# XIII: The Last Words of Mr. Secretan explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by Arthur Machen.

## What happens

Mr. Secretan recounts his harrowing days trapped at Treff Loyne farm after a mysterious and deadly force besieges the house. Following the murder of old Griffith and an attack on young Griffith, the inhabitants are confined indoors, slowly losing their sanity as they run out of water and food. Secretan describes eerie visions of a dark, burning tree with eyes of fire, his futile attempts to call for help, and the gradual descent into madness shared by all, culminating in hallucinatory religious imagery.

## Themes in this chapter

### Madness and Psychological Horror

Secretan and the others descend into shared madness, hallucinating, digging futilely, and losing track of day and night.

### Supernatural and the Divine

The dark burning tree with eyes of fire, the ancient devils Mrs. Griffith mentions, and the final vision of a cathedral chant suggest a supernatural, quasi-religious terror.

### The Urban Mystery

Secretan contrasts the peaceful isolation he sought at Treff Loyne with the 'jangle and rattle' of London, yet the rural terror proves more profound.

## Character check-ins

### Mr. Secretan

Narrator of the chapter, trapped at Treff Loyne, descending into madness and thirst.

### Tom Griffith

Old Griffith, killed by the mysterious force in the farmyard.

### Young Griffith

Son of old Griffith, attacked when trying to fetch water, later digs a subterranean passage in desperation.

### Mrs. Griffith

Wife of old Griffith, murmurs about ancient devils and broken Latin.

## Key lines

> I used to wonder sometimes what one would feel like if one saw an apple drop from the tree and shoot up into the air and disappear. I think I know now how one would feel.

Secretan reflects that witnessing the impossible—like a falling apple reversing its path—is exactly how it feels to see the unnatural events at the farm.

_Illustrates the surreal, reality-breaking nature of the terror._

> Incipit liber irae Domini Dei nostri.

Here begins the book of the wrath of the Lord our God.

_The final hallucinated chant, suggesting a divine or apocalyptic judgment._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_6_se/chapters/xiii-the-last-words-of-mr-secretan
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_6_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_6_se/chapters