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  • Chapter 1: Christmas Eve

  • My name is Arthur Kipps.

  • When I was a young man, I worked in London. I was a solicitor.

  • I worked for the same company all my life.

  • Fourteen years ago, I bought this house called Monk's Piece.

  • I live here with my dear wife, Esme.

  • Esme's first husband had died.

  • She was a widow when I married her.

  • I became the father of her four young children.

  • Our years at Monk's Piece have been happy ones.

  • It was Christmas Eve.

  • All the family was at Monk's Piece for the holiday.

  • We were all sitting by the big fire at the end of the day.

  • I was in my armchair, listening to the laughter and the talking.

  • 'Wake up, Father!' someone called.

  • 'We're going to tell ghost stories!'

  • The lights were turned off.

  • Suddenly the room was dark and shadowy.

  • I smiled as I listened to the young people's stories.

  • The stories were full of horror, but they did not frighten me.

  • They were not true.

  • Then I remembered. I remembered terrible things.

  • These memories were terrible - because they were true!

  • 'Tell us a ghost story, Father!' someone cried.

  • 'You must know one story!'

  • I stood up, cold and shaking.

  • 'No, no!' I shouted.

  • 'I have no story to tell!'

  • I hurried from the room, away from them all.

  • I went out into the garden.

  • I stood there in the cold and in the darkness.

  • My heart was beating fast.

  • I was shaking with fear.

  • Will I never forger? Will I never find peace?

  • How can I find peace? There is only one way.

  • I must write clown my terrible story.

  • All the horror. Everything. Then I will find peace.

  • I turned and walked back into the house.

  • Chapter 2: London Fog

  • My story begins in November, many years ago.

  • I was a young man of twenty-three.

  • I worked for a solicitor called Mr Bentley.

  • Sometimes the work was uninteresting, but I worked hard.

  • I wanted to do welt.

  • That November morning, the weather was cold.

  • A thick, yellow fog covered London.

  • The fog filled people's ears and eyes.

  • It got into houses, shops and offices.

  • Mr Bentley called me into his office.

  • 'Sit down, Arthur, sit down,' Mr Bentley said.

  • He pointed to a paper on his desk.

  • This is the will of Mrs Drablow.

  • Mrs Alice Drablow of Eel Marsh House in Yorkshire.

  • A strange old lady and a strange house.

  • Have you ever been to Yorkshire, Arthur?'

  • 'No, sir.'

  • Well, my boy, go home and pack your bag.

  • Mrs Drablow is dead.

  • She has no relatives in England.

  • And we are her solicitors.

  • I want you to go to the funeral.'

  • Mr Bentley saw that I was surprised.

  • 'I can't go myself,' Mr Bentley said quickly. I'm too busy.'

  • 'After the funeral,' he went on, I want you to go to Eel Marsh House.

  • I want you to look at the old lady's papers.

  • Bring back anything important.' Mr Bentley stood up.

  • 'The funeral's at eleven o'clock tomorrow morning,' he said.

  • 'Take the afternoon train from King's Cross Station.

  • Here is the key to Eel Marsh House.

  • Mrs Drablow's will and other important papers are in this envelope.'

  • And he held out a large, brown envelope.

  • Written on the front of the envelope was:

  • Mrs Alice Drablow, Eel Marsh House, Nine Lives Causeway, Crythin Gifford, Yorkshire.

  • 'What a strange address!' I said.

  • 'Yes, it's a strange address and it's a strange place,' Mr Bentley said.

  • 'Now off you go, my boy.'

  • There wasn't much time to get ready for the journey.

  • I quickly packed my bag.

  • Then I wrote a note to Stella, my fiancee.

  • Then I set off for King's Cross Station.

  • The fog was thicker now.

  • The smell of fog was everywhere.

  • At last I reached the big, noisy station.

  • I was beginning to feel excited.

  • I was going on a journey.

  • I had an important job to do.

  • I was soon sitting in the train.

  • And then it was moving.

  • Slowly at first and then faster.

  • The fog of London was left behind. Darkness fell.

  • I was on my way north - to Eel Marsh House.

  • I changed trains at Crewe.

  • Then I changed trains again at a small town called Homerby, in Yorkshire.

  • The air was cold.

  • The wind blew rain on my face.

  • The little train I got into at Homerby was old and dirty.

  • I put the brown envelope on the seat beside me.

  • I opened my newspaper and began to read.

  • A few minutes later, a big man with a red face got into the carriage.

  • He sat down as the train began to move out of Homerby.

  • 'It's cold in here,' I said.

  • 'But I've left the fog of London behind me.'

  • 'We don't have fogs here. We have mists.

  • The mists come in from the sea,' the big man said.

  • We sat for a few moments in silence.

  • Then I saw the big man look at the envelope on the seat beside me.

  • 'Drablow,' he said. 'Are you a relative?'

  • 'No, I'm a solicitor,' I said.

  • 'I'm going to the funeral.'

  • 'You'll be the only one there, Mr...?'

  • 'My name's Kipps, Arthur Kipps,' I told him.

  • I'm Samuel Daily,' the big man said.

  • Didn't Mrs Drablow have any friends?' I asked.

  • 'No, she didn't have any friends,' Mr Daily said.

  • 'People become strange when they live in strange places.'

  • I smiled. 'Are you trying to frighten me, Mr Daily?' I asked.

  • He stared at me.

  • 'No, I'm not trying to frighten you,' he said.

  • But there are other people in Crythin Gifford who will try to frighten you.'

  • I suddenly felt very cold.

  • 'Where are you staying tonight?' Mr Daily asked me.

  • 'I'm going to stay at the Gifford Arms.'

  • 'The Gifford Arms is a comfortable inn,' said Mr Daily.

  • 'I go past it on my way home.

  • You can come with me in my car.'

  • Mr Daily's car was waiting at the station.

  • A few minutes later, it stopped outside the inn.

  • Mr Daily gave me his card with his address on it.

  • 'That's where I live,' he said.

  • 'If you need any help, come and see me.'

  • The Gifford Arms was warm and comfortable.

  • After a good supper, I went to bed.

  • I slept well. Thank God I did. I never slept so well again.

  • Chapter 3: The Funeral of Mrs Drablow

  • The next morning was bright and sunny.

  • I had a good breakfast.

  • Then I walked round the little town of Crythin Gifford.

  • It was market-day. The little town was busy.

  • Farmers were buying and selling animals in the market-square.

  • The streets of Crythin Gifford were completely flat.

  • The countryside all round the town was flat too.

  • There were no hills at all.

  • To the east of the town were the marshes - and on the marshes was Eel Marsh House.

  • I walked back to the inn and got ready for the funeral.

  • I put on a dark suit and went downstairs again.

  • Mr Jerome was waiting for me downstairs.

  • Mr Jerome was Mrs Drablow's agent - he looked after her house and land.

  • Mr Jerome was a small man dressed in black.

  • He smiled politely and we left the inn.

  • As we walked through the square, people stared at us.

  • They stopped talking. No one smiled.

  • The church stood in an old graveyard.

  • There were old gravestones on either side of a long path.

  • It was very cold inside the church.

  • Mr Jerome and I were the only people at the funeral.

  • Poor Mrs Drablow, I thought.

  • Didn't she have any friends at all? Then I heard a sound behind me.

  • I turned.

  • A Young woman was standing at the back of the church.

  • She was dressed in old-fashioned black clothes - clothes of sixty years ago.

  • A large, old-fashioned bonnet covered her face.

  • She raised her head and looked at me.

  • The young woman's face was white and very thin.

  • How ill she looked!

  • When we left the church I looked far the woman.

  • But I did not see her.

  • Then in the graveyard, I saw her again.

  • In the sunshine her face was whiter and thinner.

  • I closed my eyes to pray.

  • When I opened them, the woman had gone.

  • Beyond the graveyard I saw the estuary.

  • And beyond the estuary was the open sea.

  • The funeral was over.

  • I followed Mr Jerome from the churchyard.

  • Who was that young woman?' I asked him.

  • Mr Jerome stopped and looked at me.

  • 'Young woman?' he said.

  • 'Yes, a young woman.

  • She was dressed in black and she looked very ill.'

  • Mr Jerome's face went white.

  • 'I did not see a young woman,' he said.

  • I looked behind me.

  • The young woman was standing beside Mrs Drablow's grave.

  • 'Look, there she is!' I said.

  • Mr Jerome made a strange sound.

  • He did not turn round to look at the woman.

  • He held my arm tightly. He began to shake.

  • 'Mr Jerome!' I cried.

  • 'Are you ill? Let go of my arm and I'll bring a car for you.'

  • 'No, no, he cried. 'No, sir. Stay with me!'

  • After a few moments, Mr Jerome spoke again.

  • 'I'm very sorry, sir,' he said quietly.

  • 'I felt ill for a moment.

  • I can go on now.' We walked slowly back to the Gifford Arms.

  • 'Are you taking me to Eel Marsh House, Mr Jerome?' I said politely.

  • The little man shook his head.

  • 'No, not me,' he said.

  • 'Keckwick will take you.

  • You have to go across a causeway to get to Eel Marsh House.

  • When the tide is in, the sea covers the causeway.

  • You can't get across.

  • You can only cross the causeway when the tide is out.

  • That will be after one o'clock.'

  • 'There may be a lot of papers to look at,' I said.

  • 'I may stay in Eel Marsh House tonight.'

  • 'You will find the inn more comfortable,' Mr Jerome said quietly.

  • 'Perhaps you are right,' I said.

  • The lunch at the Gifford Arms was a good one and I ate well.

  • At half past one, I was waiting outside the inn.

  • The key to Eel Marsh House was in my pocket.

  • I listened for the sound of Keckwick's car.

  • Chapter 4: Eel Marsh House

  • After a few minutes, a pony and trap came into the square.

  • It stopped beside me.

  • 'Mr Kipps?' the driver said.

  • 'Are you Keckwick?' I asked.

  • I was surprised that Keckwick did not come in a car.

  • The man nodded his head.

  • I got into the trap.

  • The pony started off at once.

  • We drove quickly through the quiet little town.

  • We passed the churchyard and were soon in open country.

  • The country around the town was completely flat.

  • There was a beautiful, grey sky above us.

  • After a time, we reached the marshes.

  • The marshes were strange and beautiful.

  • No trees grew in the marshes.

  • There was water everywhere.

  • There were no people and no houses.

  • There was silence.

  • The only sound was the noise made by the hooves of the pony and the wheels of the trap.

  • We drove along the path until we came to the causeway.

  • The long causeway went across the estuary.

  • The sandy causeway was not much higher than the water on each side.

  • This is Nine Lives Causeway, I thought.

  • At high tide the water will completely cover it.

  • The bright winter sun shone in my eyes.

  • I shut them for a moment.

  • When I opened my eyes, we were near the end of the causeway.

  • In front of us was a tall, grey house.

  • It stood alone looking over the marshes and the water of the estuary.

  • The lonely house was on a little island.

  • This was Eel Marsh House!

  • The trap stopped in front of the house.

  • For a few moments I did not move.

  • What a strange, lonely place! But the place was so beautiful that I did not feel afraid.

  • I got out of the trap.

  • 'When will the water cover the causeway again?'

  • 'In two hours,' Keckwick answered.

  • I did not want to leave so soon.

  • I wanted more time in this beautiful place.

  • 'Two hours won't be enough time for me to do my work here,' I said.

  • 'I'll come back here again tomorrow.

  • I'll bring food and drink with me and stay for a day or two.

  • But now that I'm here, I'll have a look round the house.

  • What are you going to do? Will you wait here or come back for me later?'

  • Keckwick did not answer.

  • He turned the pony and traps round and drove off.

  • I watched the trap going back across the causeway.

  • I was alone.

  • I stood there without moving.

  • The key to the house was in my hand.

  • A sea-bird flew by. It gave a cry.

  • Then there was silence again.

  • What a place to live! I thought.

  • Perhaps, one day, Stella and I will stay here.

  • I wanted to be with her in this beautiful place.

  • There was a field behind the house.

  • It went from the house to the water.

  • The setting sun made the water red.

  • The wind from the sea was getting colder.

  • At the end of the field, I saw a little church.

  • It looked very old.

  • It had no roof and its walls were broken.

  • Some old gravestones stood round the old building.

  • It was beginning to grow dark.

  • It was time to go inside the house.

  • And then I saw the young woman again.

  • She was standing beside one of the gravestones.

  • It was the woman in black.

  • She was wearing the same old-fashioned clothes.

  • She looked pale and ill.

  • Her eyes were dark in her pale face.

  • Those eyes! How can I describe them? Her eyes were evil.

  • They stared at me with a terrible hate.

  • There was something the woman wanted from me - something she had lost.

  • What was it?

  • I began to shake with fear.

  • I felt very cold.

  • My heart beat faster and faster.

  • I wanted to run.

  • But I was not able to move.

  • What was wrong with me?

  • The woman stepped behind the gravestone.

  • She had gone. My fear left me.

  • I ran down into the graveyard.

  • I looked for the young woman everywhere.

  • But she had disappeared.

  • There were the marshes.

  • And there was the shining causeway.

  • I was able to see for miles.

  • But there were no houses.

  • There was no place to hide.

  • I did not understand it.

  • Suddenly my fear returned.

  • I ran back to the house.

  • I did not look back.

  • I was too frightened to look back!

  • I reached the house and tried to open the door.

  • My hand was shaking.

  • At last the key was in the lock.

  • I opened the door and stepped inside.

  • The door shut with a bang.

  • The sound went through the empty house.

  • What had happened to me? Who was the woman in black? I did not believe in ghosts.

  • But I had seen one.

  • A ghost that was evil and terrible.

  • But I was inside the house now.

  • I was safe. I smiled. I did not believe in ghosts.

  • I had work to do. And I wanted to do it well.

  • I must forget the woman in black.

  • I looked around. I was standing in a dark hallway.

  • In front of me was a wide staircase.

  • On one side was a passage.

  • Perhaps it led to the kitchen.

  • There were several doors, all of them closed.

  • It was getting darker.

  • I switched on a light in the hall.

  • I went to the nearest door and opened it.

  • I then opened one door after another.

  • One door was locked.

  • There was old furniture in every room.

  • It was all large and heavy.

  • There were old pictures on all the walls.

  • Every room had desks and cupboards.

  • And my job was to look through all of them!

