by M. R. James
III
THE SECOND JAR
Next day, I must say, was very amusing. I spent the whole of it in thefields just strolling about and sitting down, as the fancy took me,listening to what went on in the trees and hedges. I will not write downyet the kind of thing I heard, for it was only the beginning. I had notyet found out the way of using the new power to the very best advantage.I felt the want of being able to put in a remark or a question of my ownevery now and then. But I was pretty sure that the jar which had_linguam_ on it would manage that.
Very nearly all the talking I heard was done by the birds andanimals--especially the birds; but perhaps half a dozen times, as I satunder a tree or walked along the road, I was aware of voices whichsounded exactly like those of people (some grown-up and some children)passing by or coming towards me and talking to each other as they wentalong. Needless to say, there was nothing to be _seen_: no movement ofthe grass and no track on the dusty road, even when I could tell exactlywhere the people who owned the voices must be. It interested me morethan anything else to guess what sort of creatures they were, and Idetermined that the next jar I tried should be the Eye one. Once, I musttell you, I ventured to say "Good afternoon" when I heard a couple ofthese voices within a yard of me. I think the owners must nearly havehad a fit. They stopped dead: one of them gave a sort of cry ofsurprise, and then, I believe, they ran or flew away. I felt a littlebreath of wind on my face, and heard no more. It wasn't (as I know now)that they couldn't see me: but they felt much as you would if a tree ora cow were to say "Good afternoon" to you.
When I was at supper that evening, the cat came in, as she usually did,to see what was going. I had always been accustomed to think that catstalk when they mew, dogs when they bark, and so on. It is not so at all.Their talking is almost all done (except when they are in a great stateof mind) in a tone which you cannot possibly hear without help. Mewingis for the most part only shouting without saying any words. Purring is,as we often say, singing.
Well, this cat was an ordinary nice creature, tabby, and in she came,and sat watching me while I had soup. To all appearance she was asinnocent as a lamb--but no matter for that. What she was saying wassomething of this kind:
"Get on with it, do: shove it down, lap it up! Who cares about soup? Getto business. I know there's fish coming."
When the fish actually came, there was a great deal of good feelingshown at first. "Oh, _how_ much we have to be thankful for, all of us,have we not? Fish, fish: what a thought! Dear, kind, generous people allaround us, all striving to supply us with what is best and pleasantestfor us."
Then there was a silence for a short time, then in a somewhat differenttone I heard: "Ah dear! the longer I live, the wiser I find it is not toexpect too much consideration from others! Self-love! how few, howterribly few, are really free from it! The nature that knows how to takea hint, how rare it is!"
Another short silence, and then: "There you go--another great bit. Iwonder you don't choke or burst! Disgusting! A good scratch all downyour horrible fat cheek is what you want, and I know some cats thatwould give it you. No more notion how to behave than a cockroach."
About this time I rang the bell and the fish was taken away. The catwent too, circling round the maid with trusting and childlike glances,and I heard her saying in the former tone:
"Well, I daresay after all there are _some_ kind hearts in the world,some that can feel for a poor weary creature, and know what a deal ofstrength and nourishment even the least bit of fish can give----" And Ilost the rest.
When the time came and the box was open once more, I duly anointed myeyes and went to the window. I knew something of what I might expect tosee, but I had not realized at all how much of it there would be. In thefirst place there were a great many buildings, in fact a regularvillage, all about the little lawn on which my window looked. They were,of course, not big; perhaps three feet high was the largest size. Theroofs seemed to be of tiles, the walls were white, the windows werebrightly lighted, and I could see people moving about inside. But therewere plenty of people outside, too--people about six incheshigh--walking about, standing about, talking, running, playing some gamewhich might have been hockey. These were on levelled spaces, for thegrass, neatly kept as it was, would have come half-way up their legs;and there were some driving along smooth tracks in carriages drawn byhorses of the right size, which were really the most charming littleanimals I ever saw.
You may suppose that I should not soon have got tired of watching themand listening to the little treble buzz of voices that went on, but Iwas interrupted. Just in front of me I heard what I can only call asnigger. I looked down, and saw four heads supported by four pairs ofelbows leaning on the window-sill and looking up at me. They belonged tofour boys who were standing on the twigs of a bush that grew up againstthe wall, and who seemed to be very much amused. Every now and againone of them nudged another and pointed towards me; and then, for someunexplained reason, they sniggered again. I felt my ears growing warmand red.
"Well, young gentlemen," I said, "you seem to be enjoying yourselves."No answer. "I appear to be so fortunate as to afford you somegratification," I went on, in my sarcastic manner. "Perhaps you would dome the honour of stepping into my poor apartment?" Again no answer, butmore undisguised amusement. I was thinking out a really witheringremark, when one of them said:
"Do look at his nose. I wonder if they know how ridiculous they are. I_should_ like to talk to one of them for five minutes."
