The Warder of the Door | L. T. Meade and Robert Eustace | A Bitesized Audiobook

[Music] hello and welcome to bite-sized audio on YouTube I'm Simon stanh hope actor audiobook narrator and curator of this channel on the channel you can hear my narrations more than a 100 to date and more to come of classic short stories mostly from the Victorian and Edwardian eras including vintage ghost stories detective stories and other classic Tales of mystery and suspense to accompany the narrations I've put a short profile of the authors in the video description as well as some general b

ackground notes on the stories for those who'd like to know more if you enjoy this content please hit subscribe like share leave a comment if you'd like to and thank you for [Music] listening the water of the door by LT me and Robert Eustace if you don't believe it you can read it for yourself said Alan Clinton climbing up the steps and searching among the volumes on the top shelf I lay back in my chair the beams from the sinking Sun Shone through the stained glass of the windows of the old libr

ary and dyed the rows of black leather volumes with bands of red and yellow here Bell I took a musty volume from Alan Clinton which he had Unearthed from its resting place it is about the middle of the book he continued eagerly you will see it in big black Old English letters I turned over the pages containing the family tree and other archives of the clintons till I came to the one I was seeking it contained The Curse which had rested on the family since 1400 slowly and with difficulty I deciph

ered the words of this terrible denunciation and in this cell its coffin lith the coffin which hath not human shape for which reason no Holy Ground receiveth it here shall it rest to curse the family of ye clintons from generation to generation and for this reason as soon as the soul shall pass from the body of each firstborn which is the air it shall become the water of the door by day and by night day and night shall his Spirit stand by the door to keep the door closed till the sun shall relea

se the spirit of the father from the watch and take his place till his son in turn shall die and whoo entereth into the cell shall be the prisoner of the soul that guardeth the door till it shall let him go what a ghastly idea I said glancing up at the young man who was watching me as I read but you say this cell has never been found I should say its existence was a myth and of course the curse on the soul of the first born to keep the door shut as W is absurd matter does not obey witchcraft the

odd part of it is replied Alan that every other detail of the Abbey referred to In This Record has been identified but this cell with its horrible content has never been found it certainly was a curious Legend and I allow it made some impression on me I fancied too that somewhere I had heard something similar but my memory failed to trace it I had come down to Clinton Abbey 3 days before for some pheasant shooting it was now Sunday afternoon the family with the exception of old Sir Henry Alan a

nd myself were at church Sir Henry now nearly 80 years of age and a chronic invalid had retired to his room for his afternoon sleep the younger Clinton and I had gone out for a stroll around the grounds and since we returned our conversation had run upon the family history till it arrived at the legend of the family curse presently the door of the library was slowly opened and Sir Henry in his black velvet coat which formed such a striking in contrast to his snowy white beard and hair entered th

e room I Rose from my chair and giving him my arm assisted him to his favorite couch he sank down into its luxurious depths with a sigh but as he did so his eyes caught the old volume which I had laid on the table beside it he started forward took the book in his hand and looked across at his son did you take this book down he said sharply yes Father I got it out to show it to Bell he is interested in the history of the ABY and then return it to its place at once interrupted the old man his blac

k eyes blazing with sudden passion you know how I dislike having my books disarranged and this one above all stay give it to me he struggled up from the couch and taking the volume locked it up in one of the drawers of his writing table and then sat back again on the sofa his hands were trembling as if some sudden fear had taken possession of him did you say that Phyllis Ken is coming tomorrow asked the old man presently of his son in an irritable voice well yes Father of course don't you rememb

er Mrs Ken and Phyllis are coming to stay for a fortnite and by the way he added starting to his feet as he spoke that reminds me I must go and tell Grace the rest of the sentence was lost in the closing of the door as soon as we were alone Sir Henry looked across at me for a few moments without speaking then he said I am sorry I was so short just now I am not myself I do not know what is the matter with me I feel all to pieces I can cannot sleep I do not think my time is very long now and I am

worried about Alan the fact is I would give anything to stop this engagement I wish he would not marry I am sorry to hear you say that sir I answered I should have thought you would have been anxious to see your son happily married most men would was the reply but I have my reasons for wishing things otherwise what do you mean I could not help asking I cannot explain myself I wish I could it would be best for Alan to let the old family die out there perhaps I am foolish about it and of course I

