M. R. James: Complete Ghost Stories

592 Pages·2010·4.54 MB·English

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sooanf terwtaorG drse aLti vermere t"t'I1"" GhostS tories lontgheaernev grr eowna h uman
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publismhaendyw orkosn b iblical ¢z:� he tranysofuixw eisth hi psr ose,
andh istoranitciaqlu anr siuabjects. creattihnemg o stu nforgettable,
He wasa wardd teheO rdeorfM erit � alarmainngdfr ighteniinmga ges.
in1 93H0is.g h osts towrryi ting Thivso lumcoen taianlshl i tsi meless
begaanl moassta divertissement � masterpifoermc etshe f oucro llections
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dieidn 1 9.3 6 t'I1 anOdt h(e19r19s), A Warntion g
ISBN9 78-1-905716-09-8 C/J thCeu riaonduO st hGehro Sstto ries
II (129)5.
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COMPLETE GHOST STORIES
COMPLETE
GHOST STORIES
M. R.James
witanhA fterwobryd
DAVIDS TUARTD AVIES
corTea'lolbrrasr �
Thise ditipounb lishien2d 0 07b y
colTe(l'ibraaro�r s
ani mprionftC RW PublishLiinmgi ted
69G loucestCerre scenLto,n donNW I 7EG
ISBN 978I 905716089
Texta ndAft erwordc opyrig©h t
CRW PublishLiinmgi te2d0 07
Allr ighrtess erveTdh.i sp ublicatmiaoynn otb e
reproducsetdo,r eidna retriesvyaslt eomr
transmititnae ndy f ormo rb ya nym eans,
electronic, mecphhaontioccaolp,y ing,
recordionrog t herwiwsiet,h outth ep rior
permissiinow nr itionfgt hep ublishers.
2 4 61 08 9 7 3 5
TypeseitnG reaBtr itabiynA ntonGyr ay
Printaendd b oundi nC hinab yI mago
Contents
CanoAnl be'rSsic cr apbook 7
LosHte arts 23
ThMee zzotint 36
ThAes hT ree 52
NumbIe3r 70
CouMnatg nus 91
'OhWh,i stalneId,' Cllo mteo Y ou,
MyL ad' 109
TheT reasoufAr bebo Tth omas 135
A SchoSotlo ry 160
ThReo sGea rden 169
TheT ractMaitded oth 184
CasttihnRegu nes 206
ThSet aollfBs a rchCeasttheerd ral2 34
MartiCnl'oss e 254
MrH umphraenyHdsi Isn herita2n81c e
TheR esidaetWhn ictem inster 316
ThDei aoryf MPory nter 347
AnE pisoofCda et heHdiraslt ory 362
The Story ofaD isappeaanrda nacne
Appearance 384
TwoD octors 40!
ThHea untDeodll Hso'u se 4!2
TheU ncommProany er-Book 428
A NeighbLoaunrd'msa rk 449
A Viefwrom Hai ll 465
A Warnintgo Ctuhrei ous 489
AnE veniEnngt'esr tainment5 II
Therwea asM anD weblyta
Churchyard 526
Rats 530
AfteDra riknt hPel ayFiinegl ds 538
WailWienllg 543
TheE xperiment 557
TheM aliocfIen aniOmbajteec ts 565
A Vignette 57!
StonIh' aevsTriee d toW n'te 578
AFTERWORD 582
FURHTERR EADING 59!
BIOGRAPHY 592
CanoAnl beriScc'rasp book
StB ertradnedC ommingeissa decayetdo wno nt he
spurosft heP yreneneost,v erfya frro m Toulouasned,
stinlela rteroB agneresL-udceh-onI.tw ast hes itoefa
bishopurnict itlh eR evolutiaonnd,h asa cathedral
whicihs v isitbeyad c ertaniunm bero ftouriIsntt sh.e
sprionfg1 883a nE nglishman aarttr hiivosel dd -world
plac-eI c anh ardldyi gniifytw itht hen ameo fc ity,
fort heraer en ota thousainndh abitaHnet wsa.s a
Cambridmgaen ,w hoh adc omes peciafrlolmy T ou­
lousteo s eeS tB ertranCdh'usr cha,n dh adl eftt wo
friendwsh,o w erel eskse ena rchaeolotghiasnt sh im­
selifn,t heihro tealtT oulouse, undert opjr ooimni se
himo nt hef ollowmionrngi ng. Haanlh fo ura tt he
church wosualtdi stfyh eamn,d a ltlh receo ultdh en
pursuteh eijro urneiyn t hed irectoifoA nu chB.u to ur
Englishmhaand c omee arloyn t hed ayi nq uestion,
andp roposteodh imsetloffi lal n oteboaonkd t ou se
severdaolz enosf p latienst hep roceosfsd escribing
and photographeivnegr cyo mero ft hew onderful
churcthh adto minattehsel ithtilleol fC ommingeIsn.
