CHAPTER ONE

It was in the library of a large, old house, on the day before Christmas, that I heard the story you are about to read. Many of my friends and I had gathered together at a home outside town to spend a few days celebrating the holiday. In the evening, following an old tradition, we began to tell stories.

A man named Griffin started with a story about a young boy who saw a ghost while lying in bed. The boy immediately tried to wake his mother, so that she, too, could see what he was seeing. The ghost, however, had disappeared by the time she opened her eyes.

Everyone at the party listened without saying a word. They were terribly frightened by the idea of a ghost bothering a child. It made the story twice as interesting and it made them twice as afraid.

After the story had finished, I noticed that my friend, Douglas, seemed troubled by something. Then, putting his drink down on the table before him, he told everyone that he also had a story to tell.

"If you thought Griffin's story was frightening, wait until you hear what I have to tell you," he said, "In my story a ghost visits, not just a little boy, but a young girl too. I promise you that you've never heard anything like it before."

"Oh! It sounds so terribly interesting!" commented one woman.

"Yes, old boy, do continue!" said another guest.

Douglas' face became serious, and he looked almost everyone in the eye before speaking.

"I'm the only one who knows this story. Believe me. Very few people can hear it and not be very upset by it."

"Good! That's all the more reason to tell us," I said.

Everyone in the room laughed, except for Douglas, who just put his hand on the back of his head. He seemed to be thinking about whether or not he should tell us. He walked back and forth in front of the fireplace and then stood looking out of the window for a moment before turning around to speak.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't possibly tell you this without the story in front of me. I have it on paper at home."

Everyone cried out in disappointment.

"If you want to hear it so badly, you'll have to wait until my servant brings it from my home in the city. I can send him a message this evening."

"Yes, please do!" many people said.

"Is this story about something that happened to you?" I then asked.

"No, no, no! My goodness, no!" he replied.

"But then how are you the only person to know the story? Did someone tell you and you wrote it down yourself?"

"I read the story in a letter that was sent to me by a woman many years ago," he answered.

Comments came from the crowd suggesting that it was an old lover or girlfriend. Douglas smiled at this and admitted that he had liked the woman; however, she had been much too old for him.

"She died twenty years ago. A very wonderful woman, indeed," he added," I met her during one of my summer breaks in college. She taught my sister in our parents' home. Occasionally, she and I would walk together and chat. I found her very interesting and intelligent. The story you'll be hearing happened many years before I had met her. I'm certain that I was the only person she ever told."

"It sounds like she liked you very much," I said.

"I know what you are thinking, but it was not at all like that. She liked me, but she was not in love with me. She had been in love before and that is part of the story."

"And when can we expect to hear this story?" I asked.

"I should have the letter by tomorrow evening," he answered, "Shall we gather in the library again tomorrow after dinner? Who will come?"

Most of the people present said that they would definitely be there. However, Mrs Griffin wanted to know more about the story before agreeing to devote another evening to storytelling.

"Can you tell us who her lover was?" she asked.

"We'll find that out when we hear the story," I said.

"No. I'm afraid that even after you've heard the whole thing it may not be very obvious who she was in love with," Douglas replied.

He then got up from his chair and announced that it was time for him to go to bed. "I'll see you all tomorrow," he said and then left the room.

After hearing his bedroom door close, Mrs Griffin said, "It's clear to me that he was in love with this woman."

"My God! He has kept this a secret for so many years. It's quite special that we get to hear about it for the first time tomorrow!" I said, "I'm very much looking forward to it!"

Everyone else said that they were equally excited. I then told my friends "goodnight" and went to bed.

The following day a package arrived for Douglas from his home. In the evening, after dinner, we all, once again, met in the library. A few of the ladies from the night before, however, could not attend, for they had scheduled appointments that could not be cancelled. It was good that they did not stay, because I fear how the story might have affected them. In addition to this, the fewer people present made the storytelling seem more special and mysterious.

Douglas, before reading the letter, prepared us for the story with important information that was not included in the woman's writing. He began by explaining that the woman had been a twenty-year-old schoolteacher when she went for a job interview at a home in London.

The man who interviewed her was a very handsome and wealthy young fellow. His charming manner made her like him very much. Even though she did not know him, she felt that she would do almost anything that he asked her to.

The man explained to her that his parents had recently died in India and, as a result, he had now become responsible for the care of his niece and nephew. His brother, their father, had died recently, so they no longer had anyone to raise them. The young man did not feel he could do a good job taking care of them, so he had them sent to his home in Essex, where the housekeeper there, Mrs Grose, was in charge.

The schoolteacher was told that the children needed a tutor. They had had a woman teaching them before; however, she died. Then they had no choice but to send Miles, the young boy, to school. The girl, Flora, was younger and still spent all day at home. Altogether, there were five people working at the home: a cleaning woman, a cook, a man to care for the house, a man to care for the garden, and a milk woman.

"Excuse me, but I must ask a question," interrupted one of the listeners, "How did the first teacher die?"

"You'll find out later on," Douglas answered.

He then went on to explain that she took the job, even though there were several things that worried her. First of all, the position sounded very lonely. Secondly, it also sounded like a lot of responsibility. She would be the master of the entire house. And lastly, the young man told her that he never wanted to be contacted by her. Any problems that might arise had to be taken care of by her alone. She agreed to this and it was clear to her that the young man felt suddenly very easy.

"There must have been something romantic between her and that young fellow!" said one woman.

"They only saw each other two times. There was no opportunity for any development of a relationship." Douglas stopped for a moment to think, and then began again, "Other people had applied and interviewed for the position. Most of them, however, could not accept being alone and having no support from the family. This woman also found the details of the job strange, but it paid so much more than she had ever made before. In the end, she decided to take the job."

"And that is everything you need to know. The actual story will begin tomorrow evening, for it's much too late to begin telling it now." With that, he left the room and went to bed.

When Douglas appeared in the library the next evening, he had a book in his hands instead of a letter. It appeared to be a diary. He sat down in a comfortable leather chair, opened the book, and began to read it aloud.

(end of section)