This is a true story of a ghost and a disregarded warning1 cannot give the name of the house, or of the dangerous hill. The house and the hill exist as you pass them on the way to the south coast to make a detour down a road off the beaten track of swimming pools and petrol-pumps; and you glimpse of the English countryside as yet unspoilt. will have a
The delightful environment is within an easy run from London; in summer the scent of the pines, mingled with the tang of the heather and the sweetness of gorse, rises like incense in the dancing haze; wild flowers star the earth with beauty, at first sight the house appears to be a sanctuary set in a garden of dreams, but, unlike most out-of-the-way houses, it represents the last word in modern comfort.
The house came into the hands of the west-end agent as something of a surprise; perfect in every detail, furnished in exquisite taste. It bore no relation whatever to the usual furnished house; it was an executor's investment, and the final transactions were in the hands of well-known lawyers.
My acquaintance with dangerous hill began about two years ago, with one of the bright young people, somewhat resembling the type described by Lorna Rea, who, when speaking of their parents, say, "I sometimes think we make a mistake in trying to be nice to them, eating their ghastly dinners, and letting ourseves be dragged out to theatres by them. We're weak, we ought to make a stand against it."Tanit, who tolerates me as a harmless survival of a pre-historic and occasionally condescends to confide in me, told me that she was engaged to a nice boy, who I had known since he age, musan infant, whose mother was one of my school friends.
The girl Tanit, a lovely production of art and nature, is the embodiment of a pagan nymph of the woods and groves; her brilliant hair, in some lights bronze, in others copper, flames round a heart-shaped, dissatisfied little face; her grey green eyes have looked on most things, and is tired of them. She is frankly desencbantée, but she is straight and delicate in line; at times she is wholly nymph, but occasionally she teminds one of the loveliest film stars.
"I'm terribly glad," I said. "W-is such a good sort, and as you'll have everything you want, I suppose you are satisfied?"
"Yes," said Tanit, "W-and I are very happy, and we've planned something quite unusual. No honeymoon; we are going to take a furnished house, and go straight there for a few months to see how we like it; if we find we don't get on, we can finish, and sub-let the house. "You see," she explained, "it's not like marrying under the
conditions girls of your time put up with. It's safety first today, and if at first you aren't happy, try again with someone else." "Where are you going, my pretty maid, for this legalized trial of mutual suitability?"
"Mums' has heard of a terribly attractive furnished house, fifty miles from London; we can run up for dances and cinemas, and have no end of a time playing tennis, tearing about the country-side, bathing by moonlight, and dancing on the lawn I couldn't live in the country, but it has its points, and I'm terribly fond of flowers. Besides, most important of all, the dogs will adore it.
Have you ever heard that 'short retirement often return?" urges swift return.
She looked at me suspiciously. "No. Anyhow, we are motoring down on Monday to see it. Mums can undertake all enough cupboards, and we shall look round for the gay bits-there's a bathing pool the sensible things, and see that there are (the crowd will fall for that)... no end of fun, and no chance of being dull. Never a spare moment to ourselves." "Under these pleasant conditions, you and W-will know each other thoroughly," I said dryly. get to
Tanit, her beloved, and my old friend, duly went to inspect the house. The way of their return had been already decreed.
W-, the inconsequent fortunate youth, without a care in the world, in love with life and love, was brought home dead; Tanit passed long weeks in a hospital, and when she was told what had happened, she remembered how they had lived for the moment, and found tragedy.
Later in the year, at Raynham, I heard part of the story of dangerous hill from "Mums”, but the true explanation came from Tanit. "Mums” described the start on the fatal morning, and how W—'s latest speed car lived up to its reputation, and took the very steep hill marked "dangerous" as gracefully and casily as a swallow's flight.
The house is at the top of the hill, with half a mile of tree bordered drive leading to it, and "mums" said the house looked "Spanish" when they saw it gleaming white in the sunlight. The grounds had been admirably kept up, spring was everywhere. daffodils danced in the orchard grass, and pink and white
blossom foamed on the trees.
The caretaker, previously advised with keys and maps of the estate. by the agent, was ready
The house seemed "lived in", as if someone might come in at any moment;even telephone was installed. Tanit actually allowed herself to enthuse, and the boy and the girl raced upstais and downstairs, full of excitement that it would soon be thes. although they had no use whatever for domestic details.
"But, darlings," expostulated "mumse", "we must be sure kar the kitchen and offices are in perfect order." This appeal made not the slightest impression.
Surely servants saw to that kind of thing, for what other use were cooks created, czcept to sample stores, and cook food on derm? Just like "mums" to fune all elderly people ought to be pue to sleep before they became senile. However, Tanit and W-, f casual, and on the surface heartless, were occasionally affectionate, and they left "mums" to explore the kitchen premises undisturbed, whilst they went into the sunshine to meet the spring.
