at ɖ frunt winda n si it awîvñ at him. It sīmd t b a figr v sm sort, in ẃît az far az h ń—cd’nt si its fes; bt it wîvd at him, n it wor’nt a rît ʈñ—nt t se nt a rît prsn. Wz ɖr a lît in ɖ rūm? No, h dd’nt ʈnc t lc f ɖr wz a lît. Ẃć wz ɖ windo? Wz it ɖ top wn or ɖ secnd wn? Ɖ secind wn it wz—ɖ big winda ẃt got tū litl ’nz at ɖ sîdz.

‘Vri wel, mî bô,’ sd ɖ Crnl, aftr a fy mor qsćnz. ‘Y run awe hom nǎ. I xpct it wz sm prsn trayñ t gv y a start. Anɖr tîm, lîc a brev Ñgliś bô, y jst ʈro a ston—wel, no, nt ɖt xacli, bt y g n spīc t ɖ wêtr, or t Mr Simpsn, ɖ landlord, n—yes—n se ɖt I advîzd y t d so.’

Ɖ bô’z fes xprest sm v ɖ dǎt h flt az t ɖ lîclihd v Mr Simpsn’z lendñ a fevṛbl ir t hiz cmplent, bt ɖ Crnl dd nt apir t psiv ɖs, n wnt on:

‘N hir’z a sixpns—no, I si it’s a śilñ—n y b of hom, n d’nt ʈnc eni mor abt it.’

Ɖ yʈ hurid of wɖ ajtetd ʈancs, n ɖ Crnl n Parcinz wnt rnd t ɖ frunt v ɖ Glob n rec̣nôtrd. Ɖr wz onli wn windo anṣrñ t ɖ dscripśn ɖe hd bn hírñ.

‘Wel, ɖt’s krịs,’ sd Parcinz; ‘it’s evidntli mî windo ɖ lad wz tōcñ abt. Wl y cm p fr a momnt, Crnl Wilsn? W òt t b ebl t si f enwn hz bn tecñ liḅtiz in mî rūm.’

Ɖe wr sn in ɖ pasij, n Parcinz md az f t opn ɖ dor.

Ɖen h stopt n flt in hiz pocits.

‘Ɖs z mor sirịs ɖn I ʈt,’ wz hiz nxt rmarc. ‘I rmembr nǎ ɖt bfr I startd ɖs mornñ I loct ɖ dor. It z loct nǎ, n, ẃt z mor, hir z ɖ ci.’ N h hld it p. ‘Nǎ,’ h wnt on, ‘f ɖ srvnts r in ɖ habit v gwñ intu wn’z rūm jrñ ɖ de ẃn wn z awe, I cn onli se ɖt—wel, ɖt I d’nt apruv v it at ol.’ Conśs v a smẃt wìc clîmax, h bizid himslf in oṗnñ ɖ dor (ẃć wz indd loct) n in lîtñ candlz. ‘No,’ h sd, ‘nʈñ sīmz dstrbd.’

‘Xpt yr bed,’ pt in ɖ Crnl.

‘Xkz m, ɖt z’nt mî bed,’ sd Parcinz. ‘I d’nt yz ɖt wn. Bt it dz lc az f smwn hd bn pleyñ trics wɖ it.’

It srtnli dd: ɖ cloɖz wr bundld p n twistd tgɖr in a most torćs cnfyźn. Parcinz pondrd.

‘Ɖt mst b it,’ h sd at last. ‘I dsordrd ɖ cloɖz last nît in unpacñ, n ɖe hv’nt md it sins. Phps ɖe cem in t mc it, n ɖt bô sw ɖm ʈru ɖ windo; n ɖen ɖe wr cōld awe n loct ɖ dor aftr ɖm. Yes, I ʈnc ɖt mst b it.’

‘Wel, rñ n asc,’ sd ɖ Crnl, n ɖs apild t Parcinz az practicl.

Ɖ meid apird, n, t mc a loñ stori śort, dpozd ɖt ś hd md ɖ bed in ɖ mornñ ẃn ɖ jntlmn wz in ɖ rūm, n hd’nt bn ɖr sins. No, ś hd’nt no uɖr ci. Mr Simpsn, h cep’ ɖ ciz; h’d b ebl t tel ɖ jntlmn f enwn hd bn p.

Ɖs wz a puzl. Invstgeśn śoud ɖt nʈñ v valy hd bn tecn, n Parcinz rmembrd ɖ dispziśn v ɖ smōl objicts on teblz n so fʈ wel inuf t b priti śr ɖt no prancs hd bn pleid wɖ ɖm. Mr n Msz Simpsn frɖrmr agrìd ɖt nɖr v ɖm hd gvn ɖ dyplic̣t ci v ɖ rūm t eni prsn ẃtvr jrñ ɖ de. Nr cd Parcinz, fer-mîndd man az h wz, dtct enʈñ in ɖ dmīnr v mastr, mistris, or meid ɖt indcetd gilt. H wz mć mor inclînd t ʈnc ɖt ɖ bô hd bn impozñ on ɖ Crnl.

Ɖ latr wz unwontidli sîḷnt n pnsiv at dinr n ʈrt ɖ īvnñ. Ẃn h bád gdnît t Parcinz, h mrmrd in a gruf unḍton:

‘Y nǒ ẃr I am f y wont m jrñ ɖ nît.’

‘Ẃ, yes, ʈanc y, Crnl Wilsn, I ʈnc I d; bt ɖr z’nt mć prospect v mî dstrbñ y, I hop. Bî ɖ we,’ h add, ‘dd I śo y ɖt old ẃisl I spouc v? I ʈnc nt. Wel, hir it z.’

Ɖ Crnl trnd it ovr jinjrli in ɖ lît v ɖ candl.

‘Cn y mc enʈñ v ɖ inscripśn?’ asct Parcinz, az h tc it bac.

‘No, nt in ɖs lît. Ẃt d y mīn t d wɖ it?’

‘Ǒ, wel, ẃn I gt bac t Cembrij I śl sbmit it t sm v ɖ arcioḷjists ɖr, n si ẃt ɖe ʈnc v it; n vri lîcli, f ɖe cnsidr it wrʈ hvñ, I me priznt it t wn v ɖ ḿziymz.’

