After another delaying tactic by Hardy, increasing the suspense, the “band” of pursuers finally “drew up” to the third stranger, and the indecision as to how they confront the stranger again amplifies the suspense, as the reader is desperate to know what the outcome will be. It seems unusual that the man is “enlightened” by his arrest and by wilfully returning with the “able-bodied” guests without question, the reader immediately thinks that something is amiss, and again the suspense is increased by the delay, as one has to wait to find out. On their return to the house, they find two officers and a magistrate, who deny that the third stranger is the criminal whom they sought. They discuss this, which raises the tension, as no one knows what is happening. The explanation is left until the very end of the story, when the stranger explains how the first stranger, his brother, was “the condemned man”.
Bram Stoker’s The Judge’s House is a traditionally gothic mystery story. Malcolm Malcolmson “feared complete rural isolation” because of “its charms,” which suggests that he is not a character afraid of the loneliness of being secluded or the strange happenings that often accompanied loneliness. This means that he is unlikely to leave if strange events take place, giving an early suggestion of his stubbornness against any dissuasion, and therefore a story that is likely to have more suspense in, as he is obviously going to stay put if things begin to get more unusual.
The “desolate” gothic looking house that attracted Malcolmson had been “long empty” due to an “absurd prejudice,” but Malcolmson “thought it needless to ask” as to why this prejudice had arisen. This is the first sign of suspense, as the reader wishes to know what mysteries are held in the house. The inn’s landlady was shocked to hear that he was staying there, but was unable to tell of “what there was against the house itself,” as she had come from “another part of the country”. Again the suspense is raised, as one does not find out any further details about the discrimination against such a dwelling. When the landlady tries to prevent him even staying for one night, he ignores her advice, thinking that he would have “too much to think of to be disturbed,” ratifying the suggestion that others would be unlikely to dissuade him.
When he arrives at the house to find the landlady Mrs Witham herself waiting there, it was obvious that she was “curious to see the inside of the house,” and see as to why the local people were in such trepidation of the house. This furthers the suspense, as the rumours about the house seem to be corroborated, or at least taken very seriously. As Mrs Witham left, left, she referred to “the things” that he may encounter, the image of which “was too much for her nerves, and she fled” and this ambiguity again creates suspense.
The lonely, traditional furnishings in the “great dining-room” give an archaic impression of a cold and dusty room except for the fire. Only the glow from the lamp and the fire relieve and lighten the shadowy room, which makes the mysterious noises stranger, as he is unable to see the rats that make the sounds. When he noticed “an enormous rat” sitting on the chair by the fireplace, he was unable to scare it away, and so rushed to kill it with a poker. The rat escaped “with a squeak that sounded like the concentration of hate,” and the return of the “noisy scampering” seemed rather odd, both of which increase the suspense, as what happens is very bizarre, and the reader wants an explanation.
When Malcolmson saw Mrs Witham the following day, the relief that she displays at having seen him survive the first night is also peculiar, and when he describes the rat as “a wicked looking old devil,” she takes him literally, thinking it really to be the devil, rather an extreme view of the previous night’s events. This anxiety enhances the tension due to the trepidation shown by Mrs Witham. Malcolmson rejects any such truths, and on his arrival at the house, the noises had already begun, to which he responded this time by trying to “to frighten them”. The “sudden of silence” and the rat’s return from the prior night seemed disconcerting. The repeat of the increase of noise when the rat had been chased up the rope appeared most mystifying, with another rise of suspense, as this would be likely to occur again and one wants to find out why.
