In the midst of this debris, wedged between a fallen plank and a cluster of cemented bricks from the ruined chimney, was an object destined to cause more bafflement, veiled fright, and openly superstitious talk in Arkham than anything else discovered in the haunted and accursed building. This object was the partly crushed skeleton of a huge,[307] diseased rat, whose abnormalities of form are still a topic of debate and source of singular reticence among the members of Miskatonic’s department of comparative anatomy. Very little concerning this skeleton has leaked out, but the workmen who found it whisper in shocked tones about the long, brownish hairs with which it was associated.
The bones of the tiny paws, it is rumoured,[308] imply prehensile characteristics more typical of a diminutive monkey than of a rat;[309] while the small skull with its savage yellow fangs is of the utmost anomalousness, appearing from certain angles like a miniature, monstrously degraded parody of a human skull. The workmen crossed themselves in fright when they came upon this blasphemy, but later burned candles of gratitude in St. Stanislaus’ Church because of the shrill, ghostly tittering they felt they would never hear again.
Editor’s Note: HPL’s A.Ms. is an extensively revised pencil draft and presumably represents his final wishes for the story. He was too discouraged by recent setbacks to type the story, but August Derleth did so without HPL’s knowledge (see SL 4.146); it is on the whole reasonably accurate, although it makes several errors and omissions as well as introducing an erroneous hyphen in the title. Derleth sent this T.Ms. on his own initiative to Weird Tales (see SL 4.154), where it appeared—with the usual editorial alterations—in the issue for July 1933. The Weird Tales text made some celebrated blunders that HPL pointed out when he read the galleys (see SL 4.213), but which were not corrected before publication. HPL’s copy of the issue (JHL) contains only one correction in pencil (“known” for “human”). The first Arkham House edition (The Outsider and Others, 1939) wisely followed the T.Ms., hence its text is fairly sound; but in the 1964 reprint Derleth committed the incredible folly of following the Weird Tales appearance, with the result that its text is very poor. One is at a loss to understand why Derleth did not use his own earlier text to prepare the later one.
Texts: A = A.Ms. (JHL); B = T.Ms. (JHL) (as “The Dreams in the Witch-House”); C = Weird Tales 22, No. 1 (July 1933): 86–111 (as “The Dreams in the Witch-House”); D = The Outsider and Others (Arkham House, 1939), 194–216 (as “The Dreams in the Witch-House”); E = At the Mountains of Madness and Other Novels (Arkham House, 1964), 248–83 (as “The Dreams in the Witch-House”). Copy-text: A.
Notes
1. mouldy,] moldy, C, E
2. meagre] meager C, E
3. other, fainter] other, fainter, A, B, D; other fainter E
4. harboured] harbored C, E
5. harboured] harbored C, E
6. Gaol] jail C
7. gaoler] jailer C
8. small,] small B, C, D, E
9. grey] gray C, E
10. “Necronomicon”] Necronomicon A, B, C, D, E
11. “Book of Eibon”,] Book of Eibon, C, E
12. “Unaussprechlichen Kulten”] Unausprechlichen Kulten A, B; Unaussprechlichen Kulten C, D, E
13. Witch House] Witch-House C, E
14. indeed,] indeed D
15. the] om. D
16. 235] two hundred thirty-five E
17. May-Eve] May-/eve, D; May-Eve, E
18. mouldering] moldering C, E
19. seventeenth century] Seventeenth Century C, E
20. practiced] practised B, C, D, E
21. sombre] somber C, E
22. grey] gray C, E
23. shewed] showed B, C, D, E
24. cobwebbed] cob-/webbed C; cob-webbed E
25. colonial] Colonial C
26. already] om. E