‘’m!’ sd ɖ Crnl. ‘Wel, y me b rît. Ol I nǒ z ɖt, f it wr mîn, I śd ćuc it stret intu ɖ sì. It’s no ys tōcñ, I’m wel awer, bt I xpct ɖt wɖ y it’s a ces v liv n lrn. I hop so, I’m śr, n I wś y a gd nît.’

H trnd awe, līvñ Parcinz in act t spīc at ɖ botm v ɖ ster, n sn ć wz in hiz ǒn bedrūm.

Bî sm unforćṇt axidnt, ɖr wr nɖr blîndz nr crtnz t ɖ windoz v ɖ Pṛfesr’z rūm. Ɖ prīvịs nît h hd ʈt litl v ɖs, bt tnît ɖr sīmd evri prospect v a brît mūn rîzñ t śîn d’recli on hiz bed, n probbli wec him lêtr on. Ẃn h notist ɖs h wz a gd dīl anoid, bt, wɖ an inɉnywti ẃć I cn onli envi, h s’xidd in rigñ p, wɖ ɖ hlp v a relwe rug, sm seftipinz, n a stic n umbrela, a scrīn ẃć, f it onli hld tgɖr, wd cmplitli cīp ɖ mūnlît of hiz bed. N śortli aftwdz h wz cumftbli in ɖt bed. Ẃn h hd réd a smẃt solid wrc loñ inuf t pṛdys a dsîdd wś t slīp, h cast a drǎzi glans rnd ɖ rūm, blù ǎt ɖ candl, n fél bac upn ɖ pilo.

H mst hv slept sǎndli fr an aur or mor, ẃn a sudn clatr śc him p in a most unwelcm manr. In a momnt h riylîzd ẃt hd hapnd: hiz cerf̣li-cnstructd scrīn hd gvn we, n a vri brît frosti mūn wz śînñ d’recli on hiz fes. Ɖs wz hîli anoyñ. Cd h poṣbli gt p n rīcnstruct ɖ scrīn? or cd h manij t slīp f h dd nt?

Fr sm minits h le n pondrd ovr ol ɖ posbiḷtiz; ɖen h trnd ovr śarpli, n wɖ hiz îz opn le breʈlisli liṣnñ. Ɖr hd bn a muvmnt, h wz śr, in ɖ emti bed on ɖ oṗzit sîd v ɖ rūm. Tmoro h wd hv it muvd, fr ɖr mst b rats or smʈñ pleyñ abt in it. It wz qayt nǎ. No! ɖ cmośn bgan agn. Ɖr wz a ruṣlñ n śecñ: śrli mor ɖn eni rat cd cōz.

I cn figr t mslf smʈñ v ɖ Pṛfesr’z bwildrmnt n horr, fr I hv in a drīm ʈrti yirz bac sìn ɖ sem ʈñ hapn; bt ɖ rīdr wl hardli, phps, imajin hǎ dredfl it wz t him t si a figr sudnli sit p in ẃt h hd noun wz an emti bed. H wz ǎt v hiz ǒn bed in wn bǎnd, n md a daś twdz ɖ windo, ẃr le hiz onli wepn, ɖ stic wɖ ẃć h hd propt hiz scrīn. Ɖs wz, az it trnd ǎt, ɖ wrst ʈñ h cd hv dn, bcz ɖ prṣnij in ɖ emti bed, wɖ a sudn smuɖ mośn, slipt fṛm ɖ bed n tc p a pziśn, wɖ ǎtspred armz, btwn ɖ tū bedz, n in frunt v ɖ dor. Parcinz woćt it in a horid pplex̣ti. Smhǎ, ɖ îdīa v gtñ past it n iscepñ ʈru ɖ dor wz intolṛbl t him; h cd nt hv bòrn—h dd’nt nǒ ẃ—t tuć it; n az fr its tućñ him, h wd snr daś himslf ʈru ɖ windo ɖn hv ɖt hapn. It std fr ɖ momnt in a band v darc śado, n h hd nt sìn ẃt its fes wz lîc. Nǎ it bgan t muv, in a stūpñ posćr, n ol at wns ɖ spectetr riylîzd, wɖ sm horr n sm rlif, ɖt it mst b blînd, fr it sīmd t fīl abt it wɖ its mufld armz in a gropñ n randm faśn. Trnñ haf awe fṛm him, it bcem sudnli conśs v ɖ bed h hd jst left, n dartd twdz it, n bnt n flt ovr ɖ piloz in a we ẃć md Parcinz śudr az h hd nvr in hiz lîf ʈt it poṣbl. In a vri fy momnts it sīmd t nǒ ɖt ɖ bed wz emti, n ɖen, muvñ fwd intu ɖ eria v lît n fesñ ɖ windo, it śoud fr ɖ frst tîm ẃt manr v ʈñ it wz.

Parcinz, hu vri mć dslîcs biyñ qsćnd abt it, dd wns dscrîb smʈñ v it in mî hírñ, n I gaɖrd ɖt ẃt h ćīfli rmembrz abt it z a hoṛbl, an intnsli hoṛbl, fes v crumpld linn. Ẃt xpreśn h réd upn it h cd nt or wd nt tel, bt ɖt ɖ fir v it wnt nî t maḍnñ him z srtn.

Bt h wz nt at leźr t woć it fr loñ. Wɖ formiḍbl qcnis it muvd intu ɖ midl v ɖ rūm, n, az it gropt n wevd, wn cornr v its dreṗriz swept acrs Parcinz’z fes. H cd nt, ɖo h ń hǎ periḷs a sǎnd wz—h cd nt cīp bac a crî v dsgust, n ɖs gev ɖ srćr an instnt clu. It lept twdz him upn ɖ instnt, n ɖ nxt momnt h wz hafwe ʈru ɖ windo bcwdz, uṭrñ crî upn crî at ɖ utmost pić v hiz vôs, n ɖ linn fes wz ʈrust clos intu hiz ǒn. At ɖs, olmst ɖ last poṣbl secnd, dlivṛns cem, az y wl hv gest: ɖ Crnl brst ɖ dor opn, n wz jst in tîm t si ɖ dredfl grūp at ɖ windo. Ẃn h rīćt ɖ figrz onli wn wz left. Parcinz sanc fwd intu ɖ rūm in a fent, n bfr him on ɖ flor le a tumbld hīp v bedcloɖz.

