Summaries of Nine Ghost Stories By M. R. James

By Daniel Zimmermann

This e-book treats the following stories: Lost Hearts, Mezzotint, The Ash Tree, Number 13, Count Magnus, A School Story, and three others. They present all the essentials of the plot. For those who have not yet read M. R. James, this e-book is an excellent introduction. For those acquainted with this author, this e-book is an excellent review.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312478312

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Summaries of Nine Ghost Stories By M. R. James

Summaries of Nine Ghost Stories By M. R. James

Daniel Zimmermann

Lost Hearts

Mr. Abney was a professor of Greek at Cambridge University. He was deeply versed in ancient pagan religions and philosophies, such as Neo-Platonism and the worship of Mithras. His residence was Aswarby Hall in Lincolnshire. He lived alone, attended by servants.

In the year 1811, his cousin Stephen Elliot became a member of his household. The lad was an orphan. He was twelve years old.

When Stephen arrived at Aswarby Hall, Mr. Abney greeted him in a friendly fashion. He seemed especially interested in knowing Stephen's age and birthday. After a brief conversation, he instructed his butler to conduct the boy to the room of Mrs. Bunch.

Mrs. Bunch was an amiable lady. Stephen was an inquisitive boy, and Mrs. Bunch gladly answered his questions.

One day Stephen asked Mrs. Bunch whether Mr. Abney was a good man and whether he would go to heaven. In reply, she praised Mr. Abney's kindness. She explained that on two different occasions he had given shelter to homeless children.

Since Stephen wanted to know more about these children, Mrs. Bunch told him all that she knew. The first child was apparently a gipsy girl. She stayed for only three weeks. Then she mysteriously disappeared. Mrs. Bunch thought that the gypsies had carried her away. The boy was a foreigner called Jevanny. He had come playing a hurdy-gurdy one winter day. Mr. Abney took him in. However, he also mysteriously disappeared. Strangely, he did not take his hurdy-gurdy with him.

One night Stephen had a nightmare. There was an unused bathroom located near his own room. In his dream, he looked into this room through its glazed door. He saw an emaciated figure in a shroud-like garment. Her hands were pressed tightly over her heart. She seemed to moan, and her arms began to stir.

The sight caused Stephen to awaken. He went to see if the figure was really there. The door was kept locked, but he saw no one when he looked through the glazed window.

One night Stephen's nightgown was ripped. It was just as if some animal had run its claws over the nightgown along the area just over Stephen's heart. There were similar claw marks on Stephen's bedroom door. Mrs. Bunch was puzzled. Mr. Abney seemed interested, and noted the occurrence in his book.

On another occasion, Mr. Parkes, the butler, told Mrs. Bunch that he heard voices in the wine-cellar. He thought that the rats were conversing with one another. Mr. Parkes did not know that Stephen could hear what he was saying. When Stephen's presence was brought to his attention, he told the child that he was joking.