Whilst Malcolmson handled the alarm bell’s rope, he noticed that one “could hang a man with it,” hinting that he is doomed, and therefore elevating the tension. When the rat returned and was hunted for the second time that night, it gave a “look of terrible malevolence,” another unusual description for a rat’s behaviour, again suggesting that this is no ordinary rat. Malcolmson saw where it leapt – into a picture – but was unable to see the painting through a “coating of dirt and dust”. This delaying tactic used by Stoker means that the reader has to wait until the following day to find out if there is any significance about where the rat leapt, therefore increasing the suspense. The irony of The Bible that “fetched” the rat caused him to look “round uneasily,” and this is the first time we see any sign of agitation from Malcolmson, possibly another sign that the story is doomed, and increasing the suspense, as thoughts return of the rat being satanic.
The following day when Malcolmson visited Mrs Witham, it seems slightly curious that she has invited a doctor to “advise” Malcolmson. This adds to the suspense, as we can clearly see other people’s concerns for Malcolmson. When told by the doctor that the rope was used by the hangman to execute the “victims of the Judge’s judicial rancour,” accompanied by Mrs Witham’s second scream, the suspense is once again raised, and the Doctor’s prompt exit begins a tense scene.
The “promise of a storm” that night means that aid will take longer to arrive, and traditionally, bad weather is often an indicator of difficulty, placing Malcolmson in a far more isolated and therefore more tense situation. When Malcolmson had investigated the rope, his attention was suddenly drawn to the previously unconsidered pictures. The shock that the rat’s eyes protruded from the painting of the Judge based on the same room that he currently stood in almost caused him to “drop the lamp,” and then when he “looked over to the corner of the fireplace,” he exerted a “loud cry” and the lamp fell on the floor. Due to the “howling storm”, this went completely unheard, and achieved nothing. The tension reaches a peak here, as the reader is intrigued as to how the rat with the “Judge’s baleful eyes” appears on the chair so quickly. Malcolmson’s terror at the possibility of “calling the outer world to his assistance” being greatly diminished suggests that he is beginning to have further fears, and he is therefore more likely to be susceptible to anything strange that will happen. The tension begins to reach another peak when “the figure of the judge had disappeared” from the centre of the canvas, and on the discovery of the Judge being in the room, Malcolmson was “horror-struck” and “breathless”. This is where the tension and suspense are at its highest, as the reader is disturbed by what is happening.
The Judge’s slow movements prevent any sudden movements, and therefore it takes a while before there is any conclusion, increasing the suspense. When the Judge stamped at the same time as a “dreadful peal of thunder,” the Judge seems to have extraordinary and possibly satanic powers, and placing this character is very difficult. When he had hung Malcolmson’s “rigid corpse,” the bell began to ring, and even though “a crowd soon assembled,” the Judge’s picture was restored making Malcolmson’s death seem like suicide, thus hiding the truth forever. The Judge’s “malignant smile” asserts the reader that it really did take place, leaving the story finish at a point of terrifying realisation.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb, suspense is created in similar and also different ways. At the start, when Mr Victor Hatherley is being consulted by Dr Watson, he laughs “very heartily,” triggering an angry response from Watson. His hysterics is puzzling, and immediately one wonders how his thumb reached such a state, an increase of suspense. The lack of Hatherley’s thumb being as the result of “a murderous attack” makes this story even more intriguing and the suspense at the start is set up well for the rest of the story. Watson’s decision not to hear any information unless Mr Sherlock Holmes is present offers a delay to enhance the suspense. Holmes’ relaxed air contrasts with the story that is to come, and even though the patient begins at once, the full account takes a long time, thus the suspense develops.
Hatherley’s long, drawn-out accounts of his past, and his being approached by a strange man of “exceeding thinness” both raise the suspense, but are necessary for a full analysis by Holmes. One wonders why Hatherley is asked if he is “both an orphan and a bachelor,” and the requirement of keeping a secret for this “suspicious” character invites mystery very early on. When Colonel Lysander Stark begs Hatherley to visit late, no decent reason is given and the suspense rises, as the reader wishes to have more knowledge. Colonel Lysander Stark’s long, unnecessary and “careless” explanation what purpose the machine serves adds suspense, as the reader senses that not all is as it may seem.
