Ghost Story Review: "The Power of Darkness" by E. Nesbit

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Edward and Vincent are old school friends seeing off Rose, the belle of the Artists’ Quarter in Montparnasse, from her studio. She’s going to visit her people on the Riviera. Not a single glance from Rose goes Edward’s way—at least not till the very last moment. This doesn’t escape Vincent’s notice, for he loves Rose, as do all the guys. Nevertheless, they are friends. Once Rose is gone, the two agree to spend some time together until Edward has to catch a train back home. They go to the Musée Grévin, which is not so much a museum but a waxworks. Vincent knows a secret about Edward. Edward is afraid of the dark. As a boy of eight, he snuck downstairs after a dinner his parents had for guests to see if there were any goodies left over only to be confronted by a silent figure in white with gray-white hands and a gray-white face. He was terrified. And finding out the next day that what he saw was a statue his father had bought for the dinner did little to ease his terror. Now in the waxworks, both men as fascinated by the figures and scenes they see—Marie Antoinette, the Dauphine, the Christians in the catacombs of Rome. They are so lifelike, but so still. Edward is a little nervous, and Vincent teases him. They make a bet that neither of them could spend a night in the museum. Vincent is convinced this will be the easiest five pounds he’ll ever make. Of course, nothing goes to plan. There is a nice build of suspense as Vincent, alone in the museum starts to get a little edgy. What was that? Talking to Edward must have made him nervous. This can’t end happily. A bit of irony, of course. The story is attributed to Elizabeth Nesbit, but author is Edith Nesbit Bland, more well-known for her children's books. She and her husband were active in the socialist movement in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This story is available at Project Gutenberg: _____ Title: “The Power of Darkness Author: Elizabeth Nesbit (Edith Nesbit Bland) (1858-1924) First published: The Strand April 1905 Source: ISFDB