Calico Illustrated Calssics: The House of the Seven Gables
1 The Old Pyncheon Family Halfway down a narrow New England street stands a rusty wooden house with seven high peaked gables The gables face different directions like squabbling sisters with their backs against a single chimney Directly in front of the house a wide elm overshadows the main entrance The street the house and even the elm are known by the name of Pyncheon With its faded glory the house looks haunted by its past Perhaps it is This grand house was not the first home to sit on this spot A shaggy thatched cottage once stood in its very spot It was owned by Matthew Maule A stern Puritan leader named Colonel Pyncheon wanted the land His desire grew 4
despite Maule’s stubborn refusal to sell Eventually Maule met the fate of many whose property became interesting to rich Puritan leaders he was accused of witchcraft Some have said that Maule did have access to mysterious powers At any rate Maule was found guilty and was soon executed Colonel Pyncheon went to the execution and Maule spoke a last chilly prophecy as he pointed a shaking finger toward the colonel God will give him blood to drink This prediction made many townspeople nervous but not the stern colonel He built the great house with its seven gables right on the spot of Maule’s cottage He even dared to hire Maule’s own son to oversee work on the house Then Pyncheon threw a party On the day of the party food and drink flowed freely to the guests They had only one cause for complaint the old man never showed himself at his own party 5
Finally the lieutenant governor arrived and expected to be greeted by his host He demanded explanation for Pyncheon’s absence A servant explained that the colonel had ordered that he not be disturbed Colonel Pyncheon has simply lost track of the time the aristocrat insisted He will want to be told of my arrival Even so the servant said nervously my master’s orders were clear and I dare not vary from them Pooh said the lieutenant governor I will take the matter into my own hands And the man stomped loudly to the colonel’s door with a cluster of guests following him He pounded on the door several times with no response Very strange the man muttered As he turned the door handle a gust of wind flung the door open wide Colonel Pyncheon sat in an oaken chair beneath a huge portrait of himself At first the portrait and the man seemed to glare together 6
