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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If	O
the	O
child	O
gives	O
the	O
effect	O
another	O
turn	O
of	O
the	O
screw	O
,	O
what	O
do	O
you	O
say	O
to	O
TWO	O
children	O
--	O
?	O
”	O

“	O
We	O
say	O
,	O
of	O
course	O
,	O
”	O
somebody	O
exclaimed	EVENT
,	O
“	O
that	O
they	O
give	O
two	O
turns	O
!	O

Also	O
that	O
we	O
want	O
to	O
hear	O
about	O
them	O
.	O
”	O

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

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

It	O
’s	O
quite	O
too	O
horrible	O
.	O
”	O

This	O
,	O
naturally	O
,	O
was	O
declared	EVENT
by	O
several	O
voices	O
to	O
give	O
the	O
thing	O
the	O
utmost	O
price	O
,	O
and	O
our	O
friend	O
,	O
with	O
quiet	O
art	O
,	O
prepared	EVENT
his	O
triumph	O
by	O
turning	EVENT
his	O
eyes	O
over	O
the	O
rest	O
of	O
us	O
and	O
going	EVENT
on	O
:	O
“	O
It	O
’s	O
beyond	O
everything	O
.	O

Nothing	O
at	O
all	O
that	O
I	O
know	O
touches	O
it	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
For	O
sheer	O
terror	O
?	O
”	O

I	O
remember	EVENT
asking	EVENT
.	O

He	O
seemed	O
to	O
say	O
it	O
was	O
not	O
so	O
simple	O
as	O
that	O
;	O
to	O
be	O
really	O
at	O
a	O
loss	O
how	O
to	O
qualify	O
it	O
.	O

He	O
passed	EVENT
his	O
hand	O
over	O
his	O
eyes	O
,	O
made	O
a	O
little	O
wincing	O
grimace	EVENT
.	O

“	O
For	O
dreadful	O
--	O
dreadfulness	O
!	O
”	O

“	O
Oh	O
,	O
how	O
delicious	O
!	O
”	O

cried	EVENT
one	O
of	O
the	O
women	O
.	O

He	O
took	O
no	O
notice	O
of	O
her	O
;	O
he	O
looked	EVENT
at	O
me	O
,	O
but	O
as	O
if	O
,	O
instead	O
of	O
me	O
,	O
he	O
saw	O
what	O
he	O
spoke	O
of	O
.	O

“	O
For	O
general	O
uncanny	O
ugliness	O
and	O
horror	O
and	O
pain	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Well	O
then	O
,	O
”	O
I	O
said	EVENT
,	O
“	O
just	O
sit	O
right	O
down	O
and	O
begin	O
.	O
”	O

He	O
turned	EVENT
round	O
to	O
the	O
fire	EVENT
,	O
gave	O
a	O
kick	EVENT
to	O
a	O
log	O
,	O
watched	EVENT
it	O
an	O
instant	O
.	O

Then	O
as	O
he	O
faced	EVENT
us	O
again	O
:	O
“	O
I	O
ca	O
n’t	O
begin	O
.	O

I	O
shall	O
have	O
to	O
send	O
to	O
town	O
.	O
”	O

There	O
was	O
a	O
unanimous	O
groan	EVENT
at	O
this	O
,	O
and	O
much	O
reproach	EVENT
;	O
after	O
which	O
,	O
in	O
his	O
preoccupied	O
way	O
,	O
he	O
explained	EVENT
.	O

“	O
The	O
story	O
’s	O
written	O
.	O

It	O
’s	O
in	O
a	O
locked	O
drawer	O
--	O
it	O
has	O
not	O
been	O
out	O
for	O
years	O
.	O

I	O
could	O
write	O
to	O
my	O
man	O
and	O
enclose	O
the	O
key	O
;	O
he	O
could	O
send	O
down	O
the	O
packet	O
as	O
he	O
finds	O
it	O
.	O
”	O

It	O
was	O
to	O
me	O
in	O
particular	O
that	O
he	O
appeared	O
to	O
propound	O
this	O
--	O
appeared	O
almost	O
to	O
appeal	O
for	O
aid	O
not	O
to	O
hesitate	O
.	O

He	O
had	O
broken	O
a	O
thickness	O
of	O
ice	O
,	O
the	O
formation	O
of	O
many	O
a	O
winter	O
;	O
had	O
had	O
his	O
reasons	O
for	O
a	O
long	O
silence	O
.	O

The	O
others	O
resented	O
postponement	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
was	O
just	O
his	O
scruples	O
that	O
charmed	EVENT
me	O
.	O

