by M R James
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A View from a Hill
THERE’S MORE TO THIS THAN MEETS THE EYE ….
Here’s an uncanny tale.
An academic, Mr Fanshawe, is enjoying a summer visit to a new friend in the country, Squire Richards. He cycles the two miles from the station to the Squire’s residence, and after tea, the Squire suggests a walk in the surrounding park, so that the visitor can get his bearings for wider exploration during his stay. Mr Fanshawe borrows a pair of binoculars – old fashioned, heavy things, in a box with sharp corners on which he cuts himself as he struggles to open it.