cannot really stop the marriage but I am worried and troubled about many things I wish I could help you sir I said impulsively if there is anything I can possibly do you know you have only to ask me thank you B I know you would but I cannot tell you someday I may but there I am afraid horribly afraid the trembling again seized him and he put his hands over his eyes as if to shut out some terrible sight don't repeat a word of what I have told you to Alan or anyone else he said suddenly it is poss

ible that someday I may ask you to help me and remember Bell I trust you he held out his hand which I took in another Moment The Butler entered with the lamps and I took advantage of the interruption to make my way to the drawing room the next day the cin arrived and a hasty glance showed me that Phyllis was a Charming girl she was tall slightly built with a figure both upright and graceful and a handsome somewhat proud face when in perfect Repose her expression was somewhat hay but the moment s

he spoke her face became vivacious kindly Charming to an extraordinary degree she had a gay laugh a sweet smile a sympathetic manner I was certain she had the kindest of hearts and was sure that Alan had made an admirable Choice a few days went by and at last the evening before the day when I was to return to London arrived phyllis's mother had gone to bed a short time before as she had complained of headache and Allan suddenly proposed as the night was a perfect one that we should go out and en

joy a Moonlight stroll Phyllis laughed with Glee at the suggestion and ran at once into the Hall to take a wrap from one of the pegs Allan she said to her lover who was following her you and I will go first no young lady on this occasion you and I will have that privilege said Sir Henry he had also come into the hall and to our astonishment announced his intention of accompanying us in our walk Phyllis bestowed upon him a startled glance then she laid her hand lightly on his arm nodded back at A

lan with a smile and walked on in front somewhat rapidly Alan and I followed in the rear now what does my father mean by this said Alan to me he never goes out at night but he has not been well lately I sometimes think he grows queerer every day he is very far from well I am certain I answered we stayed out for about half an hour and returned home by a path which led into the house through a side entrance phis was waiting for us in the hall where is my father asked Alan going up to her he is tir

ed and has gone to bed she answered good night Alan won't you come into the drawing room he asked in some astonishment no I am tired she nodded to him without touching his hand her eyes I could not help noticing had a queer expression she ran upstairs I saw that Alan was startled by her manner but as he did not say anything neither did I the next day at breakfast I was told that the cens had already left the ABY Allan was full of astonishment and I could see a good deal annoyed he and I breakfas

ted alone in the old library his father was too ill to come downstairs an hour later I was on my way back to London many things there engaged my immediate attention and Allan his engagement Sir Henry and the old family curse sank more or less into the background of my mind 3 months afterwards on the 7th of January I saw to my sorrow in the times the announcement of Sir Henry Clinton's death from time to time in the interim I had heard from the son saying that his father was failing fast he furth

er mentioned that his own wedding was fixed for the 21st of the present month now of course it must be postponed I felt truly sorry for Alan and wrote immediately a long letter of condolence on the following day I received a wire from him imploring me to go down to the Abbey as soon as possible saying that he was in great difficulty I packed a few things hastily and arrived at Clinton Abbey at 6:00 in the evening the house was silent and subdued the funeral was to take place the next day Clinton

came into the hall and gripped me warmly by the hand I noticed at once how worn and worried he looked this is good off you Bell he said I cannot tell you how grateful I am to you for coming you are the one man who can help me for I know you have had much experience in matters of this sort come into the library and I will tell you everything we shall dine alone this evening as my mother and the girls are keeping to their own apartments for tonight as soon as we were seated he plunged at once int

o his story I must give you a sort of Prelude to what has just occurred he began you remember when you were last here how abruptly Phyllis and her mother left the Abbey I nodded I remembered well on the morning after you had left us I had a long letter from Phyllis continued Alan in it she told me of an extraordinary request my father had made to her during that Moonlight walk nothing more nor less than an Earnest wish that she would herself terminate on engagement she spoke quite frankly as she

always does assuring me of her unalterable love and devotion but saying that under the circumstances it was absolutely necessary to have an explanation frantic with almost ungovernable rage I sought my father in his study I laid phyllis's letter before him and asked him what it meant he looked at me with a most unutterable expression of weariness and P yes my boy I did it he said Phyllis is quite right I did ask of her as earnestly as a very old man could plead that she would bring the engageme

nt to an end but why I asked why that I am unable to tell you he replied I lost my temper and said some words to him which I now regret he made no sort of reply when I had done speaking he said slowly I make all allowance for your emotion Alan your feelings are no more than natural you have done me a very sore injury I retorted what can Phyllis think of this she will never be the same again I am going to see her today he did not utter another word and I left him I was absent from Hope home for a