Crnl Wilsn asct no qsćnz, bt bizid himslf in cīpñ evrwn els ǎt v ɖ rūm n in gtñ Parcinz bac t hiz bed; n himslf, rápt in a rug, okpaid ɖ uɖr bed, fr ɖ rest v ɖ nît. Rli on ɖ nxt de Rojrz arîvd, mor welcm ɖn h wd hv bn a de bfr, n ɖ ʈri v ɖm hld a vri loñ conslteśn in ɖ Pṛfesr’z rūm. At ɖ end v it ɖ Crnl left ɖ hoteldor cariyñ a smōl objict btwn hiz fngr n ʈum, ẃć h cast az far intu ɖ sì az a vri brōni arm cd snd it. Lêtr on ɖ smoc v a brnñ asndd fṛm ɖ bac preṃsz v ɖ Glob.

Xacli ẃt xpḷneśn wz paćt p fr ɖ staf n vizitrz at ɖ hotel I mst cnfes I d nt rec̣lect. Ɖ Pṛfesr wz smhǎ clird v ɖ redi sspiśn v delirium tremens, n ɖ hotel v ɖ repyteśn v a trubld hǎs.

Ɖr z nt mć qsćn az t ẃt wd hv hapnd t Parcinz f ɖ Crnl hd nt inṭvind ẃn h dd. H wd îɖr hv fōḷn ǎt v ɖ windo or els lost hiz wits. Bt it z nt so evidnt ẃt mor ɖ crīćr ɖt cem in ansr t ɖ ẃisl cd hv dn ɖn frîtn. Ɖr sīmd t b abṣlutli nʈñ mtirịl abt it sev ɖ bedcloɖz v ẃć it hd md itslf a bodi. Ɖ Crnl, hu rmembrd a nt vri dsimilr ocuṛns in India, wz v ɖ opińn ɖt f Parcinz hd clozd wɖ it it cd riyli hv dn vri litl, n ɖt its wn pǎr wz ɖt v frîṭnñ. Ɖ hol ʈñ, h sd, srvd t cnfrm hiz opińn v ɖ Ćrć v Rom.

Ɖr z riyli nʈñ mor t tel, bt, az y me imajin, ɖ Pṛfesr’z vyz on srtn pônts r les clir cut ɖn ɖe yst t b. Hiz nrvz, tù, hv sufrd: h canot īvn nǎ si a srplis haññ on a dor qt unmuvd, n ɖ specṭcl v a scercro in a fīld lêt on a wintr afṭnun hz cost him mor ɖn wn slīplis nît.

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CLASICS IN ÑSPEL

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ÑSPEL

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Clasics in Ñspel: THE MEZZOTINT by M R James

06/12/2020Clasics in Ñspel, M R James, Short storiesFrank Johnson

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Ɖ METSOTINT

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M R JEMZ

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Sm tîm ago I b’liv I hd ɖ pleźr v telñ y ɖ stori v an advnćr ẃć hapnd t a frend v mîn bî ɖ nem v Denistn, jrñ hiz psyt v objicts v art fr ɖ ḿziym at Cembrij.

H dd nt publiś hiz xpirịnsz vri wîdli upn hiz rtrn t Ñgḷnd; bt ɖe cd nt fel t bcm noun t a gd mni v hiz frendz, n amñ uɖrz t ɖ jntlmn hu at ɖt tîm prizîdd ovr an artḿziym at anɖr Yṇvrṣti. It wz t b xpctd ɖt ɖ stori śd mc a cnsidṛbl impreśn on ɖ mînd v a man huz voceśn le in lînz similr t Denistn’z, n ɖt h śd b īgr t cać at eni xpḷneśn v ɖ matr ẃć tndd t mc it sīm improbbl ɖt h śd evr b cōld upn t dīl wɖ so ajtetñ an imrjnsi. It wz, indd, smẃt cnsolñ t him t rflect ɖt h wz nt xpctd t aqîr enćnt mańscripts fr hiz insttyśn; ɖt wz ɖ biznis v ɖ Ślbrnịn Lîbrri. Ɖ oʈoṛtiz v ɖt insttyśn mt, f ɖe plizd, ransac obskr cornrz v ɖ Continnt fr sć matrz. H wz glad t b oblîjd at ɖ momnt t cnfîn hiz atnśn t inlarjñ ɖ olrdi unṣpást c’lex́n v Ñgliś topgraficl drw̃z n ingrevñz pzest bî hiz ḿziym. Yt, az it trnd ǎt, īvn a dpartmnt so homli n fmiłr az ɖs me hv its darc cornrz, n t wn v ɖz Mr. Wiłmz wz unixpctidli intṛdyst.

Ɖoz hu hv tecn īvn ɖ most liṃtd inṭrest in ɖ aqziśn v topgraficl picćrz r awer ɖt ɖr z wn Lundn dīlr huz ed z indispnsbl t ɖer rsrćz. Mr. J. W. Britnl publiśz at śort inṭvlz vri admṛbl caṭlogz v a larj n constntli ćenjñ stoc v ingrevñz, planz, n old scećz v manśnz, ćrćz, n tǎnz in Ñgḷnd n Wêlz. Ɖz caṭlogz wr, v cors, ɖ ABC v hiz subjict t Mr. Wiłmz: bt az hiz ḿziym olrdi cntend an inorṃs akḿleśn v topgraficl picćrz, h wz a reğlr, rɖr ɖn a copịs, bayr; n h rɖr lct t Mr. Britnl t fil p gaps in ɖ ranc n fîl v hiz c’lex́n ɖn t s’plî him wɖ reṛtiz.

Nǎ, in Febrri v last yir ɖr apird upn Mr. Wiłmz’z dsc at ɖ ḿziym a caṭlog fṛm Mr. Britnl’z emporịm, n acumṗniyñ it wz a tîpritn cḿṇceśn fṛm ɖ dīlr himslf. Ɖs latr ran az foloz:

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Dir Sr,

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W beg t cōl yr atnśn t Nu. 978 in ǎr acumṗniyñ caṭlog, ẃć w śl b glad t snd on apruvl.

