Review of “Scoured Silk” by Marjorie Bowen: Halloween Countdown

Plot:

Some twenty years earlier, Mr. Humphrey Orford moved to Covent Garden with his young wife. The understanding is that his family was from Suffolk, where he had considerable estates that he never visited. Only a few weeks after they arrived, his wife, Flora, fell ill and passed away. He erected a small plaque: Flora, wife of Humphrey Orford, Esq. of this Parish, died November 1713, Aged 27 Years.

Mr. Orford settled into a scholar’s life until he decided he wished to marry again and chose Miss Elisa Minden, the daughter of his friend Dr. Minden. The narrator tells the reader there was nothing remarkable about the match; Mr. Orford was “not much above forty-five or so, an elegant, well-looking man, wealthy, with no vices and a calm, equable temper.” Miss Elisa, “though pretty and well-mannered, had an insufficient dowry, [and] no mother to fend for her.”

Mr. Orford even talked of giving up his bookish ways for his intended and taking a trip to Italy. He’d always wanted to see Italy.

Shortly before they were to be married, he brought Miss Minden to the church to see where the first Mrs. Orford lay buried.

Not creepy at all.

“That is to her memory,” he told her. “And you see, there is nothing said as to her virtues.”

Well, that’s ambiguous. And the creepy vibe just shot to eleven.

“She’s buried under your feet,” Mr. Orford continues. “Quite close to where you are standing. Why, think of that, Lizzie, if she could stand up and put out her hand, she could catch hold of your dress.”

Oh, but don’t worry, he tells her when she starts to tremble. Flora is dead.

Do you think Lizzie can get her deposit back from wherever they’re holding the reception? *SHUDDER*

Thoughts:

It really is the quiet ones you have to watch out for.

The story starts slowly. Several pages in, the narrator says, “And [this] is really the beginning of the story.” Yet, the author creates such an atmosphere of dread in what had been ordinary—if not dull—circumstances that the slow boil is not only forgivable but also useful.

Elisa seems a little slow on the uptake, but our heroine is merely crossing her t’s and dotting her i’s. Because she’s been paying attention, she solves a mystery that baffles everyone else. Never fear; the bad guy gets his comeuppance in spades.

I would hesitate to call this great literature, but this was fun in a Sunday matinee sort of way. I enjoyed it, even if I guessed what was going on.



Bio: Marjorie Bowen (legal name Gabrielle Margaret Vere Campbell Long) (1885-1952) was a prolific British author of horror, historical fiction, mystery, and crime fiction under various pseudonyms. Her alcoholic father left the family and was later found dead in the street. She turned to writing to help support her mother and sister (the Encyclopedia of Fantasy refers to them as “extravagant.”) and later her own children.


This story can be read here:


This story can be listened to here: (53:39)


Title: “Scoured Silk”
Author: Marjorie Bowen (legal name Gabrielle Margaret Vere Campbell Long) (1885-1952)
First published: All-Story Weekly, June 8, 1918
Length: novelette