Voices in a Haunted Room

“Now, is this not pleasant?” he asked. “Here we are, you and I together, which is how it should be ... often.”

“Don’t spoil it, Jonathan, please.”

”As if I would ever spoil anything for you!”

“I think we have spoiled a great deal, you and I between us.”

“I thought I had put that right. I thought you were beginning to understand.”

“Oh, you are referring to your philosophy. One is only guilty if one is found out.”

“It’s a good one. Look at these people strolling along by the river. How contented they look! Out to enjoy themselves! What dark secrets do you think they are hiding?”

“How could I know?”

“I asked you to guess. Look at that pretty little woman smiling up at her husband. But is he her husband? I suspect he is her lover. And if he is her husband, then she is far too pretty to be consistently faithful to him.”

“You are determined to bring everyone down to your level,” I said. “I believe there are virtuous people in the world.”

“The chaste and the pure! Show them to me and I’ll find sins of which they are guilty.

They probably suffer from self-righteousness, pride in their virtue, condemnation of the weaker vessel. Now I would say that is a sin ... far more than a little pleasant dalliance which has brought the greatest pleasure to two deserving people.”

I was staring out of the window. Alighting from one of the boats was a party of men.

They carried a guy with them and there was no doubt who this one was meant to represent.

It wore a farmer’s coat and there was a straw in its mouth. It had been very well done and on the head was a crown.

I said: “It’s the King.”

Jonathan was not facing the window and he said: “What ... where? Coming down the river ... surely not.”

“It’s a guy ... made to look like the King,” I said. “And they are going to burn it.”

“That’s mischief.” Jonathan was up, but before he reached the window, I cried: “Jonathan, look. Billy Grafter is with them.”

Jonathan was beside me. The men were on the bank now ... the guy in the arms of one of them.

“By God,” said Jonathan, “I’ll get him now.”

He ran out of the inn; I was immediately behind him.

Just at that moment Billy Grafter saw him and if ever I recognized panic in a man’s face I did then. Grafter turned and jumped into the boat and within a matter of seconds was pulling away from the bank.

Jonathan looked round him. There were several boats moored at the spot. He did not hesitate. He took my hand and almost threw me into one of them; then he was there beside me.

I could see Billy Grafter rowing as fast as he could. The tide was with him and he was making progress. But then so were we.

“I’ll bring him in,” growled Jonathan. “I’ll get him this time.” The distance between us remained the same. Billy Grafter looked as though he was rowing for his life, which he probably was.

I clutched the side of the boat. I thought I was going to be thrown into the river at any moment. Jonathan was gaining when another boat drew level with us.

“Get out of my way,” shouted Jonathan.

The man in the boat said: “You insolent knave. Why should I? Do you own the river?”

“You’re obstructing me,” yelled Jonathan.

I could see Billy Grafter rowing furiously a little way ahead of us. Jonathan spurted forward. We were almost on a level with him now. Then the man who had come up beside us turned sharply, barring our way. Jonathan shot forward and within a matter of seconds we were in the water and Billy Grafter was getting farther and farther away.

Jonathan grabbed me and brought me back to the bank. I had never seen him look so furious.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

I nodded, gasping and shivering. I felt as though my lungs were full of water and my muddied stained dress clung coldly to my shaking body.

Jonathan was equally bedraggled.

A little crowd had gathered to watch us; some seemed amused. I supposed it was not such an unusual occurrence for a boat to be overturned.

Someone brought in the boat and one of the watermen said: “Best get back to Borrows’ Inn, sir. He’ll dry you and the young lady off there.”

Jonathan said: “Yes ... yes. That’s best.”

“Get in, sir and I’ll row you back.”

The crowd began to disperse. The little entertainment was over.

“I saw what happened,” said the boatman. “Looked like deliberate to me, it did.”

“It was,” said Jonathan shortly.

”There’s some as likes a bit of mischief. Well, you’ll get into something dry and you’ll be none the worse.”

We had come to the inn. Jimmy Borrows came out rubbing his hands in consternation.

“We had a spill,” said Jonathan. “Can you help us dry our clothes?”

“Of a surety. Come in ... come in. There’s a fire in the parlour. But first the clothes.

You’ll catch your deaths if you stay in those.”