  • There was a damp smell in the house.

  • Some of the rooms had not been used far many years.

  • The whole house was dark and shadowy.

  • Mrs Drablow had lived here alone, I thought.

  • I was not surprised that people said she was strange!

  • I pulled up the blinds at every window.

  • From each window I was able to see the marshes and the estuary.

  • It was a beautiful place.

  • But silent and lonely!

  • I used the keys to open some desks and cupboards.

  • All of them were full of papers.

  • I was sure that some of these papers were important.

  • I had to look at all of them.

  • This job will take a long time, I thought.

  • It was too late to start work that afternoon.

  • I looked at my watch. Keckwick was not coming back for another hour.

  • I decided to walk back along the causeway.

  • I was able to see the path from the window.

  • It went straight ahead.

  • It was not possible for me to lose my way.

  • I was sure to meet Keckwick on the way.

  • I went back into every room.

  • I pulled down the blinds. I turned off all the lights.

  • I locked the front door behind me.

  • Then I started to walk along the causeway.

  • Chapter 5: The Cry of a Child

  • Outside the house, everything was quiet I looked back once, but I did not see the woman in black.

  • The causeway was dry. But the tide was coming in.

  • The water on either side of the causeway was higher now.

  • As I walked on, I felt very alone.

  • The path over the causeway seemed longer too. I walked faster.

  • The sky and the water were beautiful in the grey light.

  • Then I saw the sea-mist.

  • The sea- mist was moving quickly over the marshes.

  • In a few moments, the sea-mist covered everything.

  • It was a damp, white mist.

  • It was very different from the yellow fog of London.

  • The mist moved about in front of my eyes.

  • Soon my hair and clothes were wet.

  • Now I saw only a short way in front of me.

  • I looked back. I was not able to see Eel Marsh House.

  • It had completely disappeared in the mist.

  • I walked on, very slowly. Then I stopped.

  • If I went on, I might walk off the causeway into the deep mud.

  • I decided to go back.

  • But going back was difficult too.

  • The mist was moving all round me.

  • Where was the house? Was I going the right way? I felt very afraid.

  • And then I heard the pony and trap.

  • Thank God! Keckwick was coming back for me.

  • I stopped and waited.

  • But now the sounds of the pony and trap were going away from me.

  • Now the sound was coming from somewhere on the marshes.

  • What was wrong? Had Keckwick gone off the path?

  • I stood very still.

  • For a moment, there was complete silence.

  • Suddenly a pony shrieked with fear.

  • Then I heard a sound I shall never forget.

  • The terrible cry of a child.

  • A child in fear of death.

  • And now the trap was sinking.

  • There was a strange sucking sound.

  • The trap was going down under the mud.

  • And still the child cried out.

  • There was nothing I could do! I shouted. But no one answered.

  • How could I find the trap in that terrible mist? It was impossible.

  • I had to get back to the house.

  • If I turned on all the lights, someone might see them. Someone might help.

  • It was dark now. The mist was thicker too.

  • I heard the sea-water moving nearer.

  • At last I was standing on hard ground in front of the house.

  • I found the front door and opened it.

  • Behind me the marshes were silent.

  • I sat down on the nearest chair. I began to shake.

  • Oh, the horror of that terrible cry! That poor child dying in the marshes.

  • I began crying and was not able to stop.

  • After a time, I made myself stand up.

  • I walked into every room and turned on the lights.

  • I found some brandy in a cupboard.

  • I drank some and my fear turned to anger.

  • Why had Mr Bentley sent me here? Why had I left London?

  • I walked in and out of the rooms.

  • I wanted only one thing.

  • I wanted to get away from this terrible place.

  • I walked slowly along a passage on the second floor.

  • The door at the end was locked.

  • I kicked the door angrily.

  • But it did not open. I turned away and walked back.

  • As I went, I looked through every window.

  • The white sea-mist was all around the house. I could see nothing.

  • I drank some more brandy.

  • The brandy helped me to forget.

  • To forget that terrible sound of the child crying.

  • At last I fell asleep.

  • A bell was ringing. It rang again and again.

  • I opened my eyes slowly.

  • I looked through the window.

  • The moon shone white in the black sky.

  • How long had I been asleep? I did not know.

  • The bell rang again.

  • Then I remembered with horror the sound I had heard.

  • I remembered the screams of the child.

  • I remembered the shrieks of the pony.

  • I remembered the noise of the trap as it sank down in the mud.

  • Had I heard those noises? Had I dreamt them? I did not know.

  • The bell rang again.

  • Someone was at the door.

  • Who was there? All the lights in the house were on.

  • People had seen the lights and come to help me.

  • I got up slowly and walked to the door.

  • There was only one man at the door. It was Keckwick.

  • And behind him was his pony and trap.

  • They were real and they were not harmed at all.

  • 'I had to wait till the mist cleared,' said Keckwick.

  • And when the mist cleared, the tide was in.

  • I had to wait until the tide went out and the water left the causeway.'

  • Then I looked at my watch and saw the time.

  • It was two o'clock in the morning.

  • 'It's very good of you to come here for me at this time,' I said.

  • 'I would not have left you to stay here all night,' Keckwick said.

  • No, no. I would not have left you here all night'

  • 'How did you get out of the mud...?' I began to say.

  • Then I knew. It had not been Keckwick. It had been someone else.

  • But who? Who had been driving on the marshes on a dark November evening? Who?

  • Keckwick looked at me strangely.

  • 'You'd better get in the trap,' he said.

  • 'I'll drive you back.'

  • Keckwick knew that something strange had happened to me.

  • But he was not going to ask me about it.

  • And he did not want to hear about it I got into the trap and we drove off.

  • I sat in the trap in a dream.

  • A dream of horror and fear.

  • I now knew the truth. But I did not want to believe it.

  • The woman in black was a ghost.

  • And the child was a ghost too.

  • I had seen the woman. I had heard the child.

  • They had died long ago.

  • But they did not rest in peace.

  • The innkeeper of the Gifford Arms had not gone to bed.

  • He was waiting up for me. He let me in without a word.

  • It was after three o'clock in the morning when I got to bed.

  • I slept. But in my dreams, I heard the cry of a child.

  • I stood once more in the white sea-mist.

  • And always, near me, was the woman in black.

  • Chapter 6: I Go Back

  • When I woke, the sun was shining.

  • At first, I felt weak and ill.

  • But after a bath and breakfast I felt better.

  • I was not going to run away.

  • I had a job to do. I was afraid. I had seen and heard terrible things.

  • But I was a young man. And young men forget easily.

  • I was going back to Eel Marsh House.

  • I was going to look at Mrs Drablow's papers.

  • But not today and not alone.

  • I wanted some exercise.

  • I told the innkeeper I was going for a long walk.

  • 'Can you ride a bicycle, sir?' he said.

  • 'There's a bicycle here you can use.'

  • I was very pleased. Stella and I often rode bicycles into the country.

  • Yes, an hour or two on a bicycle. That's what I needed!

  • Then tomorrow, I would go back to Eel Marsh House.

  • But not alone.

  • I decided to talk to Mr Jerome.

  • He probably had a boy who worked in the office.

  • The boy can help me, I thought.

  • Together we will finish the job quickly.

  • I walked through the town to Mr Jerome's office.