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Yrz feʈf̣li,

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J. W. Britnl.

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T trn t Nu. 978 in ɖ acumṗniyñ caṭlog wz wɖ Mr. Wiłmz (az h obzrvd t himslf) ɖ wrc v a momnt, n in ɖ ples indcetd h faund ɖ folowñ entri:

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978.—Uņoun. Inṭrestñ metsotint: Vy v a mánrhǎs, rli part v ɖ snćri. 15 bî 10 inćz; blac frem. £2 2ś.

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It wz nt speṣ́li xîtñ, n ɖ prîs sīmd hî. Hvr, az Mr. Britnl, hu ń hiz biznis n hiz custmr, sīmd t set stor bî it, Mr. Wiłmz rout a postcard ascñ fr ɖ articl t b snt on apruvl, alñ wɖ sm uɖr ingrevñz n scećz ẃć apird in ɖ sem caṭlog. N so h pást wɖt mć xîtmnt v antiṣpeśn t ɖ ordnri lebrz v ɖ de.

A parsl v eni cnd olwz arîvz a de lêtr ɖn y xpct it, n ɖt v Mr. Britnl pruvd, az I b’liv ɖ rît frêz gz, no xpśn t ɖ rūl. It wz dlivrd at ɖ ḿziym bî ɖ afṭnunpost v Saṭde, aftr Mr. Wiłmz hd left hiz wrc, n it wz acordñli bròt rnd t hiz rūmz in colij bî ɖ atndnt, in ordr ɖt h mt nt hv t wêt ovr Súnde bfr lcñ ʈru it n rtrnñ sć v ɖ contents az h dd nt pṛpoz t cīp. N hir h faund it ẃn h cem in t ti, wɖ a frend.

Ɖ onli îtm wɖ ẃć I am cnsrnd wz ɖ rɖr larj, blac-fremd metsotint v ẃć I hv olrdi qotd ɖ śort dscripśn gvn in Mr. Britnl’z caṭlog. Sm mor dītelz v it wl hv t b gvn, ɖo I canot hop t pt bfr y ɖ lc v ɖ picćr az clirli az it z preznt t mî ǒn î. Vri nirli ɖ xact dyplic̣t v it me b sìn in a gd mni old ínparlrz, or in ɖ paṣjz v undistrbd cuntrimanśnz at ɖ preznt momnt. It wz a rɖr indifṛnt metsotint, n an indifṛnt metsotint z, phps, ɖ wrst form v ingrevñ noun. It prizntd a fl-fes vy v a nt vri larj mánrhǎs v ɖ last snćri, wɖ ʈri roz v plen saśt windoz wɖ rusṭcetd mesnri abt ɖm, a paṛpit wɖ bōlz or vāzz at ɖ anglz, n a smōl portico in ɖ sntr. On îɖr sîd wr triz, n in frunt a cnsidṛbl xpans v lōn. Ɖ lejnd A. W. F. sculpsit wz ingrevd on ɖ naro marjin; n ɖr wz no frɖr inscripśn. Ɖ hol ʈñ gev ɖ impreśn ɖt it wz ɖ wrc v an aṃćr. Ẃt in ɖ wrld Mr. Britnl cd mīn bî afixñ ɖ prîs v £2 2ś. t sć an objict wz mor ɖn Mr. Wiłmz cd imajin. H trnd it ovr wɖ a gd dīl v cntmt; upn ɖ bac wz a pepr lebl, ɖ left-hand haf v ẃć hd bn torn of. Ol ɖt rmend wr ɖ endz v tū lînz v raitñ; ɖ frst hd ɖ letrz—ñli Hōl; ɖ secnd,—six.

It wd, phps, b jst wrʈẃl t îdnṭfî ɖ ples reprizntd, ẃć h cd īẓli d wɖ ɖ hlp v a gaẓtir, n ɖen h wd snd it bac t Mr. Britnl, wɖ sm rmarcs rflectñ upn ɖ jujmnt v ɖt jntlmn.

H lîtd ɖ candlz, fr it wz nǎ darc, md ɖ ti, n s’plaid ɖ frend wɖ hūm h hd bn pleyñ golf (fr I b’liv ɖ oʈoṛtiz v ɖ Yṇvrṣti I rait v indulj in ɖt psyt bî we v rīlaxeśn); n ti wz tecn t ɖ acumṗnimnt v a dscuśn ẃć golfñprsnz cn imajin fr ɖmslvz, bt ẃć ɖ conśienśs raitr hz no rît t inflict upn eni non-golfñprsnz.

Ɖ cncluźn arîvd at wz ɖt srtn strocs mt hv bn betr, n ɖt in srtn imrjnsiz nɖr pleyr hd xpirịnst ɖt amǎnt v luc ẃć a hymn biyñ hz a rît t xpct. It wz nǎ ɖt ɖ frend—let s cōl him Pṛfesr Bncs—tc p ɖ fremd ingrevñ n sd:

‘Ẃt’s ɖs ples, Wiłmz?’

‘Jst ẃt I am gwñ t trî t fînd ǎt,’ sd Wiłmz, gwñ t ɖ ślf fr a gaẓtir. ‘Lc at ɖ bac. Smʈñli Hōl, îɖr in Susix or Esix. Haf ɖ nem’z gn, y si. Y d’nt hapn t nǒ it, I s’poz?’

‘It’s fṛm ɖt man Britnl, I s’poz, z’nt it?’ sd Bncs. ‘Z it fr ɖ ḿziym?’

‘Wel, I ʈnc I śd bai it f ɖ prîs wz fîv śilñz,’ sd Wiłmz; ‘bt fr sm unrʈli rīzn h wonts tū giniz fr it. I c’nt cnsiv ẃ. It’s a rećid ingrevñ, n ɖr r’nt īvn eni figrz t gv it lîf.’

‘It’s nt wrʈ tū giniz, I śd ʈnc,’ sd Bncs; ‘bt I d’nt ʈnc it’s so badli dn. Ɖ mūnlît sīmz rɖr gd t m; n I śd hv ʈt ɖr wr figrz, or at līst a figr, jst on ɖ éj in frunt.’

