The Canterville Ghost

'That is all nonsense,' cried Washington Otis; 'Pinkerton's Champion Stain Remover and Paragon Detergent will clean it up in no time,' and before the terrified housekeeper could interfere he had fallen upon his knees, and was rapidly scouring the floor with a small stick of what looked like black lipstick. In a few moments no trace of the blood-stain could be seen.

'I knew Pinkerton would do it,' he exclaimed triumphantly, as he looked round at his admiring family; but no sooner had he said these words than a terrible flash of lightning lit up the sombre room, a fearful peal of thunder made them all jump to their feet, and Mrs. Umney fainted.

'What a monstrous climate!' said the American Minister calmly, as he lit a long cheroot. 'I guess the old country is so over-populated that they have not enough decent weather for everybody. I have always been of opinion that emigration is the only thing for England.'

'My dear Hiram,' said Mrs. Otis, `what can we do with a woman who faints?'

Vocabulary:

Paragon: A perfect example (here it is part of a name)
Detergent: A cleaning fluid.
Scour: A mixture of 'scratch' and 'rub'
Trace: Here it means 'small part'.
Triumphantly: In the manner of someone who has won.
Sombre: Dark and sad.
Peal: Here it means a single 'bang' of thunder.
Cheroot: A kind of cigar.
Faint: To lose consciousness.