The Canterville Ghost

The Otises, however, were deceived, for the ghost was still in the house, and though now almost an invalid, was by no means ready to let matters rest, particularly as he heard that among the guests was the young Duke of Cheshire, whose grand-uncle, Lord Francis Stilton, had once bet a hundred guineas with Colonel Carbury that he would play dice with the Canterville ghost, and was found the next morning lying on the floor of the card-room in such a helpless paralysed state, that though he lived on to a great age, he was never able to say anything again but 'Double Sixes'.

The story was well known at the time, though, of course, out of respect to the feelings of the two noble families, every attempt was made to hush it up; and a full account of all the circumstances connected with it will be found in the third volume of Lord Tattle's Recollections of the Prince Regent and his Friends. The ghost, then, was naturally very anxious to show that he had not lost his influence over the Stiltons, with whom, indeed, he was distantly connected, his own first cousin having been married to the Sieur de Bulkeley, from whom, as every one knows, the Dukes of Cheshire are descended.

Vocabulary:

Guineas: Gold coins worth just over one British pound.
Paralysed: Unable to move one's arms or legs.
Hush something up: To try to prevent people hearing about it.
Recollections: Things someone remembers.
Descended: Their family comes from this person.