‘Let’s lc,’ sd Wiłmz. ‘Wel, it’s tru ɖ lît z rɖr clevrli gvn. Ẃr’z yr figr? Ǒ, yes! Jst ɖ hed, in ɖ vri frunt v ɖ picćr.’

N indd ɖr wz—hardli mor ɖn a blac blot on ɖ xtrim éj v ɖ ingrevñ—ɖ hed v a man or wmn, a gd dīl mufld p, ɖ bac trnd t ɖ spectetr, n lcñ twdz ɖ hǎs.

Wiłmz hd nt notist it bfr.

‘Stl,’ h sd, ‘ɖo it’s a clevrr ʈñ ɖn I ʈt, I c’nt spend tū giniz v ḿziym̦uni on a picćr v a ples I d’nt nǒ.’

Pṛfesr Bncs hd hiz wrc t d, n sn wnt; n vri nirli p t Hōl tîm Wiłmz wz ingejd in a ven atmt t îdnṭfî ɖ subjict v hiz picćr. ‘F ɖ vǎl bfr ɖ ñ hd onli bn left, it wd hv bn īzi inuf,’ h ʈt; ‘bt az it z, ɖ nem me b enʈñ fṛm Gstñli t Lañli, n ɖr r mni mor nemz endñ lîc ɖs ɖn I ʈt; n ɖs rotn bc hz no indx v trṃneśnz.’

Hōl in Mr. Wiłmz’z colij wz at sevn. It nīd nt b dwelt upn; ɖ les so az h met ɖr colīgz hu hd bn pleyñ golf jrñ ɖ afṭnun, n wrdz wɖ ẃć w hv no cnsrn wr frīli bandid acrs ɖ tebl—mirli golfñ wrdz, I wd hesn t xplen.

I s’poz an aur or mor t hv bn spent in ẃt z cōld comn-rūm aftr dinr. Lêtr in ɖ īvnñ sm fy rtîrd t Wiłmz’z rūmz, n I hv litl dǎt ɖt ẃist wz pleid n tbaco smoct. Jrñ a lul in ɖz oṗreśnz Wiłmz pict p ɖ metsotint fṛm ɖ tebl wɖt lcñ at it, n handd it t a prsn mîldli inṭrestd in art, telñ him ẃr it hd cm fṛm, n ɖ uɖr ptiklrz ẃć w olrdi nǒ.

Ɖ jntlmn tc it cerlisli, lct at it, ɖen sd, in a ton v sm inṭrest:

‘It’s riyli a vri gd pìs v wrc, Wiłmz; it hz qt a fīlñ v ɖ r’mantic pirịd. Ɖ lît z admṛbli manijd, it sīmz t m, n ɖ figr, ɖo it’s rɖr tù gṛtesc, z smhǎ vri impresiv.’

‘Yes, z’nt it?’ sd Wiłmz, hu wz jst ɖen bizi gvñ ẃisci n soda t uɖrz v ɖ cumṗni, n wz unebl t cm acrs ɖ rūm t lc at ɖ vy agn.

It wz bî ɖs tîm rɖr lêt in ɖ īvnñ, n ɖ vizitrz wr on ɖ muv. Aftr ɖe wnt Wiłmz wz oblîjd t rait a letr or tū n clir p sm od bits v wrc. At last, sm tîm past midnît, h wz dspozd t trn in, n h pt ǎt hiz lamp aftr lîtñ hiz bedrūm candl. Ɖ picćr le fes upwdz on ɖ tebl ẃr ɖ last man hu lct at it hd pt it, n it còt hiz î az h trnd ɖ lamp dǎn. Ẃt h sw md him vri nirli drop ɖ candl on ɖ flor, n h dclerz nǎ f h hd bn left in ɖ darc at ɖt momnt h wd hv hd a fit. Bt, az ɖt dd nt hapn, h wz ebl t pt dǎn ɖ lît on ɖ tebl n tec a gd lc at ɖ picćr. It wz indybitbl—rancli imposbl, no dǎt, bt abṣlutli srtn. In ɖ midl v ɖ lōn in frunt v ɖ uņoun hǎs ɖr wz a figr ẃr no figr hd bn at fîv o’cloc ɖt afṭnun. It wz crōlñ on ol forz twdz ɖ hǎs, n it wz mufld in a strenj blac garmnt wɖ a ẃît cros on ɖ bac.

I d nt nǒ ẃt z ɖ îdiyl cors t psy in a sićueśn v ɖs cnd, I cn onli tel y ẃt Mr. Wiłmz dd. H tc ɖ picćr bî wn cornr n carid it acrs ɖ pasij t a secnd set v rūmz ẃć h pzest. Ɖr h loct it p in a dror, sportd ɖ dorz v bʈ sets v rūmz, n rtîrd t bed; bt frst h rout ǎt n sînd an acǎnt v ɖ xtrordnri ćenj ẃć ɖ picćr hd unḍgn sins it hd cm intu hiz pześn.

Slīp viẓtd him rɖr lêt; bt it wz cnsolñ t rflect ɖt ɖ bhevyr v ɖ picćr dd nt dpnd upn hiz ǒn uns’portd tstiṃni. Evidntli ɖ man hu hd lct at it ɖ nît bfr hd sìn smʈñ v ɖ sem cnd az h hd, uɖ̇wz h mt hv bn tmtd t ʈnc ɖt smʈñ grevli roñ wz haṗnñ îɖr t hiz îz or hiz mînd. Ɖs posbiḷti biyñ forćṇtli pricludd, tū matrz awêtd him on ɖ moro. H mst tec stoc v ɖ picćr vri cerf̣li, n cōl in a witnis fr ɖ prṗs, n h mst mc a dtrmind ef̣t t aṣten ẃt hǎs it wz ɖt wz reprizntd. H wd ɖrfr asc hiz nebr Nizbit t brecfst wɖ him, n h wd subsiqntli spend a mornñ ovr ɖ gaẓtir.

Nizbit wz disingejd, n arîvd abt 9.20. Hiz host wz nt qt drest, I am sori t se, īvn at ɖs lêt aur. Jrñ brecfst nʈñ wz sd abt ɖ metsotint bî Wiłmz, sev ɖt h hd a picćr on ẃć h wśt fr Nizbit’s opińn. Bt ɖoz hu r fmiłr wɖ yṇvrṣtilîf cn picćr fr ɖmslvz ɖ wîd n dlîtfl renj v subjicts ovr ẃć ɖ convseśn v tū Feloz v Canṭbri Colij z lîcli t xtnd jrñ a Súnde mornñ brecfst. Hardli a topic wz left unćalinjd, fṛm golf t lōntenis. Yt I am baund t se ɖt Wiłmz wz rɖr dstrōt; fr hiz inṭrest naćṛli sntrd in ɖt vri strenj picćr ẃć wz nǎ rpozñ, fes dǎnwdz, in ɖ dror in ɖ rūm oṗzit.

Ɖ mornñpîp wz at last lîtd, n ɖ momnt hd arîvd fr ẃć h lct. Wɖ vri cnsidṛbl—olmst treḿḷs—xîtmnt h ran acrs, unloct ɖ dror, n, xtractñ ɖ picćr—stl fes dǎnwdz—ran bac, n pt it intu Nizbit’s handz.

‘Nǎ,’ h sd, ‘Nizbit, I wont y t tel m xacli ẃt y si in ɖt picćr. Dscrîb it, f y d’nt mînd, rɖr mînytli. I’l tel y ẃ aftwdz.’

‘Wel,’ sd Nizbit, ‘I hv hir a vy v a cuntrihǎs—Ñgliś, I prizym—bî mūnlît.’

‘Mūnlît? Y’r śr v ɖt?’

‘Srtnli. Ɖ mūn apirz t b on ɖ wen, f y wś fr dītelz, n ɖr r clǎdz in ɖ scî.’

‘Ol rît. G on. I’l swer,’ add Wiłmz in an asd, ‘ɖr wz no mūn ẃn I sw it frst.’

‘Wel, ɖr’z nt mć mor t b sd,’ Nizbit cntinyd. ‘Ɖ hǎs hz wn—tū—ʈri roz v windoz, fîv in ć ro, xpt at ɖ botm, ẃr ɖr’z a porć instd v ɖ midl wn, n—’

‘Bt ẃt abt figrz?’ sd Wiłmz, wɖ marct inṭrest.

‘Ɖr r’nt eni,’ sd Nizbit; ‘bt—’

‘Ẃt! No figr on ɖ gras in frunt?’

‘Nt a ʈñ.’

‘Y’l swer t ɖt?’

‘Srtnli I wl. Bt ɖr’z jst wn uɖr ʈñ.’

‘Ẃt?’

‘Ẃ, wn v ɖ windoz on ɖ grǎndflor—left v ɖ dor—z opn.’

‘Z it riyli so? Mî gdnis! h mst hv got in,’ sd Wiłmz, wɖ gret xîtmnt; n h hurid t ɖ bac v ɖ sofa on ẃć Nizbit wz sitñ, n, caćñ ɖ picćr fṛm him, veṛfaid ɖ matr fr himslf.

It wz qt tru. Ɖr wz no figr, n ɖr wz ɖ opn windo. Wiłmz, aftr a momnt v spīćlis s’prîz, wnt t ɖ raitñtebl n scribld fr a śort tîm. Ɖen h bròt tū peprz t Nizbit, n asct him frst t sîn wn—it wz hiz ǒn dscripśn v ɖ picćr, ẃć y hv jst hŕd—n ɖen t rīd ɖ uɖr ẃć wz Wiłmz’z stetmnt ritn ɖ nît bfr.

‘Ẃt cn it ol mīn?’ sd Nizbit.

‘Xacli,’ sd Wiłmz. ‘Wel, wn ʈñ I mst d—or ʈri ʈñz, nǎ I ʈnc v it. I mst fînd ǎt fṛm Garwŭd’—ɖs wz hiz last nît’s vizitr—‘ẃt h sw, n ɖen I mst gt ɖ ʈñ foṭgraft bfr it gz frɖr, n ɖen I mst fînd ǎt ẃt ɖ ples z.’

‘I cn d ɖ foṭgrafñ mslf,’ sd Nizbit, ‘n I wl. Bt, y nǒ, it lcs vri mć az f w wr asistñ at ɖ wrcñ ǎt v a traɉdi smẃr. Ɖ qsćn z, hz it hapnd olrdi, or z it gwñ t cm of? Y mst fînd ǎt ẃt ɖ ples z. Yes,’ h sd, lcñ at ɖ picćr agn, ‘I xpct y’r rît: h hz got in. N f I d’nt mstec, ɖr’l b ɖ devl t pe in wn v ɖ rūmz upsterz.’

‘I’l tel y ẃt,’ sd Wiłmz: ‘I’l tec ɖ picćr acrs t old Grīn’ (ɖs wz ɖ sīńr Felo v ɖ Colij, hu hd bn Brsr fr mni yirz). ‘It’s qt lîcli h’l nǒ it. W hv proṗti in Esix n Susix, n h mst hv bn ovr ɖ tū cǎntiz a lot in hiz tîm.’

‘Qt lîcli h wl,’ sd Nizbit; ‘bt jst let m tec mî foṭgraf frst. Bt lc hir, I rɖr ʈnc Grīn z’nt p tde. H wz’nt in Hōl last nît, n I ʈnc I hŕd him se h wz gwñ dǎn fr ɖ Súnde.’

‘Ɖt’s tru, tù,’ sd Wiłmz; ‘I nǒ h’z gn t Braitn. Wel, f y’l foṭgraf it nǎ, I’l g acrs t Garwŭd n gt hiz stetmnt, n y cīp an î on it ẃl I’m gn. I’m bginñ t ʈnc tū giniz z nt a vri xorbtnt prîs fr it nǎ.’