I	O
adjured	EVENT
him	O
to	O
write	O
by	O
the	O
first	O
post	O
and	O
to	O
agree	O
with	O
us	O
for	O
an	O
early	O
hearing	O
;	O
then	O
I	O
asked	EVENT
him	O
if	O
the	O
experience	O
in	O
question	O
had	O
been	O
his	O
own	O
.	O

To	O
this	O
his	O
answer	EVENT
was	O
prompt	O
.	O

“	O
Oh	O
,	O
thank	O
God	O
,	O
no	O
!	O
”	O

“	O
And	O
is	O
the	O
record	O
yours	O
?	O

You	O
took	O
the	O
thing	O
down	O
?	O
”	O

“	O
Nothing	O
but	O
the	O
impression	O
.	O

I	O
took	O
that	O
HERE	O
”	O
--	O
he	O
tapped	EVENT
his	O
heart	O
.	O

“	O
I	O
’ve	O
never	O
lost	O
it	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Then	O
your	O
manuscript	O
--	O
?	O
”	O

“	O
Is	O
in	O
old	O
,	O
faded	O
ink	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
the	O
most	O
beautiful	O
hand	O
.	O
”	O

He	O
hung	EVENT
fire	O
again	O
.	O

“	O
A	O
woman	O
’s	O
.	O

She	O
has	O
been	O
dead	O
these	O
twenty	O
years	O
.	O

She	O
sent	EVENT
me	O
the	O
pages	O
in	O
question	O
before	O
she	O
died	EVENT
.	O
”	O

They	O
were	O
all	O
listening	EVENT
now	O
,	O
and	O
of	O
course	O
there	O
was	O
somebody	O
to	O
be	O
arch	O
,	O
or	O
at	O
any	O
rate	O
to	O
draw	O
the	O
inference	EVENT
.	O

But	O
if	O
he	O
put	EVENT
the	O
inference	EVENT
by	O
without	O
a	O
smile	O
it	O
was	O
also	O
without	O
irritation	O
.	O

“	O
She	O
was	O
a	O
most	O
charming	O
person	O
,	O
but	O
she	O
was	O
ten	O
years	O
older	O
than	O
I	O
.	O

She	O
was	O
my	O
sister	O
’s	O
governess	O
,	O
”	O
he	O
quietly	O
said	EVENT
.	O

“	O
She	O
was	O
the	O
most	O
agreeable	O
woman	O
I	O
’ve	O
ever	O
known	O
in	O
her	O
position	O
;	O
she	O
would	O
have	O
been	O
worthy	O
of	O
any	O
whatever	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
long	O
ago	O
,	O
and	O
this	O
episode	EVENT
was	O
long	O
before	O
.	O

I	O
was	O
at	O
Trinity	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
found	EVENT
her	O
at	O
home	O
on	O
my	O
coming	EVENT
down	O
the	O
second	O
summer	O
.	O

I	O
was	O
much	O
there	O
that	O
year	O
--	O
it	O
was	O
a	O
beautiful	O
one	O
;	O
and	O
we	O
had	O
,	O
in	O
her	O
off-hours	O
,	O
some	O
strolls	O
and	O
talks	O
in	O
the	O
garden	O
--	O
talks	O
in	O
which	O
she	O
struck	O
me	O
as	O
awfully	O
clever	O
and	O
nice	O
.	O

Oh	O
yes	O
;	O
do	O
n’t	O
grin	O
:	O
I	O
liked	O
her	O
extremely	O
and	O
am	O
glad	O
to	O
this	O
day	O
to	O
think	O
she	O
liked	O
me	O
,	O
too	O
.	O

If	O
she	O
had	O
n’t	O
she	O
would	O
n’t	O
have	O
told	O
me	O
.	O

She	O
had	O
never	O
told	O
anyone	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
n’t	O
simply	O
that	O
she	O
said	O
so	O
,	O
but	O
that	O
I	O
knew	O
she	O
had	O
n’t	O
.	O

I	O
was	O
sure	O
;	O
I	O
could	O
see	O
.	O

You	O
’ll	O
easily	O
judge	O
why	O
when	O
you	O
hear	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Because	O
the	O
thing	O
had	O
been	O
such	O
a	O
scare	O
?	O
”	O

He	O
continued	O
to	O
fix	EVENT
me	O
.	O

“	O
You	O
’ll	O
easily	O
judge	O
,	O
”	O
he	O
repeated	EVENT
:	O
“	O
YOU	O
will	O
.	O
”	O