bout a week it took me nearly that time to induce Phyllis to overlook my father's extraordinary request and to let matters go on exactly as they had done before after fixing our engagement if possible more firmly than ever and also arranging the date of our wedding I returned home when I did so I told my father what I had done as you will he replied and then he sank into great Gloom from that moment although I watched him day and night and did everything that love and tenderness could suggest he

never seemed to Rally he scarcely spoke and remained whenever we were together bowed in deep and painful Ry a week ago he took to his bed here Allan paused I now come to events up to dat he said of course as you may suppose I was with my father to the last a few hours before he passed away he called me to his bedside and to my astonishment began once more talking about my engagement he implored me with the utmost earnestness even now at the 11th hour to break it off it was not too late he said

and added further that nothing would give him ease in dying but the knowledge that I would promise him to remain single of course I tried to humor him he took my hand looked me in the eyes with an expression which I shall never forget and said Allan make me a solemn promise that you will never marry this I naturally had to refuse and then he told me that expecting my obstinacy he had written me a letter which I should find in his safe but I was not to open it till after his death I found it this

morning Belle it is the most extraordinary communication and either it is entirely a figment of his imagination for his brain Powers were failing very much at the last or else it is the most awful thing I ever heard of here is the letter read it for yourself I took the paper from his hand and read the following matter in shaky almost illegible writing my dear boy when you read this I shall have passed away for the last 6 months my life has been a living death the horror began in the following w

ay you know what a deep interest I have always taken in the family history of our house I have spent the latter years of my life in verifying each detail and my intention was had health been given me to publish a great deal of it in a suitable volume on the special night to which I'm about to allude I sat up late in my study reading the book which I saw you show to Bell a short time ago in particular I was much attracted by the terrible curse which the old Abbot in the 14th century had bestowed

upon the family I read the awful words again and again I knew that all the other details in the volume had been verified but that The Vault with the coffin had never yet been found presently I grew drowsy and I suppose I must have fallen asleep in my sleep I had a dream I thought that someone came into the room touched me on the shoulder and said come I looked up a tall figure beckoned to me the voice and the figure belonged to my late father in my dream dream I Rose immediately although I did n

ot know why I went nor where I was going the figure went on in front it entered the hall I took one of the candles from the table and the key of the chapel unbolted the door and went out still The Voice kept saying come come and the figure of my father walked in front of me I went across the quadrangle unlocked the chapel door and entered a deathlike silence was around me I crossed the Nave to the north aisle the figure still went in front of me it entered the great Pew which is said to be haunt

ed and walked straight up to the Effigy Of The Old Abbot who had pronounced the curse this as you know is built into the opposite wall bending forward the figure pressed the eyes of the old Monk and immediately a stone started out of its place revealing a staircase behind I was about to hurry forward when I must have knocked against something I felt a sensation of pain and suddenly awoke what was my amazement to find that I had acted on my dream had crossed the quadrangle and was in the chapel i

n fact was standing in the old Pew of course there was no figure of any sort visible but the Moonlight shed a cold Radiance over all the place I felt very much startled and impressed but was just about to return to the house in some Wonder at the Curious Vision which I had experienced when raising my startled eyes I saw that part of it at least was real the old monk seemed to grin at me from his marble Effigy and beside him was a blank open space I hurried to it and saw a narrow flight of stairs

I cannot explain what my emotions were but my keenest feeling at that moment was a strong and horrible curiosity holding the candle in my hand I went down the steps they terminated at the beginning of a long passage this I quickly traversed and at last found myself beside an iron door it was not locked but hasped and was very hard to open in fact it required nearly all my strength At Last I pulled it open towards me and there in a small cell lay the coffin as the words of the curse said I gazed

at it in horror I did not dare to enter it was a wedged shaped coffin studded with great nails but as I looked my blood froze within me for slowly very slowly as if pushed by some unseen hand the great heavy door began to close quicker and quicker until with a crash that echoed and re-echoed through the empty Vault it shut Terror stricken I rushed From the Vault and reached my room once more now I know that this great curse is true that my father's spirit is there to guard the door and close it

for I saw it with my own eyes and while you read this know that I am there I charge you therefore not to marry bring no child into the world to perpetuate this terrible curse let the family die out if you have the courage it is much I know to ask but whether you do or not come to me there and if by sign or word I can communicate with you I will do so but hold the Secret Safe meet me there before my body is laid to rest when Body and Soul are still not far from each other farewell your loving fa

