“The Confession of Charles Linkworth”
This story moves inexorably toward two distinct examples of irony: one obviously intended and the other that where the point of intent is more ambiguous. Charles LInkworth is a prisoner condemned to be executed who steadfastly refuses to pleas by the prison chaplain that he confess to his crimes before his appointment with death. The execution is carried out without the desired confession ever forthcoming. The next day, however, the telephone in the prison hospital rings and it is a voice claiming to be Linkworth begging to speak to make his confession to the chaplain. The immediately irony, obviously, is that Linkworth waits until it is too late for the confession to have any impact upon his soul. More troubling, however, is the irony of a ghost needing a phone to make contact with the living. Was this intentional on the author's part?
“Mr. Tilly’s Séance”
One very strong piece of evidence in support that the phone element in the above story is an example of intentionally humorous irony is the entire foundation of this story which reveals that Benson definitely had a puckish sense of satire. What could be more ironic than a man in a hurry to avoid missing his appointment to attend a séance being run over in the street and winding up attending that very same séance as a spirit? The answer is surprising; Benson layers ironic layer upon ironic layer to deepen the meaning and consequence of that originating ironic circumstance.
"Caterpillars"
Almost universally regarded as Benson’s creepiest story—one that just seems to “stick” long after its initial repulsive qualities have been forgotten—ends upon a more subtly ironic note. The title creatures are not your average creepy-crawlies, but instead peculiarly grotesque with features that resemble a crab closely enough that a friend of the narrator named Inglis immediately takes it upon himself to give them a scientific name which follows the tradition of self-identification: 'Cancer Inglisensis.' Sure enough, before all is said done, Inglis becomes the victim of the caterpillars; not through a gruesome attack, but as the victim of an inoperable cancer.
“The Bus-Conductor”
The ironic ending of this story of premonition that allows one to avoid their own death is one almost every reader is probably already familiar with without ever having heard of Benson. If you’ve ever seen an adaptation in which a person avoids a large-scale accident such as a plane crash by having dreamed a situation in which they were specifically informed there is “room for one more” then what you have witnessed is Benson’s story come to life. The narrator’s dream of being told there is enough room allows him to avoid the fate of those who are on the bus when it has a fatal accident.
“Naboth’s Vineyard”
This story takes it title from a story in the Old Testament Book of Kings starring Ahab and his infamous wife Jezebel. Ahab wants Naboth’s vineyard and Naboth refuses to sell. The update is not about a vineyard, but a home. The Ahab here is a wily lawyer named Ralph and a client whom he failed to protect from charges of embezzlement. Ralph desperately wants the house and uses his knowledge of the other man to press the matter; a circumstance which almost immediately results in the other man’s death by heart attack. The second half of the story is the delivery of a little Old Testament-style ironic retributive justice from the afterlife proving that revenge really is a dish best served when your corpse is cold.