  • He did not look pleased to see me.

  • 'The house is full of papers,' I said.

  • 'I must look at them all. I need help.'

  • A look of fear came into Mr Jerome's face.

  • 'I can't help you, Mr Kipps,' he said quickly.

  • 'But can your office-boy help me?' I said.

  • 'I don't have an office-boy,' Jerome answered.

  • 'Well, any other boy in the town,' I said.

  • 'I'll pay him of course.'

  • Mr Jerome stood up. His face was white.

  • 'You will find no one to help you! No one!' he shouted.

  • 'I think I understand you, Mr Jerome,' I said.

  • No one in this town will stay at Eel Marsh House.

  • Everyone is too afraid.

  • Afraid of seeing...' I stopped.

  • 'The woman in black?' Mr Jerome said.

  • 'Yes,' I answered. 'I saw her again.'

  • 'Where?' he whispered.

  • 'In the graveyard behind Eel Marsh House.

  • But she's not going to stop me - whoever she is - or was!'

  • I laughed. My laugh did not sound true.

  • 'I must be brave, Mr Jerome,' I added.

  • 'I'm not going to run away.'

  • 'That's what I said...' the little man replied very quietly.

  • I did not understand him.

  • 'Well, I'll go back alone,' I said.

  • 'Perhaps I'll not see the woman again.'

  • 'I pray that you do not,' Mr Jerome said slowly.

  • 'I pray that you do not.'

  • I went back to the inn. I wrote a letter to Mr Bentley.

  • I told him I wanted to stay for a few days.

  • I said nothing about the woman in black.

  • Then I took the bicycle and rode off.

  • The weather was perfect for cycling.

  • The wind was cold. But the air was bright and clear.

  • I decided to ride west, away from the marshes.

  • I was going to ride to the next village and have lunch there.

  • At the end of the town, I looked to the east.

  • I was looking back to the water of the marshes.

  • The marshes were pulling me back.

  • I knew I had to go back to them.

  • But not now. Not today.

  • Taking a deep breath, I turned my bicycle.

  • My back was to the marshes now.

  • I cycled away from the marshes along the country road.

  • Chapter 7: Dinner with Mr Daily

  • I rode back to Crythin Gifford about four hours later.

  • I was feeling happier.

  • Eel Marsh House did not frighten me now.

  • I knew I was brave enough to go there alone.

  • The sea-mist and loneliness of the place had frightened me.

  • How silly I had been to be afraid!

  • That would not happen again.

  • I turned the corner into the town square.

  • A big car was coming towards me. I stopped quickly.

  • But I almost fell off the bicycle.

  • The car slowed down and stopped.

  • Mr Samuel Daily looked out of the window.

  • 'How are you, young man?' he called.

  • 'Fine,' I said. 'I've had a good ride.

  • I feel hungry and I'm looking forward to my dinner tonight!'

  • 'And what about your business? Have you been out to the house?'

  • 'Yes, of course,' I answered.

  • 'It won't take me long.' Mr Daily looked at me for a few moments.

  • He said nothing.

  • 'I'm enjoying the work,' I went on quickly.

  • 'It's all very interesting. But there are many papers to look at.'

  • Mr Daily went on staring at me.

  • 'Mr Kipps,' he said, 'those are brave words.

  • But I don't believe them.

  • Come to my house for dinner tonight.

  • The innkeeper knows where I live.'

  • He sat back and the car drove on.

  • Mr Daily's words did not make me change my mind.

  • I was going back to Eel Marsh House.

  • I went shopping in the town.

  • I bought tea, coffee and bread.

  • Then a large torch and rubber boots.

  • I wanted to be ready for anything at Eel Marsh House.

  • I told the innkeeper what I was going to do.

  • 'Tomorrow,' I said, 'I am going to go to Eel Marsh House.

  • I am going to stay there for two nights.

  • Can I use your bicycle?'

  • The innkeeper nodded. He said nothing.

  • But he looked at me sadly.

  • In the evening, I cycled out to the Dailys' house.

  • It was a very large house.

  • Mr Daily was clearly a rich man.

  • Mr Daily and his wife gave me a friendly welcome.

  • The food and drink were very good.

  • All through dinner, Samuel Daily talked about himself.

  • He had worked hard all his life.

  • Now he owned land and houses.

  • I told him about Stella and our plans for the future.

  • After dinner, Mrs Daily left us.

  • Until then, Mr Daily had not spoken about Mrs Drablow or Eel Marsh House.

  • He filled my glass and his own with wine.

  • 'You're a fool to go on with it,' he said.

  • I knew what he meant.

  • 'I've got a job to do, Mr Daily,' I said.

  • 'And I want to do it well.'

  • 'Listen to me, Arthur,' Daily said.

  • 'There are stories about that place.

  • Stories I'm not going to tell you.

  • You'll hear them from other people.

  • Perhaps you've heard them already.

  • You've been out to the house, haven't you?'

  • 'Yes, I've been there,' I answered.

  • 'And I heard and saw things.

  • Things I cannot understand.'

  • And then I told him everything.

  • Mr Daily listened carefully, but said nothing.

  • 'I think the woman in black is a ghost,' I said.

  • She made me afraid.

  • She has the power to make people afraid.

  • But that is all. She did me no harm.'

  • 'And what about the pony and trap? The child's cry?' Daily asked.

  • 'Yes, I thought to myself, the child's cry was the worst of all.

  • But I did not say that to Mr Daily.

  • 'I'm not running away,' I said.

  • 'You shouldn't go back,' Daily said. 'I must.'

  • 'Then don't go alone.'

  • 'No one will go with me,' I answered.

  • 'I'll be all right.

  • After all, Mrs Drablow lived there alone for sixty years!'

  • 'Alone? I wonder,' Mr Daily said.

  • He stood up. It was time for me to go.

  • A servant brought my coat.

  • When the man had left, Daily said, 'Are you really going back to that house?'

  • 'I am,' I answered.

  • 'Then if you must go, take a dog,' Daily said.

  • I laughed. 'I haven't got a dog!' I said.

  • 'But I have a dog,' Daily answered.

  • You can take her with you now.'

  • We walked out of the house together.

  • 'Wait here a moment,' Daily said.

  • He walked round to the back of the house.

  • I stood there smiling. I liked dogs.

  • I was happy to have a dog with me in that empty old house.

  • After a few moments, Daily returned with a bright-eyed little dog.

  • 'Take her,' he said.

  • 'Bring her back when you've finished.'

  • 'What's her name?' 'Spider.'

  • Hearing her name, the little dog wagged her tail.

  • 'Thank you,' I said. 'Come on, girl. Come on, Spider!'

  • I began to walk away.

  • The dog did not move. She looked at Daily.

  • 'Go on, girl,' he said.

  • Spider ran over to me at once.

  • Waving goodbye, I got on my bicycle.

  • Then, with Spider running behind me, I rode back to the town.

  • I felt happy. Happy and safe.

  • I was looking forward to the morning.

  • Chapter 8: Sounds in the Night

  • Next day, the weather was good.

  • At nine o'clock, Mr Bentley phoned from London.

  • 'I've received your letter,' he said.

  • 'You can stay for a few days.

  • Send me any papers that look important.

  • Leave the other papers in the house.

