The Canterville Ghost

Mr. Hiram B. Otis, the American ambassador, bought an old house. It was called Canterville Chase. Everyone told him he was doing a very foolish thing, because everyone knew that there was a ghost in the house. Even though he was selling the house, Lord Canterville felt that he really should tell Mr. Otis about the ghost before he brought the house. Lord Canterville was an honest man, and he did not want to hide anything.

Lord Canterville said `We have not wanted to live in the house since my mother's aunt, the Dowager Duchess of Bolton, was frightened by the ghost. It put its hands (they were just bones!) on her shoulders while she was getting ready for dinner. The dutchess was very scared and she never really got better. I have to tell you, Mr. Otis, that many people in my family have seen the ghost. Even the priest, the Rev. Augustus Dampier, has seen it, and he is a member of King's College, at Cambridge University. After the ghost frightened the Duchess, none of our younger servants wanted to stay in the house. My wife often couldn't sleep at night, because of the strange noises that came from the passage and the library.'