I	O
fixed	EVENT
him	O
,	O
too	O
.	O

“	O
I	O
see	EVENT
.	O

She	O
was	O
in	O
love	O
.	O
”	O

He	O
laughed	EVENT
for	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
.	O

“	O
You	O
ARE	O
acute	O
.	O

Yes	O
,	O
she	O
was	O
in	O
love	O
.	O

That	O
is	O
,	O
she	O
had	O
been	O
.	O

That	O
came	EVENT
out	O
--	O
she	O
could	O
n’t	O
tell	O
her	O
story	O
without	O
its	O
coming	O
out	O
.	O

I	O
saw	EVENT
it	O
,	O
and	O
she	O
saw	EVENT
I	O
saw	EVENT
it	O
;	O
but	O
neither	O
of	O
us	O
spoke	O
of	O
it	O
.	O

I	O
remember	EVENT
the	O
time	O
and	O
the	O
place	O
--	O
the	O
corner	O
of	O
the	O
lawn	O
,	O
the	O
shade	O
of	O
the	O
great	O
beeches	O
and	O
the	O
long	O
,	O
hot	O
summer	O
afternoon	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
n’t	O
a	O
scene	O
for	O
a	O
shudder	O
;	O
but	O
oh	O
--	O
!	O
”	O

He	O
quitted	EVENT
the	O
fire	EVENT
and	O
dropped	EVENT
back	O
into	O
his	O
chair	O
.	O

“	O
You	O
’ll	O
receive	O
the	O
packet	O
Thursday	O
morning	O
?	O
”	O

I	O
inquired	EVENT
.	O

“	O
Probably	O
not	O
till	O
the	O
second	O
post	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Well	O
then	O
;	O
after	O
dinner	O
--	O
”	O
“	O
You	O
’ll	O
all	O
meet	O
me	O
here	O
?	O
”	O

He	O
looked	EVENT
us	O
round	O
again	O
.	O

“	O
Is	O
n’t	O
anybody	O
going	O
?	O
”	O

It	O
was	O
almost	O
the	O
tone	O
of	O
hope	O
.	O

“	O
Everybody	O
will	O
stay	O
!	O
”	O

“	O
_	O
I	O
_	O
will	O
”	O
--	O
and	O
“	O
_	O
I	O
_	O
will	O
!	O
”	O

cried	EVENT
the	O
ladies	O
whose	O
departure	O
had	O
been	O
fixed	O
.	O

Mrs.	O
Griffin	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
expressed	EVENT
the	O
need	O
for	O
a	O
little	O
more	O
light	O
.	O

“	O
Who	O
was	O
it	O
she	O
was	O
in	O
love	O
with	O
?	O
”	O

“	O
The	O
story	O
will	O
tell	O
,	O
”	O
I	O
took	O
upon	O
myself	O
to	O
reply	EVENT
.	O

“	O
Oh	O
,	O
I	O
ca	O
n’t	O
wait	O
for	O
the	O
story	O
!	O
”	O

“	O
The	O
story	O
WO	O
N’T	O
tell	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
Douglas	O
;	O
“	O
not	O
in	O
any	O
literal	O
,	O
vulgar	O
way	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
More	O
’s	O
the	O
pity	O
,	O
then	O
.	O

That	O
’s	O
the	O
only	O
way	O
I	O
ever	O
understand	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Wo	O
n’t	O
YOU	O
tell	O
,	O
Douglas	O
?	O
”	O

somebody	O
else	O
inquired	EVENT
.	O

He	O
sprang	EVENT
to	O
his	O
feet	O
again	O
.	O

“	O
Yes	O
--	O
tomorrow	O
.	O

Now	O
I	O
must	O
go	O
to	O
bed	O
.	O

Good	O
night	O
.	O
”	O

And	O
quickly	O
catching	EVENT
up	O
a	O
candlestick	O
,	O
he	O
left	EVENT
us	O
slightly	O
bewildered	O
.	O

From	O
our	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
great	O
brown	O
hall	O
we	O
heard	EVENT
his	O
step	EVENT
on	O
the	O
stair	O
;	O
whereupon	O
Mrs.	O
Griffin	O
spoke	EVENT
.	O

“	O
Well	O
,	O
if	O
I	O
do	O
n’t	O
know	O
who	O
she	O
was	O
in	O
love	O
with	O
,	O
I	O
know	O
who	O
HE	O
was	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
She	O
was	O
ten	O
years	O
older	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
her	O
husband	O
.	O

“	O
Raison	O
de	O
plus	O
--	O
at	O
that	O
age	O
!	O

But	O
it	O
’s	O
rather	O
nice	O
,	O
his	O
long	O
reticence	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Forty	O
years	O
!	O
”	O

