Catherine's Quest Page #2

"Catherine's Quest" is a captivating novella by Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu, revolving around the titular character, Catherine. The story explores themes of love, identity, and the supernatural as Catherine embarks on a journey marked by mystery and intrigue. Set against a backdrop of rich Gothic elements, the narrative delves into her encounters with enigmatic figures and the struggles she faces in her search for truth and fulfillment. Le Fanu's evocative prose and gripping storytelling create an engaging tale that combines romance with an exploration of the darker facets of human nature.

• Horror

								

is that you will have the wooden daïs in front of the laundry window
removed."

Mr. Fanshawe certainly was taken aback, as were we all. When he had
mastered his bewilderment, and assured himself that he had heard
aright--

"It is, indeed, a strange request, my dear Catherine," said he; "what
can be your reason for asking such a thing?"

"If you will only have it done, and not question me, you will understand
my reason," answered Catherine.

Mr. Fanshawe demurred, however, thinking it some foolish whim, and at
last Catherine said:

"I must tell you why I wish it done, then: I am sure we shall discover
something underneath."

At this we all looked at one another in extreme bewilderment.

"Discover something underneath? No doubt we should--cobwebs, probably,
and dust and spiders," answered Mr. Fanshawe, much amused.

But Catherine was not to be laughed down.

"Only do as I wish," said she beseechingly, "and you will see. If you
find nothing underneath the daïs but cobwebs and dust, then you may
laugh at me as much as you like." And I saw that she was serious, for
tears were actually gathering in her eyes. Of course we were all very
anxious to know what Catherine expected to find, and how she came to
suspect that there was anything to be found; but she would not say, and
begged us all not to question her.

And now George took upon himself to interfere.

"Let us do as Catherine wishes, father," said he; "the daïs spoils the
laundry, and would be much better away."

"Well, well," said Mr. Fanshawe, "do as you like, only I shall expect my
share of the treasure that is found.--And now," added he, "you must have
a glass of wine to warm you, Catherine, for you look sadly pale, child."

Here the conversation changed, though we often alluded to the subject
again during the evening.

The next morning the first thing in all our thoughts was Catherine's
singular request.

I think Mr. Fanshawe had hoped she would have forgotten it, but such
was not the case; on the contrary, she enlisted George's services the
first thing after breakfast to carry out her design, and they left the
room together, accompanied by Ella.

It was a snowy morning, and Mr. Fanshawe was obliged to be away from
home all day on business, so I was quite at a loss how to entertain my
numerous guests successfully. Happily for me, however, the mystery
attendant on the removal of the daïs in the laundry charmed them all;
and I have to thank Catherine for contributing to their amusement much
better than I could possibly have done.

Not long after the disappearance of Catherine, Ella, and George, a
message was sent to us in the drawing-room requesting our presence in
the laundry; and on all flocking there with more or less eagerness, we
found a fire burning on the old-fashioned hearth and chairs arranged
round it.

It appeared that with the help of Sam, our factotum, who was a kind of
Jack-of-all-trades, George had succeeded in loosening the planks of the
daïs, which, although strongly put together, were rotten and worm-eaten,
and that we were now summoned to be witnesses of its removal. We found
Catherine trembling with a strange eagerness, and her face quite pale
with excitement. This was shared by Ella and George; and, judging by the
important expression on their faces, I fancied they were let further
into the secret than any one else.

We all sat down in the chairs placed for our accommodation, and the wild
whistling of the wind in the huge chimney, together with the sheets of
snow which darkened the window-panes, enhanced the mystery of the whole
affair, while George and his coadjutor worked lustily on.

At length, after a great deal of panting and puffing, George was heard
to exclaim, "Now for the tug of war!" and there followed a minute's
pause, and then a crash as the loosened planks were torn asunder, and a
cloud of dust enveloped both workmen and spectators.

Involuntarily we all started forward, and a moment of the direst
confusion ensued, during which the boys of our party greatly endangered
their limbs among the broken boards.

"By George!" exclaimed my son at last--in his eagerness invoking his
patron saint--as he stumbled upon something, "there is something here
and no mistake;" and, hastily clearing away the rubbish and clinging
cobwebs, he disclosed to view what proved on examination to be an
immense oaken chest, about four feet in height, heavily carved, and
ornamented with brass mouldings corroded with age and damp.

Here was a piece of excitement indeed; never in my most imaginative
moments had I thought of anything so mysterious as this. The most
sceptical among us grew interested.

"Oh, do open it!" cried Ella, when the first exclamations of surprise
were over.

"Easier to say than to do, miss," replied Sam, exerting his Herculean
strength in vain. With the aid of a hammer and the kitchen-poker,
however, he at last succeeded in forcing it open. We all pressed forward
eagerly to peer inside. There was something in it certainly, but we none
of us could determine what, until Sam, who was the boldest of us all,
thrust in his hand and brought forth--something which caused the bravest
to start with horror, while poor Catherine sank down, white and
trembling, upon the littered floor. It was a bone, to which adhered
fragments of decaying silk.

The consternation and conjectures which followed can be better imagined
than described. Seeing the effects of the discovery upon Catherine, and
indeed upon all, I bade Sam replace it in the chest, which George closed
again, to be left until Mr. Fanshawe came home and could investigate the
matter.

The rest of the day I passed in attending to Catherine, who seemed much
shocked and overcome by what she had seen, and in trying to divert my
guests' thoughts from the subject, and dispel the gloom which had
gathered over all. In this I succeeded only partially, and never did I
welcome my husband's return more gladly than on that evening.

On his arrival I would not let him be disturbed by the relation of what
had happened until he had finished his dinner, and it was not till we
were gathered as usual round the fire that George related the whole
story to him.

When he ended the two gentlemen left the room together, in order that
Mr. Fanshawe might verify by his own eyes what he would hardly believe.

They were some time gone, and on their return I noticed that my husband
held in his hand an old piece of soiled parchment, with mouldy seals
affixed to it.

"We certainly have discovered much more than I thought for, Catherine,"
said he, "and possibly more than you thought for either." Here he paused
for her to reply, but she did not.

"The bones are most probably those of some animal," added he--I fancied
I could detect a certain anxiety in his tone that belied what he said;
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