27. inward-slanting] inward slanting D
28. other sounds] other sounds D
29. rattling—] rattling; C, E
30. county] country E
31. rumours,] rumors, C, E
32. blood—] blood, C, E
33. coloured] colored C, E
34. partly voluntary and] om. D
35. organisation] organization B, C, D, E
36. marvellously] marvelously B, C, E
37. suggested.] suggestd. E
38. masses] matter C, E
39. Cyclopean] cyclopean A, B, C, D, E
40. Arabesques] arabesques C, E
41. timbre,] timbre B, C, E; timber D
42. shewing] showing B, C, D, E
43. sagging,] sagging D
44. face—] face; C, E
45. hole—] hole, B, C, D, E
46. term.] term. ¶ C, E
47. those] these D
48. time,] time E
49. neighbouring] neighboring C, D, E
50. unwholesome,] unwholesome C, E
51. deny;] deny, B, C, D, E
52. phantasies,] fantasies, C, E
53. visions.] visions. But even at their worst those visions had a redeeming feature, for they were free from the exaggeration of sound which hounded all his waking hours. The pattering of the furry object and the tread of the slowly solidifying old woman were never above normal intensity, while there were no aural impressions at all in the alien abysses. Gradually he came to develop a fear lest he grow sensitive to sounds within the abysses, for he felt that A [excised]
54. abhorrent] absorbing C, E
55. fourth-dimensional] fourth dimensional D
56. trans-galactic] transgalactic E
57. everyone] every one C
58. similar-dimensional] similar dimensional B, C, D, E
59. other] om. D
60. lore] love C
61. ours.] ours. Upham had himself undertaken some odd researches and was prepared to weigh certain problems with a mind free from hard-boiled conventionality. A [excised]
62. delusions] delutions E
63. rat-scratchings] rat-scratching C, E
64. agonisingly] agonizingly C, E
65. occasion,] occasion B, D
66. there—] there; C, E
67. night-clothes] nightclothes B, C, D
68. advanced] advanced, C, E
69. loomfixer] loom-fixer C, E
70. Mazurewicz,] Mazurewiez, D
71. Mazurewicz] Mazurewiez D
72. furry,] furry E
73. Sabbath] Sabbat D
74. May-Eve] May Eve C, E
75. Walpurgis-Night,] Walpurgis-night, B, D; Walpurgis Night, C
76. doings—] doings; C, E
77. a] the C, E
78. sixteenth] 16th A, B, C, D
79. maddening] om. B, C, D, E
80. Man,] Man E
81. centre] center C, E
82. Chaos.] chaos. B, C, D, E
83. sign . . . Azathoth] sign the book of Azathoth in his own blood B, C, D, E
84. “Necronomicon”,] Necronomicon, A, B, C, D, E
85. crystallise] crystallize B, C, D, E
86. its] his B, C
87. “Nyarlathotep”.] “Nyarlathotep.” C, D, E
88. colours] colors C, E
89. clusters,] clusters B, C, D, E
90. 19–20th] 19–20 D, E
91. half-involuntarily] half involuntarily B, C, D, E
92. neighbouring] neighboring C, E
93. night-clothes,] nightclothes, B, D, E; night-/clothes, C
94. vapour] vapor C, E
95. vapour.] vapor. C, E
96. thing.] think. D
97. fore-paw] fore paw A
98. advanced] advanced, C, E
99. two] 2 A
100. lunch,] lunch E
101. connexion] connection C, D, E
102. ill-regarded] ill regarded B, D
103. labyrinthine] labyrinthin C
104. Mazurewicz] Mazurewiez D
105. realised] realized B, C, D, E
106. underfoot; . . . southeast,] underfoot, and B, C, D, E
107. wheel
ing] stealing B, C, D, E
108. Mazurewicz] Mazurewiez D
109. witch light.] witch-light. C, E
110. Patriots’] Patriot’s D
111. dark;] dark, B, C, D, E
112. witch light] witch-light C, E
113. on] on, C, E
114. before,] before; C, E
115. this] the B, C, D, E
116. harbourage.] harborage. C, E
117. where] were E
118. sleep-talking!] sleep-walking! D
119. story] storey A
120. southwest,] southward, B, C, D, E
121. half imagining] half-imagining A, B, D
122. slept] slept, C, E
