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The Turn Of The Screw

  • I

  • Narrator

    The story had held us, round the fire, sufficiently breathless, but except the obvious remark that it was gruesome, as, on Christmas Eve in an old house, a strange tale should essentially be, I remember no comment uttered till somebody happened to say that it was the only case he had met in which such a visitation had fallen on a child.

    Profile Picture of Narrator in The Turn Of The Screw

  • The case, I may mention, was that of an apparition in just such an old house as had gathered us for the occasion—an appearance, of a dreadful kind, to a little boy sleeping in the room with his mother and waking her up in the terror of it; waking her not to dissipate his dread and soothe him to sleep again, but to encounter also, herself, before she had succeeded in doing so, the same sight that had shaken him.

  • It was this observation that drew from Douglas—not immediately, but later in the evening—a reply that had the interesting consequence to which I call attention.

  • Someone else told a story not particularly effective, which I saw he was not following.

    Profile Picture of in The Turn Of The Screw

  • This I took for a sign that he had himself something to produce and that we should only have to wait.

  • We waited in fact till two nights later; but that same evening, before we scattered, he brought out what was in his mind.

  • Profile Picture of Douglas in The Turn Of The Screw

    Douglas

    “I quite agree—in regard to Griffin’s ghost, or whatever it was—that its appearing first to the little boy, at so tender an age, adds a particular touch.

  • But it’s not the first occurrence of its charming kind that I know to have involved a child.

  • If the child gives the effect another turn of the screw, what do you say to two children—?”

  • Profile Picture of Unknown Person in The Turn Of The Screw

    Unknown Person

    “We say, of course,”

  • Narrator

    somebody exclaimed,

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  • Profile Picture of Unknown Person in The Turn Of The Screw

    Unknown Person

    “that they give two turns!

  • Also that we want to hear about them.”

  • Narrator

    I can see Douglas there before the fire, to which he had got up to present his back, looking down at his interlocutor with his hands in his pockets.

    Profile Picture of Narrator in The Turn Of The Screw
  • Profile Picture of Douglas in The Turn Of The Screw

    Douglas

    “Nobody but me, till now, has ever heard.

  • It’s quite too horrible.”

  • Narrator

    This, naturally, was declared by several voices to give the thing the utmost price, and our friend, with quiet art, prepared his triumph by turning his eyes over the rest of us and going on:

    Profile Picture of Narrator in The Turn Of The Screw
  • Profile Picture of Douglas in The Turn Of The Screw

    Douglas

    “It’s beyond everything.

  • Nothing at all that I know touches it.”

  •
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