ther Henry Clinton I read this strange letter over carefully twice and laid it down for a moment I hardly knew what to say it was certainly the most uncanny thing I had ever come across what do you think of it asked Alan at last well of course there are are only two possible solutions I answered one is that your father not only dreamt the beginning of this story which remember he allows himself but the whole of it and the other asked Alan seeing that I paused the other I continued I hardly know

what to say yet of course we will investigate the whole thing that is our only chance of arriving at a solution it is absurd to let matters rest as they are we had better try tonight Clinton winced and hesitated something must be done of course he answered but the worst of it is Phyllis and her mother are coming here early tomorrow in time for the funeral and I cannot meet her no I cannot poor girl while I feel as I do we will go to the Vault tonight I said Clinton Rose from his chair and looked

at me I don't like this thing at all Bell he continued I am not by nature in any sense of the word a superstitious man but I tell you frankly nothing would induce me to go alone into that Chapel tonight if you come with me that of course alterus matters I know the Pew my father refers to well it is beneath the window of St Sebastian soon afterwards I went to my room and dressed and Alan and I dined tet AET in the great dining room the old Butler waited on us with ferial semity and I did all I c

ould to lure Clinton's thoughts into a more cheerful and healthier Channel I cannot say that I was very successful I further noticed that he scarcely at anything and seemed altogether to be in a state of nervous tension painful to witness after dinner we went into the smoking room and at 11:00 I proposed that we should make a start Clinton braced himself together and we went out he got the chapel keys and then going to the Stables we borrowed a lantern and a moment afterwards found ourselves in

the sacred edifice the moon was at her full and by the pale light light which was diffused through the South Windows the architecture of the Interior could be faintly seen the gothic arches that flanked the center aisle with their quaint pillars each with a carved figure of one of the saints were quite visible and further in the darkness of the chancel the dim outlines of the choir and altar table with its White marble rear could be just discerned we closed the door Softly and Clinton leading th

e way with the lantern we walked up the center aisle paved with the brasses of his dead ancestors we trod gently on tiptoe as one instinctively does at night turning beneath the little Pulpit we reached the North transip and here Clinton stopped and turned round he was very white but his voice was quiet this is the Pew he whispered it has always been called The Haunted Pew of Sir Hugh Clinton I took the lantern from him and we entered I crossed the Pew immediately and went up to the Effigy Of Th

e Old Abbott let us examine him closely I said I held up the lantern getting it to shine on each part of the face the vestments and the figure the eyes although vacant as in all statuary seemed to me at that moment to be uncanny and peculiar giving Allan the lantern to hold I placed a finger firmly on each the next moment I could not refrain from an exclamation a stone at the side immediately rolled back revealing the steps which were spoken of by the old man in his narrative it is true it is tr

ue cried Clinton excitedly it certainly looks like it I remarked but never mind we have the chance now of investigating this matter thoroughly are you going down asked Clinton certainly I am I replied let us go together immediately afterwards we crept through the opening and began to descend there was only just room to do so in single file and I went first with the lantern in another moment we were in the long passage and soon we were confronted by a door in an arched Stone framework up till now

Clinton had shown little sign of alarm but here at the trsting place to which his father's Soul had summoned him he seemed suddenly to lose his nerve he lent against the wall and for a moment I thought he would have fallen I held up the Lantern and examined the door and walls carefully then approaching I lifted the iron latch of the heavy door it was very hard to move but At Last by seizing the edge I dragged it open to its full against the wall of the passage having done so I peered inside hol

ding the lantern above my head as I did so I heard Clinton cry out look look he said and turning I saw that the great door had swung back against me almost shutting me within the cell telling Clinton to hold it back by force I stepped inside and saw at my feet the ghastly coffin the legend then so far was true I bent down and examined the queer misshapen thing with great care its shape was that of an enormous wedge and it was apparently made of some dark old wood and was bound with iron at the c

orners having looked at it all round I went out and flinging back the door which Clinton had been holding open stood aside to watch slowly very slowly as we both stood in the passage slowly as if pushed by some invisible hand the door commenced to swing round and increasing in velocity shut with a noisy clang seizing it once again I dragged it open and while Clinton held it in that position made a careful examination up to the present I saw nothing to be much alarmed about there were 50 ways in