  • Don't stay too long!'

  • 'I'll finish the work as quickly as I can,' I answered.

  • 'It's a strange old house,' I added.

  • 'Mrs Drablow was a strange old woman,' Mr Bentley said.

  • And he put the phone down.

  • By nine thirty, I was ready.

  • There was a basket on the front of the bicycle.

  • I put everything in the basket. I cycled off happily.

  • The little dog, Spider, ran along behind me.

  • The tide was coming in.

  • Very soon it would cover the causeway.

  • But that did not worry me. The air was clear.

  • The sun was shining on the water.

  • Sea-birds were flying and calling over the estuary.

  • I was soon at Eel Marsh House.

  • I opened the windows. I lit fires in several rooms.

  • Then I sat down at a big desk.

  • The desk was in front of a window.

  • I could see the sky, the marshes and the water.

  • I started work. The desk was full of papers.

  • Most of them I threw away.

  • But I kept a few to look at later.

  • I opened a cupboard and then another.

  • Papers, more and more papers.

  • I looked at everything carefully. I worked hard all the morning.

  • At two o'clock, I had some lunch.

  • Then I called Spider and we went outside.

  • I walked down to the old graveyard.

  • Spider ran up and down. She was happy too.

  • I tried to read the words on the gravestones.

  • But they were too old.

  • Most of the words were difficult to read.

  • The writing on one stone was a little clearer.

  • Some letters were worn away.

  • But I could read most of the words.

  • Two people were buried here.

  • I wondered who they had been.

  • I looked around me. It was a sad place.

  • But I did not feel afraid. The air was colder now.

  • I went back to the house and Spider followed me.

  • I was soon back at my desk again.

  • I read paper after paper.

  • But there was nothing important.

  • I made myself a cup of tea. I went on working.

  • When it was dark, I closed the curtains.

  • I turned on every light in the house.

  • I put more coal on the fire.

  • I brought papers from other rooms.

  • Papers, so many papers.

  • Mrs Drablow had thrown nothing away in sixty years!

  • It was getting late, but I went on working.

  • I'll be finished in a day and a half, I thought to myself.

  • Then I'll return to London and my dear Stella.

  • At last, I was too tired to go on. I took a book to read in bed.

  • Then, taking Spider with me, I went upstairs.

  • I was going to sleep in a bedroom at the back of the house.

  • I read for about half an hour. Then I turned out the light.

  • Spider was already asleep, near the bed.

  • Sometime later, I woke up.

  • The moonlight was shining into the room.

  • Why was I awake? What had happened? I sat up.

  • And then I saw Spider.

  • The little dog was standing at the door.

  • She was staring at the door, listening.

  • The little dog was terrified. And so was I. I listened too.

  • Yes, I could hear something.

  • The sound came from somewhere inside the house.

  • Bump. Bump. Bump. What was it?

  • Spider looked at me, growled and listened again.

  • I got slowly out of bed.

  • My heart was beating fast, I opened the bedroom door.

  • The passage outside was dark and empty.

  • Spider ran down the passage.

  • I heard her sniffing at every closed door.

  • I heard the sound again. Bump. Bump. Bump.

  • It came from a passage on the left.

  • Very slowly, I began to walk towards the sound.

  • I opened the doors, one by one.

  • Every room was dark and silent.

  • There was a door at the end of the passage.

  • Spider sniffed under this door.

  • Her growling became louder.

  • It was the door I had found locked on my first visit to the house.

  • It was the only door I could not open.

  • Yes, the sound came from behind this door.

  • Bump. Bump. Bump.

  • I had heard this sound long ago.

  • I had heard it when I was a child.

  • What was it? Spider howled.

  • The frightened little dog pressed against my legs.

  • We were both shaking with fear.

  • And still the sound went on.

  • Bump. Bump. Bump. I heard another sound.

  • It came from behind me.

  • It came from the front of the house.

  • The bumping noise stopped.

  • I turned away from the locked door.

  • Slowly and carefully, I walked back to my bedroom.

  • Everything was quiet.

  • The second sound had come from inside the house. I was sure of that I looked round the room.

  • Perhaps the sound had come from outside?

  • I looked out of the window. I saw nothing, no one.

  • The marshes were silver and grey in the moonlight.

  • Did I hear a cry? I listened again. No.

  • I felt something warm against my leg.

  • I bent down to stroke the little dog.

  • She was quiet again. I listened. Everything was quiet.

  • The house and the marshes were completely silent.

  • After a time, I went back to the closed door.

  • I turned the handle. The door did not open.

  • I pushed my shoulder against the door.

  • It did not move. There was no keyhole in the door.

  • I could not see into the room. I went back to bed.

  • But it was a long time before I felt asleep.

  • Chapter 9: Behind the Door

  • The morning was cold and wet.

  • The sky was covered with thick clouds.

  • It was raining. I was very tired.

  • But after breakfast, I felt better.

  • I went back to the locked door.

  • I stood and listened. But I heard nothing.

  • At nine o'clock, I rode back along the causeway on the bicycle.

  • Spider ran beside me.

  • There was a letter from Stella at the Gifford Arms inn.

  • Her loving words made me feel very happy.

  • In two or three more days we would be together again.

  • I walked round the town, buying more food.

  • Then I rode back along the causeway.

  • I was back at Eel Marsh House in time for lunch.

  • The clouds were thicker now.

  • The sea-mist was coming in over the marshes.

  • Inside the house, it was already dark.

  • I put on all the lights.

  • But the house stayed dark and shadowy.

  • My fears returned. I decided to go back to the town.

  • I went outside.

  • There was some mist around the house.

  • But I was able to see the causeway.

  • However, it was completely covered by water.

  • I could not return to Crythin Gifford that day.

  • So I whistled to Spider. She ran to me quickly.

  • We both went back inside the house.

  • I emptied papers from more cupboards.

  • I started work again. I worked hard for several hours.

  • I found a packet of letters tied together.

  • They looked interesting.

  • After supper, I sat down by the fire and opened the packet.

  • There were some papers and some letters.

  • The letters were all in the same handwriting.

  • They were signed 'Jennet' or 'J'.

  • I remembered the gravestone I had seen.

  • It was in the graveyard at the back of Eel Marsh House.

  • One of the names on that gravestone had been Jennet! Was this the same Jennet?

  • There were dates on the letters.

  • The letters had been written sixty years ago.

  • Each letter began with the words, 'Dearest Alice'.

  • Alice was Mrs Drablow's first name.

  • All the letters were written to Mrs Alice Drablow.'

  • I looked through them quickly.

  • Jennet was Mrs Drablow's younger sister.

  • I began to read the letters carefully.

  • They were short and in simple language.

  • They told a sad story.

  • Jennet was unmarried, but she was going to have a child.

  • The child's father refused to marry Jennet and he left the country.

  • Jennet did not know what to do.

  • Her family refused to help her.

  • Then the child was born - a boy.

  • For a few months, there were no letters.

  • Then Jennet began writing again.

  • And now her letters were full of anger.

  • The child is mine, Jennet wrote.

  • I will never give him to strangers.

  • But Jennet was unmarried.

  • She was poor and she could not keep the child.

  • At last, she had to agree that Alice could take the boy.

  • In her last letter, Jennet wrote:

  • Love him, Alice. Love him as your own child.