Griffin	O
put	EVENT
in	O
.	O

“	O
With	O
this	O
outbreak	O
at	O
last	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
The	O
outbreak	O
,	O
”	O
I	O
returned	EVENT
,	O
“	O
will	O
make	O
a	O
tremendous	O
occasion	O
of	O
Thursday	O
night	O
;	O
”	O
and	O
everyone	O
so	O
agreed	EVENT
with	O
me	O
that	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
light	O
of	O
it	O
,	O
we	O
lost	O
all	O
attention	O
for	O
everything	O
else	O
.	O

The	O
last	O
story	O
,	O
however	O
incomplete	O
and	O
like	O
the	O
mere	O
opening	O
of	O
a	O
serial	O
,	O
had	O
been	O
told	EVENT
;	O
we	O
handshook	EVENT
and	O
“	O
candlestuck	O
,	O
”	O
as	O
somebody	O
said	EVENT
,	O
and	O
went	EVENT
to	O
bed	O
.	O

I	O
knew	O
the	O
next	O
day	O
that	O
a	O
letter	O
containing	O
the	O
key	O
had	O
,	O
by	O
the	O
first	O
post	O
,	O
gone	EVENT
off	O
to	O
his	O
London	O
apartments	O
;	O
but	O
in	O
spite	O
of	O
--	O
or	O
perhaps	O
just	O
on	O
account	O
of	O
--	O
the	O
eventual	O
diffusion	O
of	O
this	O
knowledge	O
we	O
quite	O
let	O
him	O
alone	O
till	O
after	O
dinner	EVENT
,	O
till	O
such	O
an	O
hour	O
of	O
the	O
evening	O
,	O
in	O
fact	O
,	O
as	O
might	O
best	O
accord	O
with	O
the	O
kind	O
of	O
emotion	O
on	O
which	O
our	O
hopes	O
were	O
fixed	O
.	O

Then	O
he	O
became	O
as	O
communicative	EVENT
as	O
we	O
could	O
desire	O
and	O
indeed	O
gave	EVENT
us	O
his	O
best	O
reason	O
for	O
being	O
so	O
.	O

We	O
had	EVENT
it	O
from	O
him	O
again	O
before	O
the	O
fire	EVENT
in	O
the	O
hall	O
,	O
as	O
we	O
had	O
had	O
our	O
mild	O
wonders	EVENT
of	O
the	O
previous	O
night	O
.	O

It	O
appeared	O
that	O
the	O
narrative	O
he	O
had	O
promised	EVENT
to	O
read	O
us	O
really	O
required	O
for	O
a	O
proper	O
intelligence	O
a	O
few	O
words	O
of	O
prologue	O
.	O

Let	O
me	O
say	EVENT
here	O
distinctly	O
,	O
to	O
have	O
done	O
with	O
it	O
,	O
that	O
this	O
narrative	O
,	O
from	O
an	O
exact	O
transcript	O
of	O
my	O
own	O
made	EVENT
much	O
later	O
,	O
is	O
what	O
I	O
shall	O
presently	O
give	O
.	O

Poor	O
Douglas	O
,	O
before	O
his	O
death	EVENT
--	O
when	O
it	O
was	O
in	O
sight	O
--	O
committed	EVENT
to	O
me	O
the	O
manuscript	O
that	O
reached	EVENT
him	O
on	O
the	O
third	O
of	O
these	O
days	O
and	O
that	O
,	O
on	O
the	O
same	O
spot	O
,	O
with	O
immense	O
effect	EVENT
,	O
he	O
began	O
to	O
read	EVENT
to	O
our	O
hushed	O
little	O
circle	O
on	O
the	O
night	O
of	O
the	O
fourth	O
.	O

The	O
departing	O
ladies	O
who	O
had	O
said	EVENT
they	O
would	O
stay	O
did	O
n’t	O
,	O
of	O
course	O
,	O
thank	O
heaven	O
,	O
stay	O
:	O
they	O
departed	EVENT
,	O
in	O
consequence	O
of	O
arrangements	O
made	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
rage	O
of	O
curiosity	O
,	O
as	O
they	O
professed	EVENT
,	O
produced	O
by	O
the	O
touches	O
with	O
which	O
he	O
had	O
already	O
worked	O
us	O
up	O
.	O

But	O
that	O
only	O
made	O
his	O
little	O
final	O
auditory	O
more	O
compact	O
and	O
select	O
,	O
kept	O
it	O
,	O
round	O
the	O
hearth	O
,	O
subject	O
to	O
a	O
common	O
thrill	O
.	O