The Gagliarda began with a bold and lively alr, and as he played the opening bars, he heard behind him a creaking of the wicker
chair. The
sound was a perfectly familiar one--as of some person placing a hand on elther arm of the chalr preparatory to lowering himself into it, followed
by another as of the same person being leisurely seated. But for the tones of the violin, all was silent, and the creaking of the chair was strangely
distinct. The illusion was so complete that my brother stopped playing suddenly, and turned round expecting that some late friend of his had
slipped in unawares, being attracted by the sound of the violin, or that Mr. Gaskell himself had returned. With the cessation of the music an
absolute stillness fell upon all; the light of the single candle scarcely reached the darker corners of the room, but fell directly on the wicker chair
and showed it to be perfectly empty. Half amused, half vexed with himself at having without reason interrupted his music, my brother returned to
the Gagliarda, but some impulse Induced him to light the candles in the sconces, which gave an Illumination more adequate to the occasion. The
Gagliarda and the last movement, a Minuetto, were finished, and John closed the book, Intending, as it was now late, to seek his bed. As he shut
the pages a creaking of the wicker chalr again attracted his attention, and he heard distinctly sounds such as would be made by a person raising
himself from a sitting posture. This time, being less surprised, he could more aptly consider
the probable causes of such a circumstance, and
easily arrived at the conclusion that there must be in the wicker chair osiers responsive to certain notes of the violin, as panes of glass in church
windows are observed to vibrate in sympathy with certain tones of the organ. But while this argument approved itself to his reason, his
imagination was but half convinced, and he could not but be impressed with the fact that the second creaking of the chair had been coincident
with his shutting the music book; and, unconsciously, pictured to himself some strange visitor walting until the termination of the music, and then
How is the character developed in the passage?
01. through his actions and thoughts
2. through interaction with other characters
3. through physical description
4. through stream of consciousness