123. thing— . . . before—] thing, . . . before, C, E
124. iridescent] irridescent D
125. half lying] half-lying A, B, D
126. discs] disks C, E
127. discs] disks C, E
128. of] om. E
129. colour] color C, E
130. this] the B, C, D, E
131. effulgences;] effulgences, B, C, D, E
132. ridged,] ridged B, C, D, E
133. spoke-like] spokelike B, D; spoke-/like E
134. ring,] ring B, C, D, E
135. up] up, C, E
136. Cyclopean] cyclopean A, B, C, E
137. half-dazed,] half dazed, A, B, C, D, E
138. oversensitive] over-sensitive A, B, C, D, E
139. unconscious—] unconscious; C, E
140. balustrade,] balustrade B, D
141. starfish-arms.] starfish arms. D
142. awaked] awoke E
143. hands,] hands C, E
144. bridge.] Bridge. D
145. diminished,] diminished B, D
146. three] 3 A
147. stumbled] shuffled B, C, D, E
148. Mazurewicz] Mazurewiez D
149. centre,] center, C, E
150. thin,] thin B, C, D, E
151. colour] color C, E
152. iridescent grey] iridescent gray B, C, E; irridescent gray D
153. green,] green; B, C, D, E
154. break] break, B, C, D, E
155. loomfixer] loom-/fixer C; loom-fixer E
156. mouldy] moldy C, E
157. a] om. B, C, D, E
158. disorganised] disorganized B, C, D, E
159. former] other D
160. centre] center C, E
161. counterpart] counter-/part B; counter-part D
162. colouration] coloration C, E
163. grey] gray B, C, D, E
164. 22nd] twenty-second E
165. crystallise] crystallize B, C, D, E
166. of form] om. B, C, D, E
167. milky, barely luminous] om. B, C, D, E
168. “Necronomicon”] Necronomicon A, B, C, D, E
169. curiously environed] om. E
170. centre] center C, E
171. sleep-walking] sleep-/walking D; sleepwalking E
172. stronger;] stronger, E
173. loomfixer] loom-fixer C, E
174. heaven,] Heaven, A, B, D
175. college,] college; C, E
176. Mazurewicz] Mazurewiez D
177. Walpurgis-Night,] Walpurgis Night, A, C, E; Walpurgis night, B, D
178. both] om. B, C, D, E
179. Mazurewicz,] Mazurewiez, D
180. traditionally feared] traditionally-feared A, B, C, D, E
181. May-Eve] May Eve E
182. Desrochers’] Desrocher’s C
183. dream-light] dream-/light B; dreamlight D
184. sidetrack] side-track D
185. shewed] showed B, C, D, E
186. loomfixer] loom-fixer C, E
187. shewed] showed B, C, D, E
188. Mazurewicz] Mazurewiez D
189. say—] say; C, E
190. naive] naïve C, D, E
191. analysis . . . circles.] analysis. B, C, D, E
192. iron,] iron C, E
193. known] human C
194. 27th] 27 A; twenty-seventh E
195. undiminished.] undiminished. ¶ C, E
196. cans] can E
197. surprising] surprizing C
198. aeons;] eons; C, E
199. emphasises] emphasizes C, E
200. motions;] motions, B, C, D, E
201. “Necronomicon”.] Necronomicon. A, B, C, D, E
202. Mazurewicz] Mazurewiez D
203. half-drunk,] half drunk C, E
204. someone] some one C, E
205. heavily sleeping] heavily-sleeping A, D; hearty-sleeping B, C, E
206. twilight] om. B, C, D, E
207. foetid odours,] foetid odours B; fetid odors C, E; fetid odours D
208. grimacing] grinning B, C, D, E
209. sleeve.] sleeves. B, C, D, E
210. wait] wait, B, C, D, E
211. oversensitive] over-sensitive A, B, C, D, E
212. rat-like] ratlike A, B, D; rat-/like C
213. 29th] twenty-ninth E
214. pajama-bottoms] pajama bottoms B, C, D, E
215. recognise] recognize B, C, D, E
216. or] or a B, C, D, E
217. Mazurewicz] Mazurewiez D
218. talking] talking, C, E
219. midnight—] midnight, C, E
220. Mazurewicz] Mazurewiez D
221. Walpurgis-Night.] Walpurgis Night. A, B, C, D, E
222. neighbour] neighbor B, C, D, E
223. way anyhow.] way. C, E
224. night-clothes.] nightclothes. C
225. phantasms] fantasms C
226. crystallising,] crystallizing, B, C, D, E
227. daemoniac] demoniac C, E
228. wrist wound] wrist-wound E
229. 30th,] thirtieth, E
230. Mazurewicz] Mazurewiez D
