The Sundial by Shirley Jackson Read Free Book Online Page A

not today.”
    â€œFancy saw him,” Aunt Fanny said wildly.
    â€œI did not,” Fancy said. “I never saw anyone this morning except my mother and my grandmother and Miss Ogilvie and Essex—”
    â€œWe went for a walk,” Aunt Fanny said.
    â€œI did
not
go for any walk,” Fancy said.
    â€œShe has been with me since I woke up,” Maryjane said with finality.
    â€œThe secret garden was changed, and it was dark and the mist—”
    â€œAunt Fanny,” Essex said, bending over her sympathetically, “suppose you tell us just what happened. Slowly, and try not to cry.”
    â€œEssex,” said Aunt Fanny, crying.
    â€œShe is hysterical,” said Mrs. Halloran. “Slap her quite firmly in the face.”
    â€œPlease, Aunt Fanny. Tell us exactly.”
    Aunt Fanny caught her breath and accepted a handkerchief from Miss Ogilvie to wipe her eyes. Then, although her voice was trembling, she said, “I could not sleep. I thought I would go for a walk. It was very dark, and misty, but I knew the sun was going to rise soon. I met Fancy on the terrace—”
    â€œYou did not.”
    â€œFancy, why don’t you tell the truth? I’m not blaming you; Aunt Fanny
loves
you.”
    â€œBut I
did
n’t.”
    â€œGo on, Aunt Fanny,” Essex said. “We’ll sort it all out later.”
    â€œWe walked down the side path, toward the secret garden. Then we saw the gardener and Fancy said he looked funny.”
    â€œI
did
n’t.”
    â€œYou
did
, you bad wicked girl. And we came to the garden, but it was changed. Dirty. Horrible. I was lost, and I couldn’t find the way out, and Fancy ran away and I called her and called her and there were hundreds and hundreds of statues and they were warm.” Aunt Fanny shivered. “And I couldn’t find the summer house and I sat on a bench and thought about Essex and how he might help me—”
    â€œI am not sure how much of this nonsense I can hear,” Mrs. Halloran said.
    â€œâ€”and then I found the summer house and started to run to the house but it was so dark and the mist was so thick and when I came to the sundial my father was there.”
    â€œI saw her running,” Miss Ogilvie said. “At the breakfast table, I glanced out and thought, ‘There comes Aunt Fanny, running down the lawn.’ I confess I was startled. But it was quite light.”
    â€œThe sun has been shining brightly for two hours,” Essex said. “There is not a cloud in the sky.”
    â€œIt was dark,” Aunt Fanny said.
    â€œI saw you quite clearly running down the lawn,” Miss Ogilvie said. “The sun was shining and I thought, ‘There comes Aunt Fanny, running down the lawn.’”
    â€œWhat did your father have to say?” Mrs. Halloran inquired curiously. “I hope he sent his best to the rest of us?”
    Aunt Fanny sat up suddenly, staring. “I forgot,” she said. “I forgot to tell you, all of you, and I was supposed to bring the message right back here.” She began to cry again. “He will be angry,” she said.
    â€œWell, tell us now,” Essex said. He glanced at Mrs. Halloran and said quietly, “I wonder if we should have a doctor?”
    â€œAn alienist,” Mrs. Halloran said, and snorted. “Gardeners working before breakfast,” she said.
    â€œHe said to tell you there was danger. He said—” Aunt Fanny, wringing her hands, tried to be exact, “—he said there was danger, but this house was safe. That he would protect us. He said it over and over again, that there was danger but this house was safe. He said we must stay in the house.”
    â€œDid he
indeed?
” Mrs. Halloran said, and Essex, looking over his shoulder, laughed at her.
    â€œHe said fire would come, and he said it would be black fire. He said there was danger, and he would protect the house, and we