  • But remember, he is mine - mine! He can never be yours.

  • Forgive me. My heart is breaking. Poor Jennet, I thought.

  • What a sad story! I began to look at the other papers.

  • The first one was from a solicitor's office.

  • The paper was about a boy called Nathaniel.

  • Nathaniel was the son of Jennet Humfrye.

  • Nathaniel had been adopted by Thomas and Alice Drablow of Eel Marsh House.

  • Alice Drablow was Jennet Humfrye's married sister.

  • Nathaniel had been given the name Drablow.

  • So the child, Nathaniel Drablow, had lived here, I thought.

  • Away from the mother who loved him.

  • I thought for a few moments about Jennet Humfrye and her sad life.

  • Then I picked up the next paper.

  • At that moment, Spider growled.

  • The little dog was standing at the door.

  • Every hair on her body was stiff with fear.

  • I sat there for a few moments, frozen with fright.

  • Then I stood up.

  • If this was a ghost, I must face it.

  • I made myself walk to the door. I opened it.

  • Spider rushed out of the room and up the stairs.

  • I heard her run along the passage. She stopped.

  • I knew she had stopped outside the locked door!

  • I heard the sound again. Bump. Bump. Bump.

  • I knew what I must do. I must open that door.

  • There was an axe in the wood-shed.

  • I must get that axe.

  • Taking my torch, I stepped outside the house.

  • It was very dark.

  • But I found the wood-shed. And the axe.

  • As I was walking back, I heard the sound of the pony and trap.

  • It came from the front of the house.

  • Had Keckwick come back for me?

  • No one was there, no one at all.

  • I could still hear the pony and trap.

  • But now the sound was coming from the marshes.

  • I stood there, Spider beside me.

  • I was terribly afraid.

  • Again, I heard the sounds of the water and the mud.

  • I heard the pony shriek.

  • I heard the child's awful cry. And then, silence.

  • I was shaking now. My mouth was dry with fear.

  • I had heard these sounds before.

  • The pony and child were not alive. I knew this.

  • A pony and trap and all the people in it had sunk beneath the water.

  • Spider began to howl and howl.

  • I put down the axe and the torch and picked up the little dog.

  • I carried her into the house. She was afraid and so was I.

  • After a few moments, the dog jumped out of my arms.

  • She ran upstairs, towards the locked door.

  • I hurried outside, picked up the axe and torch and followed her.

  • The sound was louder now.

  • When I reached the door, I saw why.

  • The door of the locked room was open - wide open.

  • I thought I was going to die of fear.

  • The dog ran inside the room.

  • The bumping sound went on. And now I remembered.

  • I knew what the sound was.

  • When I was a child, my mother had a rocking-chair.

  • Sometimes I couldn't sleep.

  • Then my mother held me in her arms.

  • She sat in the chair and rocked me back and forwards.

  • Bump. Bump. Bump.

  • That was the sound made by the rocking- chair on the floor.

  • I was no longer afraid. The sound meant peace and rest.

  • There was evil in that room.

  • I knew that. But it had gone away.

  • Perhaps it was my happy thoughts.

  • They had driven the evil away from that place.

  • Holding the torch in front of me, I walked into the room.

  • I pressed the light switch.

  • Nothing happened. But my torch was powerful.

  • I shone the bright torch round the room.

  • The room had been a child's bedroom.

  • There was a small bed in one corner.

  • A tall rocking-chair stood in front of the fireplace.

  • The chair was rocking gently.

  • But there was no one there. The room was empty.

  • No one had passed me in the passage.

  • There was no other door.

  • I shone my torch at the window. It was shut.

  • There were two wooden bars across it.

  • The chair stopped moving. There was complete silence.

  • The little room was clean and tidy.

  • There were sheets and pillows on the bed.

  • I opened a chest and a cupboard.

  • They were both full of clothes.

  • Clothes for a boy of six or seven.

  • The clothes were beautifully made.

  • But they were old-fashioned clothes - clothes of sixty years ago.

  • The room was full of children's toys.

  • They were neat and tidy. There was no dust on them at all.

  • I saw toy soldiers and a sailing-ship.

  • There were games, paints and books.

  • All things that little boys love.

  • They had been here for sixty years.

  • But everything was neat, tidy and clean.

  • There was nothing frightening in this room.

  • Only a feeling of sadness - a feeling of something lost I felt sad, very sad.

  • I went slowly out of the room.

  • Spider followed and I closed the door.

  • I felt too tired to do any more work.

  • I had a hot drink and went upstairs.

  • The door to the child's bedroom was still closed.

  • Everything was quiet.

  • I went into my bedroom and closed the door.

  • Chapter 10: Terror on the Marshes

  • That night, there was a very strong wind.

  • It whistled and howled around the house.

  • The windows shook. I slept, woke and slept again.

  • Then suddenly I was wide awake.

  • I thought I heard a cry. The wind blew more loudly.

  • Then I heard the cry again.

  • It was the cry of a child. A cry for help.

  • The cry of a child dying in the marshes.

  • Far how many years had the child cried out?

  • Rest in peace, I prayed. But that child could not.

  • I could not sleep. I got up. I opened the bedroom door.

  • Spider followed me into the passage.

  • Suddenly two things happened.

  • Someone or something went past me.

  • The wind howled, louder than ever.

  • And all the lights went out.

  • I stood there in the darkness. I could not move.

  • Who had gone by? Who was in the house with me?

  • I had seen and heard nothing.

  • But I was sure of one thing.

  • Someone had gone along the passage to the child's bedroom.

  • Someone dead for many years - a ghost.

  • I had to have a light.

  • I walked back carefully into my bedroom.

  • I went slowly to the table near my bed.

  • I found the torch and picked it up.

  • But it slipped from my fingers.

  • It fell and broke on the floor.

  • Spider came close and touched my hand.

  • As I held the little dog, the wind howled again.

  • And once more, louder than the wind, I heard the child's cry.

  • I could not sleep. I must have a light, I thought.

  • I cannot stay here in the dark. Then I remembered.

  • I had seen a candle in the child's bedroom.

  • For a long time, I did not move.

  • There was something evil in the child's bedroom.

  • But I had to go back to get that candle.

  • I went down the passage slowly.

  • I opened the door of the child's bedroom.

  • Everything was quiet I found the candle and picked it up.

  • Now I was in the bedroom, I was not afraid.

  • But I felt sad. I had a feeling of something lost.

  • Someone who had died.

  • I had never had that feeling before.

  • Why did I have it now?

  • After a few minutes, I walked slowly out of the room.

  • I closed the door. At once, the sadness left me.

  • In my bedroom, I found some matches.

  • I lit the candle. I opened my book and began to read.

  • Some time later, I fell asleep.

  • When I woke up again, the sky was light.

  • It was morning. Spider was standing at the door.

  • She wagged her tail and looked at me.

  • The dog wanted to go out. I got up and dressed quickly.

  • Spider ran to the front door. I opened the door.

  • Spider ran out happily. The air was very cold.

  • Then I heard a whistle. A high, clear sound.

  • Spider heard it too. Before I could stop her, she was running.

  • She was running away from the house onto the marshes.

  • I called and called, but she did not hear me.

  • I watched the little dog running on and on.

  • But who had whistled? The marshes were completely empty.

