J.S. Le Fanu's Ghostly Tales, Volume 5

he P

ps of my uncle, who was a truthf

estuous, he persuaded the doctor and the a

quite make up his mind, as to how best to give effect to a malignity whose direction was constantly being modified. He had

where to be seen. There were special circumstances connected with several of the principal tenancies on the estate-unneces

lbow, and the doctor helped with a suggestion now and then. The old

servant. Ananias and Sapphira figured in the foreground; and the awful nature of fraud and theft, of tampering in anywise with the plain rule of honesty in matters pertaining to estates, etc., were pointedly dwelt upon; and then came a long and strenuous prayer, in which he entreated with fervour and aplomb that the hard heart o

atson wrote two or three pressing letters by the fire. When his task was done, it had grown l

and shadow round the old wainscoted room and its quaint furniture. Outside were all the wild thunder and piping of the storm

ad no fancy to be overtaken by darkness in his present situation. He had no time to lose; and taking the bunch of keys-of which he was now master-he soon fitted the lock, and secured the candle-a treasure in his circumstances; and lighting it, he stuffed it into the socket of one of the expiring candles, and extingu