In a śort tîm h hd rtrnd, n bròt Mr. Garwŭd wɖ him. Garwŭd’z stetmnt wz t ɖ ifct ɖt ɖ figr, ẃn h hd sìn it, wz clir v ɖ éj v ɖ picćr, bt hd nt got far acrs ɖ lōn. H rmembrd a ẃît marc on ɖ bac v its dreṗri, bt cd nt hv bn śr it wz a cros. A dokmnt t ɖs ifct wz ɖen drwn p n sînd, n Nizbit pṛsidd t foṭgraf ɖ picćr.

‘Nǎ ẃt d y mīn t d?’ h sd. ‘R y gwñ t sit n woć it ol de?’

‘Wel, no, I ʈnc nt,’ sd Wiłmz. ‘I rɖr imajin w’r mnt t si ɖ hol ʈñ. Y si, btwn ɖ tîm I sw it last nît n ɖs mornñ ɖr wz tîm fr lots v ʈñz t hapn, bt ɖ crīćr onli got intu ɖ hǎs. It cd īẓli hv got ʈru its biznis in ɖ tîm n gn t its ǒn ples agn; bt ɖ fact v ɖ windo biyñ opn, I ʈnc, mst mīn ɖt it’s in ɖr nǎ. So I fīl qt īzi abt līvñ it. N bsdz, I hv a cnd v îdīa ɖt it wd’nt ćenj mć, f at ol, in ɖ dêtîm. W mt g ǎt fr a wōc ɖs afṭnun, n cm in t ti, or ẃnvr it gts darc. I śl līv it ǎt on ɖ tebl hir, n sport ɖ dor. Mî scip cn gt in, bt nwn els.’

Ɖ ʈri agrìd ɖt ɖs wd b a gd plan; n, frɖr, ɖt f ɖe spent ɖ afṭnun tgɖr ɖe wd b les lîcli t tōc abt ɖ biznis t uɖr ppl; fr eni rūmr v sć a trnzax́n az wz gwñ on wd brñ ɖ hol v ɖ Fasmaṭlojicl Ssayti abt ɖer irz.

W me gv ɖm a respît untl fîv o’cloc.

At or nir ɖt aur ɖ ʈri wr enṭrñ Wiłmz’z sterces. Ɖe wr at frst slîtli anoid t si ɖt ɖ dor v hiz rūmz wz unsportd; bt in a momnt it wz rmembrd ɖt on Súnde ɖ scips cem fr ordrz an aur or so rlịr ɖn on wīcdez. Hvr, a s’prîz wz awêtñ ɖm. Ɖ frst ʈñ ɖe sw wz ɖ picćr līnñ p agnst a pîl v bcs on ɖ tebl, az it hd bn left, n ɖ nxt ʈñ wz Wiłmz’z scip, sītd on a ćer oṗzit, gezñ at it wɖ undisgîzd horr. Hǎ wz ɖs? Mr. Filćr (ɖ nem z nt mî ǒn invnśn) wz a srvnt v cnsidṛbl standñ, n set ɖ standd v eticét t ol hiz ǒn colij n t sevṛl neḅrñ wnz, n nʈñ cd b mor ełn t hiz practis ɖn t b faund sitñ on hiz mastr’z ćer, or apirñ t tec eni ptiklr notis v hiz mastr’z frnićr or picćrz. Indd, h sīmd t fīl ɖs himslf. H startd vayḷntli ẃn ɖ ʈri men wr in ɖ rūm, n got p wɖ a marct ef̣t. Ɖen h sd:

‘I asc yr pardn, sr, fr tecñ sć a frīdm az t set dǎn.’

‘Nt at ol, Roḅt,’ inṭpozd Mr. Wiłmz. ‘I wz mīnñ t asc y sm tîm ẃt y ʈt v ɖt picćr.’

‘Wel, sr, v cors I d’nt set p mî opińn agnst yrz, bt it e’nt ɖ pictur I śd ’añ ẃr mî litl grl cd si it, sr.’

‘Wd’nt y, Roḅt? Ẃ nt?’

‘No, sr. Ẃ, ɖ pōr ćîld, I rec̣lect wns ś si a Dor Bîbl, wɖ picćrz nt ’af ẃt ɖt z, n w ’ad t set p wɖ hr ʈri or for nîts aftwdz, f y’l b’liv m; n f ś wz t ceć a sît v ɖs scelintn hir, or ẃtvr it z, cariyñ of ɖ pōr bebi, ś wd b in a tecñ. Y nǒ ’ǎ it z wɖ ćildṛn; ’ǎ nrviś ɖe git wɖ a litl ʈñ n ol. Bt ẃt I śd se, it d’nt sīm a rît pictr t b leyñ abt, sr, nt ẃr enwn ɖt’s laybl t b startld cd cm on it. Śd y b wontñ enʈñ ɖs īvnñ, sr? Ʈanc y, sr.’

Wɖ ɖz wrdz ɖ xḷnt man wnt t cntiny ɖ rǎnd v hiz mastrz, n y me b śr ɖ jntlṃn hūm h left lost no tîm in gaɖ̇rñ rnd ɖ ingrevñ. Ɖr wz ɖ hǎs, az bfr undr ɖ wenñ mūn n ɖ driftñ clǎdz. Ɖ windo ɖt hd bn opn wz śut, n ɖ figr wz wns mor on ɖ lōn: bt nt ɖs tîm crōlñ cōśsli on handz n niz. Nǎ it wz irect n stepñ swiftli, wɖ loñ strîdz, twdz ɖ frunt v ɖ picćr. Ɖ mūn wz bhnd it, n ɖ blac dreṗri huñ dǎn ovr its fes so ɖt onli hints v ɖt cd b sìn, n ẃt wz viẓbl md ɖ spectetrz pṛfǎndli ʈancfl ɖt ɖe cd si no mor ɖn a ẃît domlîc fōrhed n a fy straġlñ herz. Ɖ hed wz bnt dǎn, n ɖ armz wr tîtli claspt ovr an objict ẃć cd b dimli sìn n îdnṭfaid az a ćîld, ẃɖr ded or livñ it wz nt poṣbl t se. Ɖ legz v ɖ apiṛns alon cd b plenli dsrnd, n ɖe wr hoṛbli ʈin.