231. void] devoid B, C, D, E
232. plant-life.] plant life. C, E
233. humour] humor C, E
234. rhythmical] om. B, C, D, E
235. loomfixer] loom-fixer C, E
236. “Necronomicon”] Necronomicon A, B, C, D, E
237. Black Book] “Black Book” B, D; Black Book C, E
238. realised] realized B, C, D, E
239. wind-borne] wind-/borne A; windborne E
240. recognised] recognized B, C, D, E
241. rat-hole] rat hole B, D
242. Mazurewicz] Mazurewiez D
243. realised] realized B, C, D, E
244. polyhedron,] polyhedron E
245. behind] beyond D [In B, behind is typed over beyond]
246. penetrate] penetate E
247. queerly proportioned] queerly-proportioned A, B, D
248. “Necronomicon”.] Necronomicon. A, B, C, D, E
249. clear] clearer E
250. motions,] emotions, E
251. gnawing,] gnawing E
252. clangour] clangor C, E
253. daemoniac] demoniac C, E
254. dexterity,] dexterity D
255. dream-delirium] dream delirium D
256. hellish,] hellish B, C, D, E
257. world—] world B, C, D, E
258. long-stopped] long-stooped E
259. hitherto veiled] hitherto-veiled A, B, C, D, E
260. fulness.] fullness. C, E
261. instinct] instincts C, E
262. tessellated] tesselated D
263. galaxy,] galaxy E
264. wherein] where B, C, D, E
265. daemon-sultan] demon-sultan C, E
266. Mazurewicz] Mazurewiez D
267. queerly angled] queerly-angled A, B, C, D, E
268. Mazurewicz] Mazurewiez D
269. on] om. E
270. Mazurewicz] Mazurewiez D
271. half-dazed] half dazed C, E
272. Dr.] Doctor C, E
273. stone deaf.] stone-deaf. C, E
274. Dr.] Doctor C, E
275. partitions] partition E
276. lights,] lights E
277. Mazurewicz,] Mazurewiez, D
&
nbsp; 278. Dr.] Doctor C, E
279. rat-like] ratlike A, B, D
280. constant] om. B, C, D, E
281. in] on D
282. Mazurewicz] Mazurewiez D
283. loomfixer] loom-/fixer C; loom-fixer E
284. nearby] near-by C, E
285. base-board.] baseboard. B, C, D, E
286. Mazurewicz] Mazurewiez D
287. rat,] rat E
288. foetid odour.] fetid odor. C, E
289. neighbourhood] neighborhood C, E
290. foetor] fetor C, E
291. Witch House] Witch-House B, C, D, E
292. neighbours grumblingly] neighbours B, D; neighbors C, E
293. foetor] fetor C, E
294. and] and was E
295. old] A?, D; Old C, E [Old apparently changed to old in B]
296. Witch House,] Witch-House, B, C, D, E
297. story] storey A
298. bones—badly] bones-/badly B; bones badly D
299. recognisable] recognizable B, C, D, E
300. lurking-place,] lurking place, C, E
301. 150 to 200] one hundred fifty to two hundred E
302. larger,] large, E
303. Archaeologists] Archeologists C, E
304. Mazurewicz] Mazurewiez D
305. all] at E
306. paralysed] paralyzed B, C, D, E
307. huge,] huge C, E
308. rumoured,] rumored, C, E
309. rat;] rat, B, C, D, E
Through the Gates of the Silver Key
(with E. Hoffmann Price)
I.
In a vast room hung with strangely figured arras and carpeted with Bokhara[1] rugs of impressive age and workmanship[2] four men were sitting around a document-strown[3] table. From the far corners, where odd tripods of wrought-iron[4] were now and then replenished by an incredibly aged negro[5] in sombre livery,[6] came the hypnotic fumes of olibanum; while in a deep niche on one side there ticked a curious[7] coffin-shaped clock whose dial bore baffling hieroglyphs and whose four hands did not move in consonance with any time system known on this planet. It was a singular and disturbing room, but well fitted to the business now[8] at hand. For here,[9] in the New Orleans home of this continent’s greatest mystic, mathematician,[10] and orientalist, there was being settled at last the estate of a scarcely less great mystic, scholar, author,[11] and dreamer who had vanished from the face of the earth four years before.