The Bride

by M.P. Shiel

an excerpt from the They met at Krupp and Mason's, musical-instrument-makers, of Little Britain, E.C., where Walter had been employed two years, and then came Annie to typewrite, and be serviceable. They began to "go out" together after six o'clock; and when Mrs. Evans, Annie's mamma, lost her lodger, Annie mentioned it, and Walter went to live with them at No. 13 Culford Road, N.; by which time Annie and Walter might almost be said to have been engaged. His salary, however, was only thirty shillings a week. He was the thorough Cockney, Walter; a well-set-up person of thirty, strong-shouldered, with a square brow, a moustache, and black acne-specks in his nose and pale face. It was on the night of his arrival at No. 13, that he for the first time saw Rachel, Annie's younger sister. Both girls, in fact, were named "Rachel"--after a much-mourned mother of Mrs. Evans'; but Annie Rachel was called "Annie," and Mary Rachel was called "Rachel." Rachel helped Walter at the handle of his box to the top-back room, and here, in the lamplight he was able to see that she was a tallish girl, with hair almost black, and with a sprinkling of freckles on her very white, thin nose, on the tip of which stood collected, usually, some little sweats. She was thin-faced, and her top teeth projected a little so that her lips only closed with effort, she not so pretty as pink-and-white little Annie, though one could guess, at a glance, that she was a person more to be respected. "What do you think of him?" said Annie, meeting Rachel as she came down. "He seems a nice fellow," Rachel "rather goodlooking. And strong in the back, you bet."

Genres: Short Stories

22 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 1902

About the author

Matthew Phipps Shiel was a prolific British writer of West Indian descent. His legal surname remained "Shiell" though he adopted the shorter version as a de facto pen name.

He is remembered mostly for supernatural and scientific romances. His work was published as serials, novels, and as short stories. The Purple Cloud (1901; 1929) remains his most famous and often reprinted novel.

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a reason I seldom read short stories, because they're short. Give me long stories any day. Novel length long. But sometimes I read them, and sometimes I like them enough to read over again and remember what they were about. This isn't one of them. Before too long I will forget the entire story which is my reason for not reading them in the first place.

Like I said, this isn't one I will remember for long. Two sisters are in love with same man. He can't decide which one he loves. There is a mysterious death or two and of course a ghost. Or is it? Read the story then let me know I'm not sure.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐


The story revolves around the lives of Walter, a very religious man employed at a musical instrument shop, and Annie, a typist who becomes his romantic interest. Their relationship develops as Walter moves into and boards with Annie's family. There he meets her younger sister, Rachel. Rachel falls passionately in love with Walter and Walter eventually falls for her. A warped romance occurs with Walter and the two jealous sisters. A truly weird fiction ending is the climax to this tale hinging on confused feelings and dramatic transformations of personality.

[MB Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Synopsis: Weak-willed, religious, working man falls in love with two sisters and can't decide which to marry.

An odd little tale from the turn of the last century. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this story. I was hoping for fantasy or horror, but after the first couple of pages I was expecting some sort of light romance story. (Although the cover for the book at Barnes & Noble, The Bride, gave me some hope I was wrong, as did it's inclusion in Great Irish Tales of Horror: A Treasury of Fear.)

Eventually my hopes were proved founded in fact, although just barely. The story ends rather abruptly and not well for all concerned.