The girl described the gardens as "marvellous". The previous owner was someone with a taste for antique: there were statues; Tanit remembered one of pan piping to echo; satyrs peeped from the cool darkness of a thicket, and, in the Italian garden, fountains sent up jets of trembling spray.
The boy and girl presently discovered the water garden, where, in a few days, masses of iris would be seen in all their pupal splendour. They sauntered along flagged paths, looked at rock terraces down which miniature cascades raced, and found a wide stone seat facing the glorious view across the green valley. Here they sar to plan their enchanted spring and summer on the summit of dangerous hill.
I will tell Tanit's story of what happened next as nearly as possible in her own words.
"We had been sitting there about a quarter of an hour, and then She came. We didn't notice her coming, which was strange, as the paths were flagged, and you could have heard a pin drop, Iit was so still.
"Have you ever seen a ghost, Aunt Gwladys."
"Yes I certainly have."
"Because She must have been a ghost, although naturally we didn't think so at the time. All we saw was a tall woman in
WORLD FAMOUS GHOST STORIES deep mourning, quite attractive, and terribly sad, who spoke in a sort of far-off voice,
"She said, 'What brings you here?'
"W-explained we were thinking of taking the house. 'l' just what we want.
The others thought so too.
"We are going to be married,' W-said. 'We're both sick of the beaten track; we've been everywhere, done everything cruising, motoring, winter sports.
"The woman nodded. I understand. And you are very much in love?
"We felt a little awkward. Why be sentimental? 'We get on terribly well; we hope we shall be happy.
They were going to be happy.
The others loved each other very dearly. They were about
your age-but the hill did not allow them to be happy. What hill?' And we began to think our woman was very odd. What hill did she mean?
" 'I bought the house,' she said, although I was told that the site and the hill belonged to ancient forces which resent intruders—but it was so beautiful I would not listen. You must listen. Don't come here, go back to London, forget this place. Remember the other two.'
“ Who were the other two? Do you live here?'
"She said she didn't live far away. All at once we heard a bell tolling somewhere. I shivered. What a depressing sound! We must be close to a church,' W-whispered.
Can't you hear the passing-bell? Be warned,' said the
woman.
"W-was getting really angry, but the woman smiled a
curious twisted sort of smile, and then she was gone! Disappeared quickly as she came, and I remembered that though there s bright sunlight everywhere, the woman was shadowless. I had kept on wondering what was odd; now I knew.
The air felt suddenly cold. W-was still peeving. I don't like this, it's queer. What did she mean by forces? What forces? Let's go
"The bell kept tolling as we hurried into the house. "We found 'mums' up to her eyes in notes and queries. Shan't be ready for three-quarters of an hour,' she announced.
We can easily have a late lunch at Reigate.'
* Who's the lady in mourning we met in the water garden? asked W-of the caretake who stood by. "He didn't rightly know; someone from the village, he
supposed, and that's all we could get out of him. "W-was a bit nervy, and so was I. 'I don't like this place, he said. "Get back to the main road."
* "Mums' said she would join us later.
"As I got into the car, I am sure I heard someone laugh... Seen from the top, the hill looked very steep, and there was a nasty curve which I hadn't noticed before... a board was staring us in the face:
"W-stood up in the car-he was irritable and nervy.
""Damn you, dangerous hill! he shouted. 'I don't care for
you, or for any old forces; we shall live here as long as we like. You can't stop us. "We streaked down the hill. I heard voices in the air, and
the distant bell tolling again.
"Ar the bottom a lorry came out of a concealed turning. We crashed with a sickening sort of grinding noise-the car turned over--that's all. The next thing I remember was the hospital. W was killed instantly. 'Mums' has told you what he looked like he was dreadfully disfigured. It was terrible." Her grey
green eyes filled with tears. "I try not to forget he would have hated to be wept over. I believe he was a sacrifice."
"A sacrifice?"
"Yes, to the things which own dangerous hill. I wouldn't say this to anyone but you... but it's true. The ghost in the garden was right-nobody must live in the house; if they do- dangerous hill steps in, and finishes things."
I said, "There's more to come."
"Yes-the others were like us engaged. The boy was an only son. His mother was the woman in the garden; after the car smash on dangerous hill, when he and the girl were killed, she died of a broken heart.
"It must have been her ghost, and she tried to warn us that the hill demanded a sacrifice.
'Mums' heard afterwards that they are buried close to dangerous hill. That may account for the passing-bell we heard. Well, I am going for a breath of fresh air, and don't think me an awful fool for believing in ghosts."
I said: "Take consolation. Remember these lovely lines:
"They shall not grow old, as we who are left grow old; Age shall not wither them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, We will remember them."