Weird Shadows Over Innsmouth

When Kent came away he was considerably reassured as to Roberts’ state of mind. His friend was almost ebullient and greatly looking forward to a very successful future. Though Kent did not question Roberts about the things that had obviously been worrying his friend—he was far too tactful for that—he was greatly reassured by the artist’s restored balance and felt secure in the knowledge that he had now recovered his normal state of mind.

But two things came back to Kent long afterward. When the vicar was at the garden party he expressed a wish to bless the house. He was about to anoint the huge crown post with holy water when he gave a sudden exclamation and dropped the vessel on to the floor before he was able to perform the ceremony. He explained that he suffered from arthritis of the hands and had received a sudden twinge of pain and the incident passed off.

The other occurrence was of a lighter nature and concerned Roberts suddenly spotting a young couple, who had evidently come down the stream in a canoe and had been prevented from making any further progress by the mill building. They were standing on the bank watching the party with great interest. Roberts immediately invited them to join in and they were soon the centre of interest. The wife was a very beautiful blonde girl of about twenty-five, with her husband equally handsome. Kent was vividly reminded of a famous classical painting of a Greek god and goddess whose title he had forgotten.

But some while afterward, the canoe had been found floating upside down in the stream several miles further up and there was no sign of its occupants. There were several boat yards in that area with various craft for hire and, as so many people congregated there in the summer months, no one was able to assist the police in their inquiries. The river was dragged but nothing was found. It eventually transpired through further press reports that the girl was a married woman who had run off with her lover. People in the village were extremely interested, but when the couple were last heard of in Canada the matter was soon forgotten.

Kent was busy on the new short story collection for some weeks, though he and Roberts kept in close touch by telephone. Gilda was back temporarily anyway, and whenever they did speak Roberts seemed relaxed and happy.

Gradually Kent began to lose the faint feeling of anxiety he had felt about the house, transmitted, of course, through Roberts’ uneasiness and one or two strange remarks he had made about the constant fret of the water beneath the building. But that was only to be expected of a property of that age and size. Though it was true that the rushing of the stream beneath was obtrusive on the lower level, it was completely quiet on what might be termed the ground floor and on the upper levels, where bedrooms and living accommodation were situated.

Things went on in their usual placid fashion in the quiet surroundings of the village and it was almost the end of July when Kent arrived once more for an evening of conversation and an excellent dinner prepared by Roberts’ housekeeper, Mrs Summers.

It was a beautiful evening and the two men sat drinking white wine while comfortably settled in window seats, thoroughly at ease with one another. There was a purple haze over the neighbouring fields, and that sort of absolute stillness one finds towards nightfall in late summer.

The silence was broken only by the occasional sound of birdsong, as the flocks returned to the far stands of trees, and now and then the contented lowing of cattle on their grazing grounds.

“A touch of Thomas Gray here,” Kent observed at length.

The other’s answering smile showed him that the poetic allusion had not been lost. “Worth all the sweat and turmoil,” Roberts said as he refilled his friend’s glass.

Kent nodded, and the two men stretched out their legs and looked out through the big picture window at the distant view, in one of those rare moments of contentment. But shortly they were roused from their reverie by the shrill bell Mrs Summers used when announcing that the meal was ready.

“Come along, gentlemen,” she said good-naturedly, peering around the door lintel. “I’m sure you don’t want it to be spoiled and neither do I.”

“That woman’s becoming quite a slave-driver,” Roberts said with a short laugh as soon as she had withdrawn.

“A treasure, you mean,” Kent rejoined. “You’ve now got two in your life.”

“True,” agreed Roberts, getting up and putting down his empty glass. “The only snag is that Gilda’s away so much, and you’ll be settled by September, don’t forget.”

He was referring to Kent’s impending marriage, and his guest got up also, giving him a mock-rueful expression. “Bound and shackled, like yourself,” he said. “Goodbye to the carefree bachelor life.”

Roberts laughed. “You don’t know what you’re missing,” he said.