So the ghost gave a really horrible laugh, till the old roof echoed from the terrible sound. When the frightening noise finally stopped, Mrs Otis came through the door. She was wearing a light blue dressing-gown over her pyjamas.

'You sound as if you are really sick,' she said to the ghost. 'I have brought a bottle of Dr Dobell's medicine for you. If something you have eaten is causing you trouble, this will fix it.'

The ghost looked at her very angrily. Now he started to turn himself into a large black dog. He was famous for doing this. The family doctor of the Cantervilles thought that one Canterville, an uncle called Thomas Horton, had gone mad when he saw this dog.

Then the ghost heard someone walking closer to him, and this made him give up his evil idea. Instead he decided to make himself silver and shiny, but not very bright.

Then he made a horrible noise and vanished quickly, because the twins were getting really close.

When he reached his room, he became really angry and upset, and he started crying. The bad manners of the twins, and the fact that Mrs Otis did not understand how to behave to ghosts made him very angry. But what upset him most was that he hadn't been able to wear the suit of armour.