Turn of the Screw / Beginner 2 (1)

CHAPTER ONE

It was a strange story which we heard in that old house, on the night before Christmas. We sat by the fire and listened silently until the end. Then somebody said, 'How unusual! It's the first time that I've ever heard about a child who saw a ghost.'

I could see that Douglas wanted to say something. After a few seconds, he spoke. 'It's not the only time that a child has seen a ghost. A ghost story with one child in it is frightening enough. But two children who see ghosts - isn't that quite strange? Doesn't that give the story another turn of the screw?'

'Of course!' somebody answered. 'Two children give two turns of the screw! We want to hear the story!'

Douglas looked at all of us, and said quietly, 'It's a terrible story. It is the most frightening story that I know.'

'Then begin at once!' I said.

'I can't. It's in a book which is locked in my desk at home. I can ask my servant to put it in the post.'

'Oh yes! Please do!' Everyone asked him to hurry.

'Is it your story?' I asked him.

'No, no! I heard it from a woman. I've never forgotten it. She wrote it down, and when she died it came to me. She was ten years older than me. She was my sister's governess when I was a student at university. In the summer holidays I talked to her a lot. Yes - don't smile - she was beautiful. She was also clever and interesting, and I liked her very much. I think she liked me too. It was forty years ago, but I remember everything.'

'Did she tell any others her story?'

'No, she said that I was the first person to hear it.'

The packet arrived in the post two days later. We all wanted to hear the story, and we sat down ready after dinner that evening.

Before Douglas read the story to us, he told us about the young woman. She was twenty years old; she came from a poor, church family, and she decided to work as a governess. She heard about a man who wanted to employ a governess for two children. She went to London and met him at his large house in Harley Street. They were his brother's children; his brother was dead, and now he had to look after them.

The man was handsome, rich, and unmarried, and the young woman was immediately in love with him.

'I'll be so pleased if you can take the job!' he told her. 'London isn't a good place for children. I've taken them to my family home in Essex - it's a large house with big gardens and a park. I have no time to look after them. I've sent my best servants there, and the housekeeper, Mrs Grose, is a very good woman. You will like her, I'm sure.'

He was very worried about the children, a little girl and her older brother. Not long ago, their first governess died suddenly, and now their uncle had to employ a new governess quickly. He had to find the right person. The boy was away at school, but he came back in the holidays, and the little girl was home all the time.

'How did the first governess die?' a listener asked Douglas. 'Was the job dangerous?'

'You will hear everything,' he answered.

The young lady did not give her answer at once. It was her first job; and the house was big, and almost empty. The money was good, but could she be happy there, alone? She wanted to help this wonderful man, but could she look after the children well enough?

She returned to the house in Harley Street two days later.

'I have decided to take the job,' she said.

'Her love for her new master-' somebody said.

'Yes, of course. This love helped her later - it helped her to be brave,' Douglas continued. 'But her employer said, "There's one thing that you must promise me. You must never bring any problem to me. You must never write to me. You must decide everything."'

She promised. He took her hand; he was so pleased with her. She never saw him again.

Douglas opened the red book on his knee, and began to read the governess's story to us.

CHAPTER TWO

I was very worried during the journey. Was I making a mistake? I was going alone to a strange house, to teach two children that I did not know. But it was a beautiful day, and when I arrived, the house was a pleasant surprise. It was large, but light, with open windows and bright flowers in the gardens. And Flora was the most beautiful child that I have ever seen. Her hair was gold in colour, and her dress was blue. She and Mrs Grose, the housekeeper, were there to meet me.

Mrs Grose seemed to be a kind, good woman, and at supper that evening, I asked her about Miles, the boy.

'If you like this little girl, you will like the boy, too,' she said. She smiled at Flora, and Flora smiled at us both. 'He's so clever.'

'When will I see him? Tomorrow?'

'No, the day after.'

I was very excited that night, and did not sleep much. I heard some small sounds in the house; perhaps someone was awake. My room was large and comfortable. There was a little bed in it for Flora, but on my first night she slept with Mrs Grose. I woke up with the birds, and looked forward to my first full day with her.

Flora showed me everything in the house and garden. She showed me the secret places, the old stairs, the empty rooms. After half an hour we were good friends.

'Perhaps,' I thought, 'I'm in some wonderful story. But, no, it's real, and it will be an adventure for me.'

I remembered my promise to my employer that evening. A letter came from Miles's school. I was not excited now, but worried. The head at the school wrote that Miles could not go back there again.