which a door might shut of its own accord there might be a hidden spring or Tilted hinges draft of course was out of the question I looked at the hinges they were of iron and set in the solid masonry nor could I discover any spring or hidden contrivance as when the door was wide open there was an interval of several inches between it and the wall we tried it again and again with the same result and at last as it was closing I seized it to prevent it I now experienced a very odd sensation I certa

inly felt as if I were resisting an unseen person who was pressing hard against the door at the other side directly it was released it continued its course I allow I was quite unable to understand the mystery suddenly an idea struck me what does the legend say I asked turning to Clinton that the soul is to guard the door to close it upon the coffin those are the words answered Alan speaking with some difficulty now if that is true I continued and we take the coffin out the spirit won't shut the

door if it does shut it it disproves the whole thing at once and shows it to be merely a clever mechanical contrivance come Clinton help me to get the the coffin out I dare not Bell he whispered horsely i d go inside nonsense man I said feeling now a little annoyed at the whole thing here put the lantern down and hold the door back I stepped in and getting behind the coffin put out all my strength and shoved it into the passage now then I cried I'll bet you £50 to5 the door will shut just the sa

me I dragged the coffin clear of the door and told him to let go Clinton had scarcely done so before stepping back he clutched my arm look he whispered do you see that it will not shut now my father is waiting for the coffin to be put back this is awful I gazed at the door in horror it was perfectly true it remained wide open and quite still I sprang forward seized it and now endeavored to close it it was as if someone was trying to hold it open it required considerable Force to stir it and it w

as only with difficulty I could move it at all at last I managed to shut it but the moment I Let Go it swung back open of its own accord and struck against the wall where it remained just as before in the Dead Silence that followed I could hear Clinton breathing quickly behind me and I knew he was holding himself for all he was worth at that moment there suddenly came over me a sensation which I had once experienced before and which I was twice destined to experience again it is impossible to de

scribe it but it seized me laying Siege to my brain till I felt like a child in its power it was as if I were slowly drowning in the great ocean of Silence that enveloped us time itself seemed to have disappeared at my feet lay the misshapen thing and the lantern behind it cast a fantastic shadow of its distorted outline on the cell wall for me speak say something I cried to Clinton the sharp sound of my voice broke the spell I felt myself again and smiled at the trick my nerves had played on me

I bent down and once more laid my hands on the coffin but before I had time to push it back into its place Clinton had gone up the passage like a man who is flying to escape a h javelin exerting all my Force to prevent the door from swinging back by keeping my leg against it I had just got the coffin into the cell and was going out when I heard a shrill cry and Clinton came tearing back down the passage I can't get out the stone has sunk into its place we are locked in he screamed and wild with

fear he plunged headlong into the cell upsetting me in his career before before I could check him I sprang back to the door as it was closing I was too late before I could reach it it had shut with a loud clang in obedience to The Infernal witchcraft you have done it now I cried angrily do you see why man we are buried alive in this ghastly hole the lantern I had placed just inside the door and by its dim light as I looked at him I saw the terror of a Madman creep into Clinton's eyes buried ali

ve he shouted with a peel of hysterical laughter yes and Bell it's your doing you are a devil in human shape with a wild pism of Fury he flung himself upon me there was the ferocity of a wild beast in his spring he upset the Lantern and left Us in total darkness the struggle was short we might be buried alive but I was not going to die by his hand and seizing him by the throat I pinned him against the wall keep quiet I shouted it is your thundering stupidity that has caused all this stay where y

ou are until I strike a match I luckily had some vestors in the little silver box which I always carry on my Watch chain and strike stking one I relit the lantern Clinton's pism was over and sinking to the floor he lay there shivering and cowering it was a terrible situation and I knew that our only hope was for me to keep my presence of mind with a great effort I forced myself to think calmly over what could be done to shout for help would have been but a useless waste of breath suddenly an ide

a struck me have you got your father's letter I cried eagerly I have he answered it is in my pocket my last Ray of Hope vanished our only chance was that if he had left it at the house someone might discover the letter and come to our Rescue by its instructions it had been a faint hope and it disappeared almost as quickly as it had come to me without it no one would ever find the way to the Vault that had remained a secret for ages I was determined however not to die without a struggle for Freed

om taking the lantern I examined every nook and cranny of the cell for some other exit it was a fruitless search no sign of any way out could I find and we had absolutely no means to unfasten the door from the inner side taking a few short steps I flung self again and again at the heavy door it never budged an inch and bruised and sweating at every paw I sat down on the coffin and tried to collect all my faculties Clinton was silent and seemed utterly stunned he sat still gazing with a vacant st

