Laura Silver Bell

Name: Laura Silver Bell
Author: Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu

In a desolate Northumbrian moor, a witch-like figure named Mother Carke lives in a dilapidated cottage. She is known for her fortune-telling and rumored witchcraft. One evening, she encounters a mysterious, gaunt man who claims to be a lord in love with a girl named Laura Silver Bell. He instructs her to summon Laura for a meeting, offering gold for her assistance. Mother Carke, wary of the man’s intentions, refuses his offer. Laura, raised by Farmer Lew after her mother died shortly after giving birth, is a beautiful girl with a mysterious past. She is known for her charm and has grown up without being baptized, which raises concerns among the locals about her safety from supernatural forces. Mother Carke warns Laura about the dangers of not being baptized and the potential consequences of interacting with dark entities. Despite the warnings, Laura becomes enchanted by the idea of the lord and is drawn to the supernatural. She recounts a previous encounter with a tall, dark figure who danced with her and expressed his love. Mother Carke urges her to stay away from such beings, warning that they could lead her to ruin. One day, while out gathering berries with a friend, Laura encounters the same dark figure again. Ignoring her friend’s warnings, she willingly crosses a stream to join him, declaring her intent to be happy. This moment marks her disappearance from the mortal world. Months pass, and Mother Carke, suspecting foul play, conducts a dark ritual to discover the source of her misfortunes. During the ritual, she is summoned by the same dark figure, who now appears as a gaunt man. He takes her to a decrepit house where she finds Laura, now transformed into a wretched creature, married to the dark figure. Laura has given birth to a grotesque child, a product of her union with the dark lord. Realizing the horror of Laura's fate, Mother Carke refuses to accept more than her rightful fee for attending the birth. The dark figure, enraged by her defiance, chases her away, but she escapes, returning to her cottage. After this encounter, she renounces her witchcraft and fortune-telling, while the fate of Laura Silver Bell remains a haunting mystery, believed to be forever lost among the fairies.

By Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu · First published 1879 · Genre: Gothic Fiction, Fantasy, Folklore · 6,132 words

First lines

In the five Northumbrian counties you will scarcely find so bleak, ugly, and yet, in a savage way, so picturesque a moor as Dardale Moss. The moor itself spreads north, south, east, and west, a great undulating sea of black peat and heath.

What we may term its shores are wooded wildly with birch, hazel, and dwarf-oak. No towering mountains surround it, but here and there you have a rocky knoll rising among the trees, and many a wooded promontory of the same pretty, because utterly wild, forest, running out into its dark level.

What this Textopian page supports

Laura Silver Bell is listed on Textopian as a short story by Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu, dated 1879 CE.

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Work type: Short story
Author: Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu
Date: 1879 CE
Language: English
Genres: Gothic Fiction, Fantasy, Folklore, Romance, Mystery
Length: 6,132 words
Structure: 1 section, 153 paragraphs
Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)

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Work identity for Laura Silver Bell by Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu
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Discussion starters

What should a reader notice first when entering Laura Silver Bell?
How does this short story by Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Gothic Fiction first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Gothic Fiction — The story features dark themes, supernatural elements, and a bleak, atmospheric setting typical of Gothic literature.
Fantasy — The presence of fairies, magic, and otherworldly beings aligns the narrative with fantasy elements.
Folklore — The story incorporates local legends, superstitions, and traditional beliefs, reflecting the characteristics of folklore.
Romance — The plot centers around a romantic interest between Laura and a lord, highlighting themes of love and desire.