'They won't take him back!' I told Mrs Grose.

'Never?' she asked, surprised.

'Never. Here, you can read the letter.'

I gave it to her but she shook her head sadly.

'I cannot read,' she said. 'What has he done?' she was almost crying.

'They don't say. But they think that he's dangerous to the other children.'

'Dangerous?' Mrs Grose was angry now.

'Is he a bad child?'

'He's only ten years old! How can he be bad? Is she bad?' She pointed at Flora, who was sitting quietly at the table. The little girl was writing, practising her letter 'O's.

'Naughty, then?' I asked her.

'Oh yes, of course, he is sometimes naughty! But-'

'Every boy must be naughty sometimes.'

'Yes! A boy who is not naughty is not a boy for me!'

Later, before Miles arrived, I asked her about the last governess. 'What kind of lady was she?'

'She was young and pretty like you.'

'Was she careful with the boy?'

'With some things - yes. But perhaps not with everything. But she's dead now, so I mustn't speak badly of her.'

'Yes, of course,' I said, quickly. 'Was she ill? Did she die here?'

'No, she went for a holiday. Then she died - the master told me.'

'How did she die?'

'He didn't say.' And she would not tell me anymore.

Miles was as beautiful as his sister. I loved him too, as soon as I saw him. He had a sweet innocence, and I could not understand the school's letter.

'He can't be bad! It's not possible!' I said to Mrs Grose later. 'Look at him!'

'Yes, I look at him all the time,' she smiled. 'What will you do?'

'I won't answer the letter. I can't write to his uncle. And I won't speak to Miles about it.'

'Good!' Mrs Grose said. 'Then together we'll be friends to the two children.' She kissed me like a sister.

CHAPTER THREE

I did not give the children many lessons during those first weeks. Perhaps they were teaching me now - they were teaching me to laugh, to play, to be free. I was more innocent than the children. I know that now.

In the evenings, when they were in bed, I liked to walk among the summer flowers in the gardens, and under the old trees in the park. Sometimes I could see the face of my employer in front of my eyes. 'He's smiling at me,' I thought. 'He's pleased with me - I'm looking after the children well for him.'

One evening in June, I walked about three miles through the park. When I came back to the house, I looked up and saw a face. Was it my employer's face which I thought about so much? No, it was not - I realised that very quickly. A man stood on the roof of the tower. There were two towers, one at each end of the roof. Each tower had a room inside, and you could climb out onto the roof from them. Flora took me there on my first day. I did not know this man. I saw him very clearly, and he was watching me. He stood still and stared at me for a minute, then turned away.

I was frightened. Was there a secret in this old house? I wanted to ask Mrs Grose, but when I came back into the house, everything seemed quite ordinary again. I did not say anything to her, but for many days I thought about it. Finally I decided, 'It was a stranger who found a way into the house. But he's gone now, so I can forget him. I won't worry about it.'

I preferred to enjoy my days with the children. I was never bored with them. They were happy, and they made me happy too. I did not think about my family at home now, Flora and Miles were my family, and this was my home.

One Sunday, in the early evening, Mrs Grose and I decided to go to church together. My bag was in the dining-room, and I went in there to get it. Suddenly, I looked up and saw a face at the window. It was staring at me through the glass. It was the man who I saw on the roof. I stared at him; he stared at me. I did not know him, but I felt, strangely, that I knew him very well. Then he looked round the room.

'He's looking for someone, but not for me!' I realised.

Then I felt brave. I ran outside and looked for him. But he was not there. The garden was empty. I went back to the window, put my face against the glass, and stared in. Mrs Grose walked into the dining-room, and saw me. She turned white, and came outside to meet me.

'Why is she frightened?' I asked myself.

'What's the matter?' she asked me. 'Your face is white. You look terrible.'

'My face?' I said. 'I was frightened. You saw my face at the window, but when I was in the dining-room, I saw a man's face in the same place.'

'Who is he? Where has he gone?'

'I have no idea.'

'Have you seen him before?'

'Yes - once. He was standing on the roof of the tower.'

'And you didn't tell me? What was he doing there?'

'He looked at me - that's all. He was a stranger, a dreadful man.'

Mrs Grose looked out over the gardens once more, then said, 'Well, it's time for church now.'

'No, I can't go to church. Not now. I can't leave the children. It's not safe.'

'It isn't safe?' she asked.

'He's dangerous!' I replied.

She realised something then. I could see it in her face.