 |
Uncanny Tales
By Mrs Molesworth
London: Hutchinson & Co
Paternoster Row
| TO |
| AN OTHERWISE UNACKNOWLEDGED "COLLABORATEUR" |
| IN THESE STORIES, |
| J. C. P. |
| 19 Sumner Place, S.W., |
| October, 1896. |
CONTENTS.
| THE SHADOW IN THE MOONLIGHT. |
| "THE MAN WITH THE COUGH." |
| "HALF-WAY BETWEEN THE STILES." |
| AT THE DIP OF THE ROAD. |
| "—— WILL NOT TAKE PLACE." |
| THE CLOCK THAT STRUCK THIRTEEN. |
UNCANNY TALES.
THE SHADOW IN THE MOONLIGHT.
PART I.
We never thought of Finster St. Mabyn's beinghaunted. We really never did.
This may seem strange, but it is absolutely true.It was such an extremely interesting and curiousplace in many ways that it required nothingextraneous to add to its attractions. Perhaps thiswas the reason.
Now-a-days, immediately that you hear of ahouse being "very old," the next remark is sure tobe "I hope it is"—or "is not"—that depends onthe taste of the speaker—"haunted".
But Finster was more than very old; it wasancient and, in a modest way, historical. I will nottake up time by relating its history, however, orby referring my readers to the chronicles in whichmention of it may be found. Nor shall I yield tothe temptation of describing the room in which acertain royalty spent one night, if not two or threenights, four centuries ago, or the tower, now inruins, where an even more renowned personage wasimprisoned for several months. All these facts—orlegends—have nothing to do with what I haveto tell. Nor, strictly speaking, has Finster itself,except as a sort of prologue to my narrative.
We heard of the house through friends living inthe same county, though some distance farther inland.They—Mr. and Miss Miles, it