--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When she had arranged her household…" description: "\"“When she had arranged her household affairs, she came to the library and bade me follow her. Then, with the mirror still swinging against her knees, s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e7/r-murray-gilchrist-64047_autumn_when-she-had-arranged-her-household-affa_3173445.jpg" --- # When she had arranged her household affairs, she came to… ![“When she had arranged her household affairs, she came to the library and bade me follow her. Then, with the mirror still swinging against her knees, she led me through the garden and the wilderness down to a misty wood. It being autumn, the trees were tinted gloriously in dusky bars of colouring…” quote by R. Murray Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e7/r-murray-gilchrist-64047_autumn_when-she-had-arranged-her-household-affa_3173445.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e7/r-murray-gilchrist-64047_autumn_when-she-had-arranged-her-household-affa_3173445.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e7/r-murray-gilchrist-64047_autumn_when-she-had-arranged-her-household-affa_3173445.jpg) > ““When she had arranged her household affairs, she came to the library and bade me follow her. Then, with the mirror still swinging against her knees, she led me through the garden and the wilderness down to a misty wood. It being autumn, the trees were tinted gloriously in dusky bars of colouring. The rowan, with his amber leaves and scarlet berries, stood before the brown black-spotted sycamore; the silver beech flaunted his golden coins against my poverty; firs, green and fawn-hued, slumbered in hazy gossamer. No bird carolled, although the sun was hot. Marina noted the absence of sound, and without prelude of any kind began to sing from the ballad of the Witch Mother: about the nine enchanted knots, and the trouble-comb in the lady's knotted hair, and the master-kid that ran beneath her couch. Every drop of my blood froze in dread, for whilst she sang her face took on the majesty of one who traffics with infernal powers. As the shade of the trees fell over her, and we passed intermittently out of the light, I saw that her eyes glittered like rings of sapphires. ("The Basilisk")”” [R. Murray Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-murray-gilchrist/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A vivid, eerie walk through an autumn forest where a mysterious woman sings a dark song, evoking dread and supernatural power. **In simple terms:** A haunting forest scene with a dangerous, magical woman. Key Takeaway Beware alluring appearances that hide dark forces. Themes mystery supernatural nature danger beauty Mood eerie intense reflective Type literary descriptive When to use this quote - reading literature - creative writing - visual art inspiration - theatrical set design Key Concepts folklore psychology symbolism Questions to Reflect On - What does the woman’s song reveal about hidden threats? - How does the setting amplify the sense of dread? 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We were forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-harper/when-we-first-started-me-and-rowan-hated-each-other-i-don-t-know-what/) [Luke Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-harper/) ## More by R. Murray Gilchrist > [“By now, at the end of a sloping alley, we had reached the shores of a vast marsh. Some unknown quality in the sparkling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-murray-gilchrist/by-now-at-the-end-of-a-sloping-alley-we-had-reached-the-shores-of-a/) [R. Murray Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-murray-gilchrist/) > [“When I knelt to kiss her hand, she sighed heavily. 'Ask me nothing,' she said. 'Life itself is too joyless to be more embittered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-murray-gilchrist/when-i-knelt-to-kiss-her-hand-she-sighed-heavily-ask-me-nothing-she/) [R. Murray Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-murray-gilchrist/) > [“As the last dish of confections was removed a weird pageant swept across the further end of the banqueting-room: Oberon and Titania with Robin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-murray-gilchrist/as-the-last-dish-of-confections-was-removed-a-weird-pageant-swept/) [R. Murray Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-murray-gilchrist/) > [“None save her people knew her history, but there were wonderful stories of how she had bowed to tradition, and concentrated in herself the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-murray-gilchrist/none-save-her-people-knew-her-history-but-there-were-wonderful/) [R. Murray Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-murray-gilchrist/) [Explore all 5 R. Murray Gilchrist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-murray-gilchrist/) ## More Autumn quotes > [This, at last, was where things were as they ought to be. 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No longer do they whisper to one another in muffled tones as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patience-strong/the-trees-change-their-voices-in-autumn-as-well-as-their-shapes-no/) [Patience Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patience-strong/) > [The measured blood beats out the year's delay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bogan/the-measured-blood-beats-out-the-year-s-delay/) [Louise Bogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bogan/) > [You know how this is: if I look at the crystal moon, at the red branch of the slow autumn at my window, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/you-know-how-this-is-if-i-look-at-the-crystal-moon-at-the-red-branch/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [“The crickets felt it was their duty to warn everybody that summertime cannot last for ever. Even on the most beautiful days in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-crickets-felt-it-was-their-duty-to-warn-everybody-that-summertime/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [He found himself wondering at times, especially in the autumn, about the wild lands, and strange visions of mountains that he had never seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-found-himself-wondering-at-times-especially-in-the-autumn-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Easter blessings All life’s sacrifices like autumn leaves awaken our senses and power to love and be whole Our Mother Earth, Our Father Sky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-ravenswood/easter-blessings-all-life-s-sacrifices-like-autumn-leaves-awaken-our/) [Ramon Ravenswood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-ravenswood/) > [The lush green of the fields became a rich gold that swayed sturdily under the wind and fell at last before the hands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ostenso/the-lush-green-of-the-fields-became-a-rich-gold-that-swayed-sturdily/) [Martha Ostenso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ostenso/) > [The ascent of any route begins, in dreams at least, the autumn before. Our minds ring, involuntarily, with the alluring names of mountains, aiguilles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaston-rebuffat/the-ascent-of-any-route-begins-in-dreams-at-least-the-autumn-before/) [Gaston Rebuffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaston-rebuffat/) > [“Autumn eats its leaf out of my hand: we are friends. From the nuts we shell time and we teach it to walk: then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-celan/autumn-eats-its-leaf-out-of-my-hand-we-are-friends-from-the-nuts-we/) [Paul Celan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-celan/) > [While cares will drop off like autumn leaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/while-cares-will-drop-off-like-autumn-leaves/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [We must learn to do economic work from all who know how, no matter who they are. We must esteem them as teachers, learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mao-zedong/we-must-learn-to-do-economic-work-from-all-who-know-how-no-matter-who/) [Mao Zedong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mao-zedong/) [Browse all 1,210 Autumn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autumn/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When she had arranged her household affairs, she came to the library and bade me follow her. Then, with the mirror still swinging against her knees, she led me through the garden and the wilderness down to a misty wood. It being autumn, the trees were tinted gloriously in dusky bars of colouring. The rowan, with his amber leaves and scarlet berries, stood before the brown black-spotted sycamore; the silver beech flaunted his golden coins against my poverty; firs, green and fawn-hued, slumbered in hazy gossamer. No bird carolled, although the sun was hot. Marina noted the absence of sound, and without prelude of any kind began to sing from the ballad of the Witch Mother: about the nine enchanted knots, and the trouble-comb in the lady's knotted hair, and the master-kid that ran beneath her couch. Every drop of my blood froze in dread, for whilst she sang her face took on the majesty of one who traffics with infernal powers. As the shade of the trees fell over her, and we passed intermittently out of the light, I saw that her eyes glittered like rings of sapphires. (\"The Basilisk\")”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "R. 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