Fṛm fîv t sevn ɖ ʈri cmpańnz sat n woćt ɖ picćr bî trnz. Bt it nvr ćenjd. Ɖe agrìd at last ɖt it wd b sef t līv it, n ɖt ɖe wd rtrn aftr Hōl n awêt frɖr dveḷpmnts.

Ẃn ɖe asmbld agn, at ɖ rliist poṣbl momnt, ɖ ingrevñ wz ɖr, bt ɖ figr wz gn, n ɖ hǎs wz qayt undr ɖ mūnbīmz. Ɖr wz nʈñ fr it bt t spend ɖ īvnñ ovr gaẓtirz n gîd-bcs. Wiłmz wz ɖ luci wn at last, n phps h dzrvd it. At 11.30 p.m. h réd fṛm Muri’z Gîd t Esix ɖ folowñ lînz:

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16½ mîlz, Anñli. Ɖ ćrć hz bn an inṭrestñ bildñ v Normn det, bt wz xtnsivli classîzd in ɖ last snćri. It cntenz ɖ tūm v ɖ faṃli v Fransis, huz manśn, Anñli Hōl, a solid Qīn Án hǎs, standz imīɉtli bynd ɖ ćrćyard in a parc v abt 80 ecrz. Ɖ faṃli z nǎ xtñt, ɖ last ér hvñ dis’pird mstirịsli in inf̣nsi in ɖ yir 1802. Ɖ faɖr, Mr. Arʈr Fransis, wz loc̣li noun az a talntd aṃćr ingrevr in metsotint. Aftr hiz sun’z dis’piṛns h livd in cmplit rtîrmnt at ɖ Hōl, n wz faund ded in hiz stydio on ɖ ʈrd aṇvrsri v ɖ dzastr, hvñ jst cmplitd an ingrevñ v ɖ hǎs, impreśnz v ẃć r v cnsidṛbl reṛti.

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Ɖs lct lîc biznis, n, indd, Mr. Grīn on hiz rtrn at wns îdnṭfaid ɖ hǎs az Anñli Hōl.

‘Z ɖr eni cnd v xpḷneśn v ɖ figr, Grīn?’ wz ɖ qsćn ẃć Wiłmz naćṛli asct.

‘I d’nt nǒ, I’m śr, Wiłmz. Ẃt yst t b sd in ɖ ples ẃn I frst ń it, ẃć wz bfr I cem p hir, wz jst ɖs: old Fransis wz olwz vri mć dǎn on ɖz poćñfeloz, n ẃnvr h got a ćans h yst t gt a man hūm h sspctd v it trnd of ɖ istet, n bî dgriz h got rid v ɖm ol bt wn. Sqîrz cd d a lot v ʈñz ɖen ɖt ɖe der’nt ʈnc v nǎ. Wel, ɖs man ɖt wz left wz ẃt y fînd priti ofn in ɖt cuntri—ɖ last rmenz v a vri old faṃli. I b’liv ɖe wr Lordz v ɖ Mánr at wn tîm. I rec̣lect jst ɖ sem ʈñ in mî ǒn pariś.’

‘Ẃt, lîc ɖ man in Tés o’ ɖ Drḅvilz?’ Wiłmz pt in.

‘Yes, I der se; it’s nt a bc I cd evr rīd mslf. Bt ɖs felo cd śo a ro v tūmz in ɖ ćrć ɖr ɖt b’loñd t hiz ansestrz, n ol ɖt wnt t sǎr him a bit; bt Fransis, ɖe sd, cd nvr gt at him—h olwz cept jst on ɖ rît sîd v ɖ lw—untl wn nît ɖ cīprz faund him at it in a wŭd rît at ɖ end v ɖ istet. I cd śo y ɖ ples nǎ; it marćz wɖ sm land ɖt yst t b’loñ t an uncl v mîn. N y cn imajin ɖr wz a rǎ; n ɖs man Gōdi (ɖt wz ɖ nem, t b śr—Gōdi; I ʈt I śd gt it—Gōdi), h wz unluci inuf, pur ćap! t śūt a cīpr. Wel, ɖt wz ẃt Fransis wontd, n grand jriz—y nǒ ẃt ɖe wd hv bn ɖen—n pur Gōdi wz struñ p in dubl-qc tîm; n I’v bn śoun ɖ ples h wz berid in, on ɖ norʈ sîd v ɖ ćrć—y nǒ ɖ we in ɖt part v ɖ wrld: enwn ɖt’s bn hañd or md awe wɖ ɖmslvz, ɖe beri ɖm ɖt sîd. N ɖ îdīa wz ɖt sm frend v Gōdi’z—nt a rleśn, bcz h hd nn, pur devl! h wz ɖ last v hiz lîn: cnd v spes ultima gentis—mst hv pland t gt hold v Fransis’z bô n pt an end t hiz lîn, tù. I d’nt nǒ—it’s rɖr an ǎt-v-ɖ-we ʈñ fr an Esix poćr t ʈnc v—bt, y nǒ, I śd se nǎ it lcs mor az f old Gōdi hd manijd ɖ job himslf. Bu! I het t ʈnc v it! hv sm ẃisci, Wiłmz!’

Ɖ facts wr cḿṇcetd bî Wiłmz t Denistn, n bî him t a mixt cumṗni, v ẃć I wz wn, n ɖ Sadysiyn Pṛfesr v Ofioḷji anɖr. I am sori t se ɖt ɖ latr ẃn, asct ẃt h ʈt v it, onli rmarct: ‘Ǒ, ɖoz Brijf̣d ppl wl se enʈñ’—a sntimnt ẃć met wɖ ɖ rspśn it dzrvd.

I hv onli t ad ɖt ɖ picćr z nǎ in ɖ Aślịn Ḿziym; ɖt it hz bn trītd wɖ a vy t dscuṿrñ ẃɖr simṗʈetic ñc hz bn yzd in it, bt wɖt ifct; ɖt Mr. Britnl ń nʈñ v it sev ɖt h wz śr it wz uncomn; n ɖt, ɖo cerf̣li woćt, it hz nvr bn noun t ćenj agn.

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CLASICS IN ÑSPEL

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ÑSPEL

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a śort spel

ART • POETRY • TRANSLATION

Category Archives: M R James

Clasics in Ñspel: NUMBER 13, by M R James

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