Tales of Men and Ghosts
Wharton, Edith, 1862-1937
English
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Below is a summary of Tales of Men and Ghosts
Edited by Charles Aldarondo Aldarondo@yahoo.com
TALES OF MEN AND GHOSTS
BY
EDITH WHARTON
LONDON
1910
CONTENTS
I _The Bolted Door_
II _His Father's Son_
III _The Daunt Diana_
IV _The Debt_
V _Full Circle_
VI _The Legend_
VII _The Eyes_
VIII _The Blond Beast_
IX _Afterward_
X _The Letters_
THE BOLTED DOOR
I
HUBERT GRANICE, pacing the length of his pleasant lamp-lit library,
paused to compare his watch with the clock on the chimney-piece.
Three minutes to eight.
In exactly three minutes Mr. Peter Ascham, of the eminent legal firm
of Ascham and Pettilow, would have his punctual hand on the
door-bell of the flat. It was a comfort to reflect that Ascham was
so punctual--the suspense was beginning to make his host nervous.
And the sound of the door-bell would be the beginning of the
end--after that there'd be no going back, by God--no going back!
Granice resumed his pacing. Each time he reached the end of the room
opposite the door he caught his reflection in the Florentine mirror
above the fine old walnut _credence_ he had picked up at Dijon--saw
himself spare, quick-moving, carefully brushed and dressed, but
furrowed, gray about the temples, with a stoop which he corrected by
a spasmodic straightening of the shoulders whenever a glass
confronted him: a tired middle-aged man, baffled, beaten, worn out.
As he summed himself up thus for the third or fourth time the door
opened and he turned with a thrill of relief to greet his guest. But
it was only the man-servant who entered, advancing silently over the
mossy surface of the old Turkey rug.
"Mr. Ascham telephones, sir, to say he's unexpectedly detained and
can't be here till eight-thirty."
Granice made a curt gesture of annoyance. It was becoming harder and
harder for him to control these reflexes. He turned on his heel,
tossing to the servant over his shoulder: "Very good. Put off
dinner."
Down his spine he felt the man's injured stare. Mr. Granice had
always been so mild-spoken to his people--no doubt the odd change in
his manner had already been noticed and discussed below stairs. And
very likely they suspected the cause. He stood drumming on the
writing-table till he heard the servant go out; then he threw
himself into a chair, propping his elbows on the table and resting
his chin on his locked hands.
Another half hour alone with it!
He wondered irritably what could have detained his guest. Some
professional matter, no doubt--the punctilious lawyer would have
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