In 's
celebrated short story "," Mrs. Sappleton's niece, Vera, is introduced to the neurotic
Framton Nuttel, who arrives at Mrs. Sappleton's country home in hopes of resting his nerves.
After Vera asks several probing questions and learns that Framton is not familiar with her aunt
or the region, she proceeds to tell Mr. Nuttel an unsettling fabricated story about why her aunt
keeps her large French window open. Vera tells Mr. Nuttel that three years ago, Mrs. Sappleton's
husband and two brothers went out shooting in the forest and tragically drowned in a treacherous
bog. According to Vera, her aunt never got over their deaths and, since then, has always kept
the French window open, hoping that one day they will return.
Framton
believes the story, as Vera anticipates the arrival of her uncles. When Vera's uncles begin
walking toward the French window, Framton is overcome with fear and thinks that ghosts are
approaching the home, which is exactly how Vera wanted Framton to react. He sprints out of the
home. When Mrs. Sappleton inquires about Framton's erratic behavior, Vera tells another
fabricated story to explain his reaction. Saki's final line explains Vera's intention behind
lying to Framton. Saki writes,
Romance at short notice was
her [Vera's] speciality.
Essentially, Vera has an
affinity for making up stories and causing mischief as a way to entertain herself. Vera simply
found Framton an easy target and took pleasure in making up a tale that would hopefully frighten
the neurotic stranger. She saw an opportunity to exercise her impressive storytelling skills and
desired to entertain herself, which is why she lied to Framton Nuttel.
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