  • Then I saw the dog slow down and stop.

  • I knew at once what had happened.

  • The poor animal was caught in the mud.

  • The mud was pulling the dog down.

  • Pulling her down deeper and deeper.

  • I could not let the little dog die.

  • Without thinking, I ran out across the marshes towards her.

  • The cold wind blew in my face. I could not see clearly.

  • My feet stuck in the mud. I pulled myself free.

  • The tide was coming in quickly. I called out to the dog.

  • Most of her body was now under mud and water.

  • I could not get any nearer to her. I could do nothing.

  • We will both die here, in this terrible place, I thought.

  • No, it could not happen! Very carefully, I lay down.

  • I stretched forward, little by little.

  • The dog sank deeper into the mud.

  • Just in time, I got hold of the leather collar round the dog's neck.

  • I pulled and pulled.

  • At last, the dog was free from the mud! We lay there side by side, wet and muddy.

  • We were safe, thank God. The dog was alive and so was I.

  • How long we lay there, I do not know.

  • At last, I got up.

  • I began to walk slowly back to the house.

  • As I got nearer to the house, I looked up.

  • I saw the window of the child's bedroom.

  • Someone was standing there, looking out.

  • It was the woman in black.

  • She stared at me. The hate in her eyes was terrible.

  • I began to shake.

  • Somehow, I reached the front door of the house.

  • Then, to my horror, I heard the sound I feared most the sound of a pony and trap.

  • Chapter 11: I Leave Eel Marsh House

  • The next thing I knew, I was lying on a couch in the sitting-room.

  • Mr Daily was leaning over me.

  • I tried to sit up, but I couldn't.

  • I did not know what had happened to me.

  • 'The trap - the pony and trap,' I said.

  • 'Oh, that was me,' Samuel Daily said with a smile.

  • 'I've come here in a pony and trap.

  • It's safer than a car on that's causeway.

  • What's the matter? What did you think?'

  • 'I've... I've heard another...' I said.

  • 'Keckwick, perhaps.'

  • 'No, not Keckwick,' I said. 'But why did you come?'

  • 'I was worried about you,' said Daily.

  • 'It's a good thing I came.

  • People have drowned in those marshes, you know.'

  • 'Yes. I was nearly pulled under. And the dog. Then I remembered'

  • 'Spider!' I cried.

  • 'Where's Spider? Did she...'

  • 'She's safe,' Daily said. 'She's here.'

  • At the sound of her name, the little dog jumped up and wagged her tail.

  • 'Now I'm taking you home with me,' said Daily.

  • 'You can't stay here.'

  • For a few moments, I said nothing.

  • I remembered what had happened to me.

  • I knew that the woman in black was a ghost.

  • But why was she here? I knew there was evil here.

  • And sadness too. Why? I wanted to know.

  • And I had to finish my work too.

  • 'Thank You, Mr Daily,' I said after a few moments.

  • 'I want to leave Eel Marsh House.

  • But what about my work? I must look at all Mrs Drablow's papers.

  • I don't think there's anything important.

  • But they must be looked at'

  • 'I found some letters last night,' I went on.

  • 'They looked interesting. I'll bring them with me.'

  • Very slowly, I got up.

  • I picked up the packet of letters from the desk.

  • Then I went upstairs to get my things.

  • My fear had gone. I was leaving Eel Marsh House.

  • If I came back, I would not come alone.

  • I packed my bag and left the room.

  • I decided to have one last look at the child's bedroom.

  • The door was open. But I was sure I had closed it.

  • I could hear Mr Daily downstairs. I was safe.

  • I walked slowly towards the open door.

  • Then I stopped. Did I want to go in?

  • She had been here. I had seen her.

  • I pushed open the door. I could not believe my eyes.

  • Everything in the room was broken and torn.

  • The cupboards were all open.

  • Toys, clothes and books lay on the floor.

  • They had been thrown there by some terrible power.

  • Everything was destroyed.

  • Everything except the rocking-chair.

  • It had been pushed into the centre of the room.

  • The chair was not moving now.

  • Who or what had done this terrible thing?

  • Feeling ill and shaking, I got into the trap beside Mr Daily.

  • He knew that something had happened.

  • But he did not ask any questions.

  • He put Spider on my knees. I held the dog tightly.

  • Then we drove off away from the house, across the Nine Lives Causeway.

  • Everything was grey and quiet. There was no colour, no sound.

  • I looked back at Eel Marsh House.

  • No one was watching us.

  • The house stood there, grey and terrible.

  • As we crossed the estuary, I turned my eyes away.

  • I did not want to see that terrible place again.

  • Chapter 12: The Death Certificates

  • The Dailys invited me to stay with them for a few days.

  • I agreed thankfully.

  • After a few days, I would go straight back to London.

  • Not to Eel Marsh House. I would never go back there again.

  • But I was angry. I had not finished my work.

  • The woman in black had stopped me.

  • Then I remembered the papers I had brought with me from Eel Marsh House.

  • The letters told a sad story.

  • I wanted to know how the story ended.

  • I read the letters again.

  • Poor Jennet! She had loved her child so much.

  • But she was unmarried. She could not keep her boy.

  • She had to give him to her sister, Mrs Drablow.

  • The child had lived at Eel Marsh House.

  • What had happened to him?

  • I picked up the other papers and looked at them.

  • They were death certificates. The first was for a boy.

  • Name; Nathaniel Drablow.

  • Age; six years.

  • Cause of death; drowning.

  • I looked at the second certificate.

  • Rosa Judd - nursemaid.

  • Cause of death: drowning.

  • On both certificates, the date of death was the same.

  • I held the death certificates tightly in my hand.

  • I felt myself grow cold.

  • I got up and walked about the room.

  • Then I looked at the last piece of paper.

  • It was another death certificate.

  • This time, the date was twelve years later.

  • The certificate was for Jennet Humfrye, unmarried.

  • Age: thirty-six years.

  • Cause of death: heart failure.

  • I sat down in my chair.

  • One thing was clear - the woman in black was jennet Humfrye or her ghost.

  • I did not believe in ghosts, but I had seen her.

  • And now I knew something else.

  • Long, long ago, a pony and trap had left the causeway.

  • It had sunk down in the mud of the marshes.

  • A child and a nursemaid had been drowned.

  • Jennet, the boy's mother, had died twelve years after her son.

  • I knew where they were buried.

  • They were buried in the old graveyard behind Eel Marsh House.

  • Nathaniel had slept in that bedroom.

  • For sixty years the bedroom had stayed the same.

  • Those clothes, those toys, were his.

  • Jennet Humfrye was the woman in black.

  • Her hatred had never left her.

  • Her ghost followed anyone who went near Eel Marsh House.

  • What power did Jennet Humfrye have? Could the dead harm the living? I did not know the answer.

  • I wanted to find out the answer.

  • Chapter 13: Nothing Can Happen Now...

  • That evening, after dinner, I had a long talk with Mr Daily.

  • Spider was asleep in front of the bright fire.

  • Daily gave me a drink and I began my story.

  • I told him everything I had seen and heard.

  • When I had finished, there was silence.

  • My story was told. I was at peace.

  • 'Well, young man,' Samuel Daily said at last, 'you've had an unhappy time here.'

