Hmm, looks like someone tried to comment, but fumbled. I hope the rest of you can do better!
A quick poll. Should I include more Twilight jokes in this liveblog?
- Yes! Making fun of Twilight never gets old.
- No! That's way too easy of a target.
- Pie! I like baked desserts.
- Other! (Please Elaborate)
—-
Flora wakes up and feels that with some help from her mother, should be able to get out of bed.
The brothers are much cheered by this seeming recovery, but as soon as they're out of earshot, Henry announces that he thinks it best to visit the family vault. His reasoning is thus: so far all the evidence seems to point to a real vampire who is their ancestor. Therefore, they should check the coffin of this progenitor. If he lies mouldering in the grave, that's a big weight off their minds. If he's not there, they're not any worse off than now.
George points out that the dead man might be decomposed, but Henry is pretty sure that the lead and stone coffins would have kept some of the remains intact.
Mr. Marchdale returns from searching the area where they saw the supposed vampire the night before, not having found any clues. He agrees with Henry's reasoning.
Now, when to go? Obviously at night, when the church is deserted and no one will ask embarrassing questions. And if they're caught, well, the Bannerworth family owns their vault, so they have an absolute right to visit it at any time, and in any manner they please. Hurrah for capitalism! What's more, the family vault is just below the family pew in the church, and Henry has the trap-door key. So they'll just need a screwdriver and crowbar to open the coffin itself.
Next problem: If all the men are at the church making sure the coffin is full, who's guarding Flora at night, when the vampire is most likely to be active? Especially since they still haven't caught on that Flora is mentally strong, and feel they must conceal the nature of their mission from her.
When Henry vaguely consults Flora, she swallows her fear and claims that her mother will do just fine as a watcher. But she also hints at "self-defense" and Henry catches on. He loads a couple of pistols for her. Turns out she's had firearms training and is a decent shot.
"If ever human being was justified in the use of deadly weapons, I am now" says Flora.
Henry also goes off to the village to invite Mr. Chillingworth to join the expedition.
It occurs to me here that back in Chapter One, only two nights ago, the village was hit by hurricane-force winds, the worst hailstorm in a century and the mill was set on fire. Yet on neither of Henry's visits to the village is the devastation mentioned at all.
My guess is that Henry's too wrapped up in his own problems to notice how bad everyone else has it. Be that as it may, Mr. Chillingworth agrees to come.
The night is cloudy, but the only slightly waning moon is still able to give enough light to travel by. They're about a mile out from the manor when Mr. Marchdale (evidently not a smoker) realizes that he hasn't brought anything to light the candles with.
Just as he's about to run back for a firestarter, the trio is met by Mr. Chillingworth, who just so happens to make his own matches, and carry samples at all times. As a doctor he sucks, but he knows his chemistry.
The village church is actually a mile outside the village, between the Bannerworth house and the town. All to the better for secrecy! There's a glebe house (parsonage) and a couple of caretaker cottages, but no one seems to be stirring in them.
We then learn that this is an old Norman-style church made of good English flint, with Gothic windows and in the center of a graveyard. This is not used for creepiness at all, the author instead emphasizing how pretty and picturesque it is. Exactly the lovely sort of church that "are as rapidly being pulled down as the abuse of modern architects, and the cupidity of speculators, and the vanity of clergymen can possibly encourage, in order to erect flimsy Italianized structures in their stead..."
Now that our heroes are there, and the clouds getting thicker, how to get in? The sturdy locked doors are out. The windows, however, are made with small diamond-shaped panes; remove one near the fastening and one should be able to reach in and unlock it. Since the panes are held in place by soft lead, Henry is easily able to pry one out, planning to replace it on their return.
Marchdale finds it so easy that he's surprised the place hasn't been robbed before. Mr. Chillingworth explains that there's nothing worth stealing except maybe the ancient velvet upholstery on the pulpit. (Evidently the church belongs to the more ascetic branch of the Church of England.)
Once inside, Marchdale mentions "the secrets of the tomb", at which Chillingworth scoffs. The most unusual thing they are likely to find is the stench of rotting flesh. He has no compunctions about touching corpses, necessary to learn surgery and practice crime detection.
They head to the Bannerworth family pew, beneath which lies the family burial vault. It hasn't been opened since the funeral of Mr. Bannerworth about ten months ago. Henry unlocks the vault and removes the screws holding down the trap-door.
The intrepid quartet descend the stairs, and George lampshades just how bizarre this set of circumstances is. The floor of the vault is tessellated with red tiles; it's a relatively small room, and the smell is not as bad as feared.
Mr. Marchdale opens the packet of candles, and something falls out! Turns out he hadn't forgotten the matches after all.
—-
Your thoughts and comments?