"Well," I said, "that can be managed very easily, and I assure you Ishould be equally glad of the opportunity. _My_ remarks would deal withthe subject of good manners."
Another one spoke this time, but did not answer me. "Oh, I don't know,"he said, "I expect they're pretty stupid. They look it--at least thisone does."
"Can they talk?" said the third. "I've never heard 'em."
"No, but you can see them moving their jaws and mouths and things. Thisone did just now."
I saw how it was now, and, becoming cooler, I recognized that theseyouths were behaving very much as I might have done myself in thepresence of someone who I was sure could neither see nor hear me. I evensmiled. One of them pointed at me at once:
"Thought of a joke, I s'pose. Don't keep it all to yourself, old chap."
At this moment the fourth, who had not said anything so far, but seemedto have been listening, piped up: "I say! I believe I know what it isthat makes that hammering noise: it's something he has got in hisclothes."
I could not resist this. "Right again," I said; "it's my watch, andyou're very welcome to look at it." And I took it out and put it on thewindow-sill.
An awful horror and surprise came into their faces. In a second they haddived down like so many ducks. In another second I saw them walkingacross the grass, and each of them threw his arms round the waist or theneck of one of the elder people who were walking about among the houses.The person so attacked pulled himself up and listened attentively towhat the boy was saying. The particular one I was watching lookedtowards my window and then burst out laughing, slapped the boy on theback, and resumed his walk. The boy went slowly off towards one of thehouses. One or two of the other "men" came and stood nearer to thewindow, looking up. I thought I would venture a bow, and made one ratherceremoniously. It did not produce much effect, and I could not at themoment think of anything I could do that would show them quite clearlythat I saw them. They went on looking at me quietly enough, and then Iheard a deep low bell, seemingly very far off, toll five times. Theyheard it too, turned sharply round and walked off to the houses. Soonafter that the lights in the windows died down and everything becamevery still. I looked at my watch. It was ten o'clock.
I waited for a while to see if anything would happen, but there wasnothing; so I got some books out (which took a few minutes) and before Isettled down to them I thought I would just take one more look out ofthe window. Where were all the little houses? At the first glance Ithought they had vanished, but it was not exactly so. I found I
couldstill see the chimneys above the grass, but as I looked they toodisappeared. It was done very neatly: there was no hole, the turf closedin upon the roofs as they sank down, just as if it was of india-rubber.There was not a trace left of houses or roads or playgrounds oranything.
I was strongly tempted to go out and walk over the site of the village,but I did not. For one thing I was afraid I might disturb the people ofthe house, and besides there was a mist coming up over the meadows whichsloped away outside the garden. So I stopped where I was.
But what a very odd mist, I began to think. It was not coming in all inone piece as it should. It was more in patches or even pillars of asmoky grey which moved at different rates, some of them occasionallystanding still, others even seeming to go to and fro. And now I began tohear something like a hollow whispering coming from their direction. Itwas not conversation, for it went on quite continuously in the sametone: it sounded more as if something was being recited. I did not likeit.
Then I saw what I liked less. Seven of these pillars of mist, eachabout the size of a man, were standing in a row just outside the gardenfence, and in each I thought I saw two dull red eyes; and the hollowwhispering grew louder.
Just then I heard a noise behind me in the room, as if the fire-ironshad suddenly fallen down. So they had: and the reason why they had wasthat an old horseshoe which was on the mantelpiece had, for no reasonthat I could see, tumbled over and knocked them. Something I had heardcame into my mind. I took the horseshoe and laid it on the window-sill.The pillars of mist swayed and quivered as if a sudden gust of wind hadstruck them, and seemed all at once to go farther off; and the hollowmurmur was no longer to be heard. I shut the window and went to bed.But, the last thing, I looked out once again. The meadow was clear ofmist and bright beneath the light of the moon.
As I lay in bed I thought and thought over what I had seen last. I wasquite sure that the pillars of mist concealed some beings who wished meno good: but why should they have any spite against me? I was also surethat they wanted to get into the house: but again, why? You may think Iwas slow in the wits, but I must confess that some few minutes passedbefore I guessed. Of course they wanted to get hold of the box with thefive jars. The thought disturbed me so much that I got up, lighted acandle, and went to the cupboard to see if all was safe. Yes, the boxwas there, but the cupboard door, which I knew I had locked, wasunfastened, and when I had to turn the key it became plain that the lockwas hampered and useless. How could this have come about? Earlier in theevening it had been perfectly right, and nobody had been in the roomsince I locked it last.
Whoever had done it, they had made the cupboard no safe place for thebox. I took it into the bedroom and after a minute's thought clearedout a space in a suit-case which I had brought with me, locked it inthat, and put the key on the ring of my watch-chain. Watch and all wentunder my pillow, and once more I got into bed.