On Hatherley’s arrival in Eyford, Holmes interrupts to ask about the horse, a detail that may have relevance later on, as otherwise Holmes would not interrupt, and this disturbance of the flow of conversation raises the suspense slightly, and offers a change of pace. The “conversation flagged” on the journey, and Hatherley was unable to see out of the carriage’s windows which were “made of frosted glass”. This hour-long journey seems tedious, and tension is added, as the lack of conversation shows discomfort between the two characters. Having encountered the “pretty” woman, the conversation between her and Colonel Lysander Stark is most peculiar, as “the lamp nearly fell from her hand,” and the reader very much wants to know what is said, raising the suspense further. Hatherley observed that they were in the countryside, but was not sure of how near the closest town was. This vagueness boosts the suspense, and the woman telling him that he should “not stay here” is the first conclusive sign that something is unusual at this residence, best left alone. Her “fear” and “despair” are unable to deter the “headstrong” Hatherley, and she is obviously likely to know better, so he is foolish not to take his advice. The severity and conviction with which she speaks makes the reader fail to understand Hatherley, however the reader wants to know why she tries to discourage him, furthering the suspense.
Hatherley regrets his “rash speech” that begged the answer as to what the real purpose of the machine was – it obviously not being for Fuller’s earth – and the door immediately shut, locking him in. When the “clank of the levers” began, his death seemed inevitable and he calculated how it was best to lay in order to die less painfully. The suspense is briefly increased, before the reader realises that he obviously escapes, as otherwise he would be unable to recount the story. On his escape from the contraption, he did not “scorn” the woman’s advice a second time. Tension is raised whilst he tries to escape, climaxing when a “blow fell” from the meat cleaver, causing a “dull pain”. This tension is sustained as he tries to run off, and when he faints, one wonders how he manages not to be found. On waking so close to the railway station, one is puzzled as to why he was escorted there, obviously not having run twelve miles overnight, as the “inexorable” Colonel was most unlikely to have spared Hatherley. When he had finished relating his story, Holmes showed him an advertisement from the preceding year, obviously another incident with Colonel Lysander Stark, explaining why the girl telling him not to kill Hatherley, as he made a “promise after the last time”.
On the train whilst the party of Holmes, Watson, Hatherley, and two others travelled to Eyford, they were unable to come to an agreement about the possible location of the house, until Holmes finally suggests correctly as to where the culprits may lay, increasing the suspense through the delay. However, the fire and the swift departure of the fugitives had the result of “their whereabouts” remaining unknown, deposing the suspense as frustration takes its place. The tension remains, as these criminals emerge unscathed, although losing an expensive piece of equipment in the hydraulic press. Hatherley’s “revenge upon them” by indirectly burning down their house seems inadequate, as he probably would have rather received justice and compensation, as the criminals would still be unconfined, and free to begin coin forging once more.
All three of these stories use a nighttime setting and purposeful delays in the story telling to accentuate suspense. The use of an exclusion zone in all three helps build up tension through the anxiety associated with loneliness, unlike stories such as Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, which uses the isolation of the city to create an air of mystery. Conan Doyle’s story although based in London concerns an incident in a solitary setting, as with the other two. Nighttime is a time of mystery, and the lack of visibility, especially in those days when lamps were the only form of illumination, can create a greater sense of mystery and suspense through one’s lack of knowledge of what is going on. The narrative can also intrigue by not informing the reader of a character, most noticeably in The Three Strangers, where it is only at the end when everything seems to make sense, the final outcome of which is unexpected, and even then one never finds out the names of the strangers. The gothic horror of The Judge’s House is very different from the other two stories, as it involves paranormal activities, and is therefore more frightening and horrific. All three mention God, or the devil at some stage to account for or emphasise the events, as at that time the religious society in which the reader would have lived in would make the reader far more terrified of the situation, raising the tension. All three of these stories use setting and narrative repeatedly to successfully create an atmosphere of suspense of mystery.