are at the door the time dragged heavily and there was nothing to do but to wait for a horrible death from starvation it was more than likely too that Clinton would go mad already his nerves were strained to the utmost altogether I had never found myself in a worse plight it seemed like an eternity that we sat there neither of us speaking a word over and over again I repeated to myself the words of the terrible curse and who so entereth into the cell shall be the prisoner of the soul that guarde

th the door till it shall let him go when would the shapeless form that was inside the coffin let us go doubtless when our bones were dry I looked at my watch it was halfast 11:00 surely we had been more than 10 minutes in this awful place we had left the house at 11: and I knew that must have been many hours ago I glanced at the second hand the watch had stopped what is the time Clinton I asked my watch has stopped what does it matter he murmured what is time to us now the sooner we die the bet

ter he pulled out his watch as he spoke and held it to the lantern 25 minutes past 11 he murmured dreamily good Heavens I cried starting up has your watch stopped too then like the leap of a lightning flash an idea struck me I have got it I have got it my God I believe I have got it I cried seizing him by the arm got what he replied staring wildly at me why the secret the curse the door don't you see I pulled out the large knife I always carry by a chain and swivel in my trouser pocket and telli

ng Clinton to hold the lantern opened the little blade saw and attacked the coffin with it I believe the secret of our deliverance lies in this I panted working away furiously in 10 minutes I had swn half through the wooden Edge then handing my tool to Clinton I told him to continue the work while I rested after a few minutes I took the knife again and at last after nearly half an hour had gone by succeeded in making a small hole in the lid inserting my two fingers I felt some rough uneven masse

s I was now fearfully excited tearing at the opening like a madman I enlarged it and extracted what looked like a large piece of coal I knew in an instant what it was it was magnetic iron ore holding it down to my knife the blade flew to it here is the mystery of the soul I cried now we can use it to open the door I had known a great conjurer once who had deceived and puzzled his audience with a box trick on similar lines the man opening the box from the inside by drawing down the lock with a ma

gnet would this do the same I felt that our lives hung on the next moment taking the mass I pressed it against the door just opposite the hasp and slid it up against the wood my heart leapt as I heard the hasp fly up out outside and with a push the door opened we are saved I shouted we are saved by a mirical bill you are a genius gasped poor Clinton but now how about the stone at the end of the passage we will soon see about that I cried taking the lantern half the danger is over at any rate and

the worst half too we rush along the passage and up the stair until we reached the top why Clinton I cried holding up the lantern the place was not shut at all nor was it in his Terror he had imagined it I could not see in the dark and I was nearly dead with fright he said oh Bell let us get out of this as quickly as we can we crushed through the aperture and once more stood in the chapel I then pushed the stone back into its place Dawn was just breaking when we escaped from the chapel we haste

ned across to the house in the hall the clock pointed to five well we have had an awful time I said as we stood in the hall together but at least Clinton the end was worth the ghastly Terror I have knocked the bottom out of your family Legend forever I don't even now quite understand he said don't you but it is so easy that coffin never contained a body at all but was filled as you perceive with fragments of magnetic iron ore for what diabolical purposes the cell was intended it is of course imp

ossible to say but that it must have been meant as a human trap there is little doubt out the inventor certainly exercised no small Ingenuity when he devised his diabolical plot for it was obvious that the door which was made of iron would swing towards the coffin wherever it happened to be placed thus the door would shut if the coffin were inside the cell and would remain open if the coffin were brought out a clever method for simulating a spiritual agency it would be hard to find of course the

monk must have known well that magnetic iron ore never loses its quality and would ensure the deception remaining potent for ages but how did you discover by means of our watches asked Clinton anyone who understands magnetism can reply to that I said it is a well-known fact that a strong magnet plays havoc with watches the fact of both our watches go going wrong first gave me a clue to the mystery later in the day the whole of this strange Affair was explained to miss Ken and not long afterward

s the passage and entrance to the chapel were bricked up it is needless to add that 6 months later the pair were married and I believe are as happy as they deserve you've been listening to a bite-sized audio book read by me Simon Stan hope if you'd like to help me to keep producing new content you can find links in the video description destion to my patreon page or to buy me a coffee another way to support me is through my Band Camp Page bad-sized audio. bandcamp.com where you can hear my narra

tions of many more classic short stories and you can also purchase and download them to keep this recording is copyright bit-sized audio 2023 thank you for listening