Accordingly, he made arrangements for appearing to Virginia's boyfriend as the Vampire Monk. This was a horrible performance that when old Lady Startup saw it one fatal New Year's Eve, in the year 1764, she went off into the most piercing shrieks, which culminated in violent apoplexy.

She died in three days, after disinheriting the Cantervilles, who were her nearest relations, and leaving all her money to her London apothecary.

At the last moment, however, the ghost's terror of the twins prevented his leaving his room, and the little Duke slept in peace under the great feathered canopy in the Royal Bedchamber, and dreamed of Virginia.

A few days after this, Virginia and her curly-haired cavalier went out riding on Brockley meadows, where she tore her habit so badly in getting through a hedge, that, on their return home, she made up her mind to go up by the back staircase so as not to be seen.

As she was running past the Tapestry Chamber, the door of which happened to be open, she fancied she saw some one inside.

Thinking it was her mother's maid, who sometimes used to bring her work there, Virginia looked in to ask her to mend her habit. To her immense surprise, however, it was the Canterville Ghost himself!