ordetro c arroyu tt hidse sigsna tisfactiotwr aisl y,
necesstaormy o nopolitsheev ergeorft hec hurcfho r
thed ay.T hev ergeorrs acris(tIap nr efetrh el atter
appellatiinoanc,c uraasti etm ayb e)w asa ccordingly
senfto bry t hes omewhabtr usqulea dwyh ok eeptsh e
inno ft heC hapeaRuo ugea;n dw henh ec ame,t he
Englishmfaonu ndhi ma nu nexpectedly interesting
objeocfts tudIyt.w asn oti nt hep ersonaaplp earance
oft he lidtrtywl,ie z,e neodl dm ant hatth ei nterleasyt,
7
COMPLETGEH OST STORIES
forh e wasp recisleilkyde o zenosf o thecrh urch­
guardiiannFs r ancbeu,t i na c uriofuurst ivoer,r ather
hunteadn d oppressaeidr,w hichh e had.H e was
perpetuhaalllgfyl ancibnegh inhdi mt;h em uscloesfh is
backa nds houldesrese metdo b eh uncheidn a con­
tinuanle rvousc ontractaisoi nfh, e weree xpecting
evermyo mentt ofi ndh imseilntf h ec lutocfha ne nemy.
TheE nglishmhaanr dklnye ww hethteorp uth imd own
asa man hauntebdy a fixedd elusioonr,a s one
oppressbeyda guilty consocria esan ncu en,b earably
henpeckheuds banTdh.e p robabilwihteiner se,c koned
up,c ertainly ptooit nhetl eadsi td eab;u t,s tiltlh,e
impresscioonnv eyweads t haotf a moref ormidable
persecuetvoernt haan termagawnitf e.
Howevert,he E nglishm(alneu tsc alhli mD ennis­
tounw)a ss oon tdoeoe pi nh isn oteboaonkd t oob usy
withhi csa mertaog ivmeo ret haann o ccasiognlaaln ce
tot hes acristWahne.n evehre didl ooka th im,h e
founhdi ma tn og readti staneciet,h heurd dlihnigm ­
selbfa cka gaintshtew alolr c rouchiinnog n eo ft he
gorgeosutsa llDse.n nistobuenc amer athefird gety
aftera timeM.i nglesdu spicitohnasht e w ask eeping
theo ldm anfr om hids ejeuthnaehtre w ,a sr egardaesd
liketlomy a kea wayw itSht B ertra'nsid vorcyr ozioerr ,
witht hed ustsyt uffecdr ocodtihlaeht a ngosv etrh e
fontb,e gatno t ormenhti m.
'Won'yto ug oh ome?h'e s aiadtl as'tI;' qmu itwee ll
ablteo fi nismhy noteasl onyeo;u c anl ocmke ini fy ou
likIes .h alwla nta tl easttw oh ourmso reh erea,n di t
mustb ec olfdo yro ui,s ni'tt? '
'Goodh eave!n'ss aidt hel ittmlaen ,w hom the
suggestsieoenm etdo t hroiwn taos tatoefu naccount­
abltee rro'rs,u cah t hincga nnobte t houghotff ora
momentL.e avmeo nsieaulro nien t hec hurchN?o ,
8
CANONA LBREI'CS SCARPBOKO
no; thwoou rtsh,r eheo urasl,wl i lble t hes amet o me.
1 haveb reakfas1t aemd ,n ota ta lclo ldw,i thm any
thanktsom onsieur.'
'Veryw ellm,y littmlaen ,q'u othD ennistotuon
himse'lyf:oh ua vbee enw arneda,n dy oum ustt akteh e
consequen'c es.
