The ghost now decided that he would never be able to frighten this rude American family. So instead he spent most of his time creeping about the passages in slippers, with a thick red scarf round his throat for fear of draughts, and an old-fashioned pistol, in case he was attacked by the twins.

The thing which finally made the ghost give up happened on the 19th of September.

He had gone downstairs to the entrance-hall, feeling sure that there, at least, no-one would disturb him. He amused himself by making satirical remarks on the large photographs of the United States Ambassador and his wife, which were now on the walls instead of pictures of the Canterville family.

He was simply but neatly dressed in a long shroud, with spots of dirt from a churchyard. He had tied up his jaw with a strip of yellow cloth, and carried a small lantern and a spade.

In fact, he was dressed as a Corpse-Snatcher, one of his most remarkable impersonations. The Cantervilles had every reason to remember this, because it had been the real cause of their quarrel with their neighbour, Lord Rufford.

It was about a quarter past two o'clock in the morning, and, as far as the ghost could tell, no one was awake. He was walking towards the library to see if there was anything left of the blood-stain when suddenly two figures jumped out at him from a dark corner. They waved their arms wildly above their heads, and shouted 'BOO!' in his ear.