The Canterville Ghost

However, the Otises were wrong. The ghost was still in the house, even though he was now almost an invalid. But he was still not completely finished, particularly because he had heard that the young Duke of Cheshire was a guest at the house. The Duke's grand-uncle, Lord Francis Stilton, had once bet a hundred guineas with Colonel Carbury that he would play dice with the Canterville ghost. He was found the next morning lying on the floor of the card-room. He was in a helpless paralysed state, and though he lived to be very old, he was never able to say anything again except 'Double Sixes'.

The story was well known at the time, even though there was an attempt to stop people hearing about it, because of the feelings of the people in the two families. The full story and everything connected with it can be found in the third volume of Lord Tattle's Recollections of the Prince Regent and his Friends. Because of all this, the ghost was naturally very anxious to show that he had not lost his influence over the family. In fact the Duke's family were relatives of his, though not very close ones. His own first cousin had married the Sieur de Bulkeley, who, as every one knows, is the ancestor of the Dukes of Cheshire.

Vocabulary:

Invalid: A person who is too sick to move about
Grand-uncle: Your father's uncle.
Guineas: Gold coins worth just over one British pound.
Paralysed: Unable to move one's arms or legs.
Regent: A person who rules in the place of the king.
Recollections: Things someone remembers.
Anxious: Wanting something to go well, and worried that it will not
Ancestor: A member of the family who has been dead for a long time.