Beforteh ee xpiratoifto hne t wo houtrhses, t alls,
thee normoudsi lapidaotregda nt,h ec hoir-scorfe en
BishoJpo hnd eM aul<:ont,he r emnanotfsg lasasn d
tapestryt,h eoa bnjde citnts h et reasure-chahmabde r,
beenw ella nd truleyx aminetdh;e s acristan still
keepinagtD ennistouhne'esl asn,d e vernyo wa nd
thenw hippirnogu nads i fh eh adb eens tungw,h en
oneo ro theorft hes tranngoei ses thata t lraorugbel e
emptyb uildifneglo ln h ise arC.u riounso isethse y
weres ometimes.
'Onc'eD ,ennistosuanit do m e,' 1c oulhda ves worn
1h earad t himne tallvioci clea ughihnigg hu pi nt he
towe1rd .a rteadne nquirgilnagn actem y sacrisHtea n.
wasw hitteot hel ip"sI.it sh e- thaits- iti sn oo net;h e
dooirs l ockedw,a"sa lhle s aiadn,d w el ookeadte ach
othefro ar fu llm inute.'
Anotherl ittle incideDnetn npiusztzolaue gndo od
dealH.e wase xaminianl ga rgdea rpki ctutrhea hta ngs
behintdh ea ltaorn,eo fa s eries illtuhsetm riartaicnlge s
ofStB ertraTnhde.c ompositoifto hnep ictuirswe e ll­
nigihn decipherbaubttl hee,ri esa L atilne genbde low,
whicrhu ntsh us:
QualitSe.rB ertrandluisb erahvoimti nemq uem
diabolduisuv olebsattr angul[aHroeS.w t B ertrand
delivame arnew dh otmh dee vliolns go ugto hstt rangle.]
Dennistowuans t urnintg ot hes acristan a with
smilaen da joculraerm arokf s ome soornht i sl ips,
9
COMPLETEG HOSTS TORIES
buth ew asc onfoundteods eet heo ldm an onh is
kneegsa,z iantgt hep ictuwriet thh ee yeo fa s uppliant
ina gonyh,i hsa ndtsi ghctllays peadn,da r aionf t ears
on hisc heek.Ds ennistonuant uraplrleyt endteod
haven oticneodt hinbgu,tt heq uestiwoonu ldn ot
awayfr om him,' Whys houlad d aubo ft hiksi nd
affecatn yonseo s trongHley? s'e emetdo h imsetlof
be gettisnogm es orotf c luet ot her easoonf t he
stranlgoeo tkh ahta db eenp uzzlihnigm a ltlh ed ay:
them an mustb ea monomaniabcu;tw hatw ash is
monomania?
Itw asn earfilvye o'clthoecs kh;o rdta yw asd rawing
ina,n dt hec hurcbhe gatno fi lwli tshh adowwsh,i lteh e
curiounso ise-st hem uffled footfaalnldsd istant
talkivnogi cetsh ath adb eenp erceptiablllde a y-
seemedn,o d oubbte causoeft hef adinlgi gahtn dt he
consequenqtuliyc kenseedn soef h earintgob, e come
moref requeanntdi nsistent.
Thes acrisbteagna fno trh efi rstti mte os hows igns
ofh urrayn di mpatienHcee .h eavae sdi gohf r elief
whenc ameraan dn otebowoekr efi nallpya ckeudp
ands toweadw aya,n dh urriebdelcyk oneDde nnis­
tount ot hew esternd ooro ft hec hurchu,nd ert he
towe.rI tw ast imet or intgh eA ngeluAs f.e wp ullast
ther eluctraonptea ,n dt heg reabte lBle rtranhdieg,h
int het owerb,eg atno s peaakn,d s wungh erv oicuep
amongt hep ineasn dd ownt ot hev allelyosu,dw ith
mountain-strceaalmlsit,nh ged welleornts h esleo nely
hilltsor emembearn dr epeatth es alutatoifot nh e
angetlo h erw homh ec allbelde ssaemdo ngw omen.
Witht haat profoquunides te emetdo f alflo trh efi rst
timet hadta yu pont hel itttloew na,n dD ennistoun
andt hes acriswteannto uto ft hec hurch.
On thed oorsttehpe fye liln tcoo nverosant.i
10