The Turn of the Screw

           Thestoryhadheldus,roundthefire,sufficientlybreathless,butexcepttheobviousremarkthatitwasgruesome,as,onChristmasEveinanoldhouse,astrangetaleshouldessentiallybe,Iremembernocommentutteredtillsomebodyhappenedtosaythatitwastheonlycasehehadmetinwhichsuchavisitationhadfallenonachild.Thecase,Imaymention,wasthatofanapparitioninjustsuchanoldhouseashadgatheredusfortheoccasion—anappearance,ofadreadfulkind,toalittleboysleepingintheroomwithhismotherandwakingherupintheterrorofit;wakinghernottodissipatehisdreadandsoothehimtosleepagain,buttoencounteralso,herself,beforeshehadsucceededindoingso,thesamesightthathadshakenhim.ItwasthisobservationthatdrewfromDouglas—notimmediately,butlaterintheevening—areplythathadtheinterestingconsequencetowhichIcallattention.Someoneelsetoldastorynotparticularlyeffective,whichIsawhewasnotfollowing.ThisItookforasignthathehadhimselfsomethingtoproduceandthatweshouldonlyhavetowait.Wewaitedinfacttilltwonightslater;butthatsameevening,beforewescattered,hebroughtoutwhatwasinhismind.

           “Iquiteagree—inregardtoGriffin’sghost,orwhateveritwas—thatitsappearingfirsttothelittleboy,atsotenderanage,addsaparticulartouch.Butit’snotthefirstoccurrenceofitscharmingkindthatIknowtohaveinvolvedachild.