  • 'Yes,' I said. 'But it's finished.

  • Those things can't harm me now, can they?'

  • Daily said nothing. But he looked unhappy.

  • 'Nothing can happen now,' I said with a smile.

  • 'I'm never going back there. All is well.' Daily said nothing.

  • I began to feel worried.

  • 'Can there be anything else?' I asked.

  • 'Nothing will harm me now, will it?'

  • 'Not you, perhaps,' Daily said slowly.

  • 'You can leave. But the rest of us must stay here.

  • We have to live with it.'

  • 'With what? Live with what?' I asked.

  • 'This town has lived in fear for a long time,' Daily said.

  • 'For more than fifty years.

  • Terrible things have happened.

  • But people don't talk about them.'

  • My heart beat faster. I did not want to know any more.

  • But Mr Daily went on talking.

  • 'You know most of the story. But no all of it,' he said.

  • 'Jennet Humfrye sent her boy to Eel Marsh House.

  • To her sister, Mrs Drablow.

  • At first, Jennet went away to another part of the country.

  • But she had to be near her son.

  • She came back to Crythin.'

  • 'She got work in the town.

  • But Alice Drablow refused to see her.

  • She refused to let Jennet see the child.

  • Jennet's anger was terrible.

  • So Alice Drablow allowed her to visit the house.

  • But she must never tell the boy who she was.

  • But the boy looked like his mother. And he loved her.

  • He loved his mother more than Alice Drablow.

  • Jennet wanted her son back.

  • She planned to take him away from Eel Marsh House.'

  • 'Then the accident happened.

  • The sea-mist came down suddenly.

  • The boy and the nursemaid were drowned.

  • The driver of the trap too - he was Keckwick's father.

  • And the boy's little dog.

  • They were all drowned,' Daily said.

  • 'All drowned,' I said slowly.

  • 'Yes. And Jennet saw everything.

  • She saw everything from the bedroom window.'

  • 'Oh, my God!' I said quietly.

  • 'Jennet Humfrye began to go mad,' Samuel Daily said.

  • 'She was mad with sorrow and anger.

  • She said her sister had killed her son.'

  • 'Then poor Jennet became ill.

  • She became thin and pale.

  • Children were frightened of her.

  • When she died, people began to see her ghost.'

  • 'There is something more terrible.

  • Each time she is seen, something else happens.'

  • 'What?' I asked. 'A child has died. Either by illness or in a terrible accident.'

  • 'Any child? A child in the town?'

  • 'Any child,' said Daily.

  • 'Once, it was Jerome's child.

  • You may find this hard to believe, Arthur,' Daily added.

  • 'But it is true.' I looked into his eyes.

  • 'I believe it, Mr Daily,' I said. 'I believe it.'

  • That night, I slept badly.

  • I woke up again and again. I had terrible dreams.

  • When morning came, I felt weak and ill.

  • I was very ill for five days.

  • In my illness, I had terrible dreams.

  • In my dreams, the woman in black pushed her terrible face near mine.

  • She sat on my bed, watching, watching.

  • I heard the cry of her dying child, again and again.

  • I heard the bump, bump, of the rocking- chair.

  • Slowly, I got better. At the end of twelve days, I was well again.

  • It was a day of winter sunshine.

  • I was sitting downstairs by the open window.

  • Spider lay at my feet. A bird was singing in the garden.

  • I listened to it with peace in my heart.

  • I heard the sound of a car and voices.

  • I heard footsteps. The door behind me opened.

  • 'Arthur?' a voice said quietly.

  • It was a voice I knew. I turned quickly.

  • My dear Stella was walking towards me.

  • She had come to take me home!

  • The next morning, Stella and I left together.

  • We did not go back into the town.

  • We went straight to the railway station in Mr Daily's car.

  • The Dailys had looked after me welt.

  • I was sad to say goodbye to them.

  • They agreed to visit us in London.

  • And I was sad to say goodbye to Spider.

  • There was a question I had to ask Mr Daily.

  • I waited until Stella was saying goodbye to Mrs Daily.

  • 'There is something I must know,' I said to Mr Daily.

  • You told me that a child always died...'

  • 'Yes, always.'

  • 'Then has a child...?'

  • No, nothing has happened,' Daily said.

  • A child hasn't died - yet.'

  • 'Then pray God, the woman in black has gone for ever,' I said.

  • 'Pray God her power is at an end.'

  • 'Yes, yes,' Daily said. 'We all hope that.'

  • I began to feel sorry for poor Jennet Humfrye.

  • She had lost her son.

  • Her sorrow and anger had made her mad.

  • Now Mrs Drablow was dead. Eel Marsh House was empty.

  • Wasn't that the end? Could Jennet Humfrye rest in peace now?

  • The train was waiting. I said goodbye to the Dailys.

  • Thank God, my business in Crythin Gifford was finished.

  • Chapter 14: The Story Ends

  • That is nearly the end of my story.

  • I have one last thing to write.

  • But it is the most terrible thing of all.

  • For days and nights, I have sat at my desk here at Monk's Piece.

  • I have tried to write down the rest of my story.

  • But my tears have stopped me.

  • My dear wife, Esme, sees I am unhappy.

  • But she doesn't know why.

  • But now I am ready to finish my story.

  • Stella and I returned to London.

  • Six weeks later, we were married.

  • My wife and I were not rich. But we were happy.

  • A year later, our son was born. Our happiness was complete.

  • I did not think of the past.

  • And I had no more had dreams.

  • Another year passed. Our son was about a year old.

  • It was a sunny Sunday afternoon.

  • Stella and I took our boy to one of the parks in London.

  • Everyone was happy. The sun was shining.

  • Children were running about on the green grass.

  • Music was playing. Everyone was enjoying the holiday.

  • Someone was giving rides to children in a pony and trap.

  • Our son saw the trap. He shouted and pointed at it.

  • It was a small trap. There was room for only two passengers.

  • So Stella took the boy. I stood watching them happily.

  • The trap went behind some trees.

  • I looked around me at the happy people.

  • And then I saw her. The woman in black.

  • She was standing near a big tree.

  • She looked at me. There was no mistake.

  • I was looking at the white face and staring eyes of Jennet Humfrye.

  • My body was icy cold. I could not move.

  • I saw the terrible hate in the woman's eyes.

  • At that moment, the pony and trap came back.

  • It came towards me, between the tall trees.

  • My dear Stella was smiling. Our little sun was laughing.

  • I stepped forward.

  • They passed the tree where the woman in black was standing.

  • She moved quickly in front of the pony.

  • The frightened pony shrieked.

  • It turned and ran back under the trees.

  • The driver could not stop it. There was a terrible crash.

  • Then silence. The woman in black had gone.

  • But my darling Stella and my dear son lay on the grass.

  • They did not move. Our baby son was dead.

  • Stella's body was broken. But she did not die. Not then.

  • For ten long months, I sat by her bed.

  • Then Stella died at last from her terrible injuries.

  • They asked me for my story.

  • I have told it. There is nothing more to write.

Chapter 1: Christmas Eve

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A2 初級

ストーリーを通して英語を学ぶ★字幕黒衣の女(初級編 (Learn English Through Story ★ Subtitles: The Woman in Black (elementary level))

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    ryan に公開 2021 年 01 月 14 日
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