A Warning to the Curious

by

M. R. James

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Paxton, the protagonist of “A Warning to the Curious,” is a young man visiting Seaburgh. He meets the narrator at The Bear hotel, where he discloses that he recently stole a famous holy crown that was buried in town. Since then, Paxton explains, he has been haunted by the ghost of William Ager, which causes Paxton extreme distress. Paxton knows that the crown is a cherished part of the town’s culture, yet he is unable to resist the temptation to steal it. The ghost sends Paxton various warnings against taking the crown, but Paxton refuses to acknowledge them. The exact motives behind his obsessive drive to get the crown remain somewhat unclear, but regardless, his theft is an undeniable infringement on the community’s security and tradition. Upon learning about Paxton’s situation, the narrator and Henry Long take pity on him and help him return the crown in hopes that the ghost will leave him alone. The ghost doesn’t leave, and Paxton is never able to overcome his guilt. The story doesn’t thoroughly detail Paxton’s background, but it’s clear that he has no social connections aside from the narrator and Henry Long. Paxton planned to travel to Sweden after his stay in Seaburgh, but William Ager’s ghost kills him before he has the chance.

Paxton Quotes in A Warning to the Curious

The A Warning to the Curious quotes below are all either spoken by Paxton or refer to Paxton. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
History, Culture, and Disrespect Theme Icon
).
A Warning to the Curious Quotes

[…] them Germans would a landed here time and again, they would. Landed with their ships, and killed man, woman and child in their beds. Now then, that's the truth what I'm telling you, that is; and if you don't believe me, you ast the rector. There he comes: you ast him, I says.

Related Characters: The Old Man (speaker), Paxton, The Rector
Related Symbols: The Crown
Page Number: 308
Explanation and Analysis:

“You see,” he said, “anybody would call it the greatest bit of luck. I did, but I don’t know. Of course I asked the shopman about William Ager, and of course he happened to remember that he lodged in a cottage in the North Field and died there.”

Related Characters: Paxton (speaker), The Narrator (speaker), Henry Long
Related Symbols: The Crown, The Ghost of William Ager
Page Number: 310
Explanation and Analysis:

You see, he’s light and weak, but all the same I daren't face him. Well, then, when I was making the tunnel, of course it was worse, and if I hadn't been so keen I should have dropped the whole thing and run. It was like someone scraping at my back all the time.

Related Characters: Paxton (speaker), The Narrator, Henry Long
Related Symbols: The Crown
Page Number: 313
Explanation and Analysis:

We looked out of the window: there was a brilliant full moon—the Paschal moon.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Paxton, Henry Long
Related Symbols: The Crown, The Ghost of William Ager
Page Number: 314
Explanation and Analysis:

Well, we were pretty regular customers of the hotel, and did not give much trouble, and were considered by the servants to be not under the mark in the way of tips; and so the boots was propitiated, and let us out on to the sea-front, and remained, as we heard later, looking after us.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Paxton, Henry Long, The Boots
Related Symbols: The Crown, The Ghost of William Ager
Page Number: 314
Explanation and Analysis:

But under observation we felt we were, as I have never felt it at another time. Specially was it so when we passed out of the churchyard into a narrow path with close high hedges, through which we hurried as Christian did through that Valley; and so got out into open fields.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Paxton, Henry Long
Related Symbols: The Crown, The Ghost of William Ager
Page Number: 315
Explanation and Analysis:

Yet, in all this quiet, an acute, an acrid consciousness of a restrained hostility very near us, like a dog on a leash that might be let go at any moment.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Paxton, Henry Long
Related Symbols: The Crown, The Ghost of William Ager
Page Number: 315
Explanation and Analysis:

You'll wonder why we didn't insist on accompanying him to his home and seeing him safe into the care of brothers or someone. The fact was he had nobody. He had had a flat in town, but lately he had made up his mind to settle for a time in Sweden[...]

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Paxton, Henry Long
Related Symbols: The Ghost of William Ager
Page Number: 316
Explanation and Analysis:

His tracks showed that he had run along the side of the battery, had turned sharp round the corner of it, and, small doubt of it, must have dashed straight into the open arms of someone who was waiting there. His mouth was full of sand and stones, and his teeth and jaws were broken to bits.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Paxton, Henry Long
Related Symbols: The Ghost of William Ager
Page Number: 319
Explanation and Analysis:
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Paxton Quotes in A Warning to the Curious

The A Warning to the Curious quotes below are all either spoken by Paxton or refer to Paxton. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
History, Culture, and Disrespect Theme Icon
).
A Warning to the Curious Quotes

[…] them Germans would a landed here time and again, they would. Landed with their ships, and killed man, woman and child in their beds. Now then, that's the truth what I'm telling you, that is; and if you don't believe me, you ast the rector. There he comes: you ast him, I says.

Related Characters: The Old Man (speaker), Paxton, The Rector
Related Symbols: The Crown
Page Number: 308
Explanation and Analysis:

“You see,” he said, “anybody would call it the greatest bit of luck. I did, but I don’t know. Of course I asked the shopman about William Ager, and of course he happened to remember that he lodged in a cottage in the North Field and died there.”

Related Characters: Paxton (speaker), The Narrator (speaker), Henry Long
Related Symbols: The Crown, The Ghost of William Ager
Page Number: 310
Explanation and Analysis:

You see, he’s light and weak, but all the same I daren't face him. Well, then, when I was making the tunnel, of course it was worse, and if I hadn't been so keen I should have dropped the whole thing and run. It was like someone scraping at my back all the time.

Related Characters: Paxton (speaker), The Narrator, Henry Long
Related Symbols: The Crown
Page Number: 313
Explanation and Analysis:

We looked out of the window: there was a brilliant full moon—the Paschal moon.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Paxton, Henry Long
Related Symbols: The Crown, The Ghost of William Ager
Page Number: 314
Explanation and Analysis:

Well, we were pretty regular customers of the hotel, and did not give much trouble, and were considered by the servants to be not under the mark in the way of tips; and so the boots was propitiated, and let us out on to the sea-front, and remained, as we heard later, looking after us.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Paxton, Henry Long, The Boots
Related Symbols: The Crown, The Ghost of William Ager
Page Number: 314
Explanation and Analysis:

But under observation we felt we were, as I have never felt it at another time. Specially was it so when we passed out of the churchyard into a narrow path with close high hedges, through which we hurried as Christian did through that Valley; and so got out into open fields.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Paxton, Henry Long
Related Symbols: The Crown, The Ghost of William Ager
Page Number: 315
Explanation and Analysis:

Yet, in all this quiet, an acute, an acrid consciousness of a restrained hostility very near us, like a dog on a leash that might be let go at any moment.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Paxton, Henry Long
Related Symbols: The Crown, The Ghost of William Ager
Page Number: 315
Explanation and Analysis:

You'll wonder why we didn't insist on accompanying him to his home and seeing him safe into the care of brothers or someone. The fact was he had nobody. He had had a flat in town, but lately he had made up his mind to settle for a time in Sweden[...]

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Paxton, Henry Long
Related Symbols: The Ghost of William Ager
Page Number: 316
Explanation and Analysis:

His tracks showed that he had run along the side of the battery, had turned sharp round the corner of it, and, small doubt of it, must have dashed straight into the open arms of someone who was waiting there. His mouth was full of sand and stones, and his teeth and jaws were broken to bits.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Paxton, Henry Long
Related Symbols: The Ghost of William Ager
Page Number: 319
Explanation and Analysis: