II: Perkins explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• The Occult and Supernatural

  The chapter is steeped in occult themes: Perkins acts as a medium, Derrick senses vibrations from the past, and the study is portrayed as a repository of absorbed emotions and evil. The supernatural is treated as a tangible force.

• The Psychology of Place

  Beech Lodge's study is depicted as having a psychological impact on its inhabitants, absorbing and radiating emotions. The room itself becomes a character, influencing Derrick's perceptions and memories.

• Fear and Paranoia

  Fear permeates the chapter: Mr. Millicent died in fear, Mrs. Millicent was frightened, and Derrick experiences unease. Perkins warns that fear is useless, suggesting that paranoia is a barrier to understanding the supernatural.

Characters to notice

• Perkins

  Perkins is revealed as a mystic figure who believes the house has absorbed evil from the past. She communicates with the spirit of Mr. Millicent and guides Derrick toward understanding the supernatural forces at play.

• Mr. John Derrick

  Derrick becomes increasingly attuned to the supernatural atmosphere of Beech Lodge. He experiences visions and vibrations, and feels a growing conviction that he is meant to uncover the mystery of Millicent's death.

• Mr. Millicent

  Though deceased, Mr. Millicent's presence is strongly felt through his portrait and the lingering evil in the study. Perkins believes his spirit is trying to communicate a warning or plea for help.

• Jean Millicent

  Mentioned as Mr. Millicent's daughter who refuses to speak about the supernatural events. Perkins notes that Jean does not understand the occult aspects of the house.

• Mrs. Millicent

  Referenced as being frightened by the supernatural atmosphere of Beech Lodge, unlike her husband and daughter.

• Mr. Jarrad

  One of the inventory men who interrupts Derrick and Perkins. He is deferential and notices a stain on the desk, hinting at the room's dark history.

Key passages

• “You believe that all this has sucked in year after year something from mortality, something that is never quite lost, till, in time, wood and stone and paper become something much more than this, and radiate back to us, if we can only catch it, the wisdom and courage and love and evil they have so long absorbed.”

  Derrick asks Perkins if she believes that the room has absorbed human emotions over the years, making the materials themselves capable of radiating those feelings back to those who are sensitive enough to perceive them.

  This quote encapsulates the central supernatural theme of the chapter: the idea that places can retain and emit the emotional residue of past events.

• “Last time it was evil in Beech Lodge. The evil had been here for months and years, growing stronger and stronger. It began when Mr. Millicent got back from the East, and it never stopped.”

  Perkins reveals that the evil in the house started when Mr. Millicent returned from the East, and it intensified over time, ultimately leading to his death.

  This connects the supernatural evil to Mr. Millicent's travels, hinting at a possible curse or object brought from abroad.

• “As the wireless operator tunes his set till it abstracts from the invisible only that which is carried by its own individual wavelength and remains unaffected by all others, so Derrick began to pick up a series of vibrations that in a queer and remote fashion he recognized, but could not as yet interpret.”

  Derrick compares his growing sensitivity to the supernatural to a radio operator tuning into a specific frequency, suggesting he is beginning to perceive hidden spiritual signals from the past.

  This metaphor reflects early 20th-century technology and spiritualist ideas, blending science with the occult.