The Canterville Ghost

`That is nonsense,' Washington Otis said loudly; `Pinkerton's Champion Stain Remover and Paragon Detergent will clean it up easily'. Before the terrified housekeeper could interfere he fell to his knees, and rapidly rubbed the floor with a small stick of what looked like black lipstick. In a few moments there was no sign at all of the blood-stain.

`I knew Pinkerton would do it,' exclaimed Washington triumphantly to his admiring family. But as soon as he said these words, a terrible flash of lightning lit up the sombre room, and a frightning bang of thunder made them all jump to their feet. Mrs. Umney fainted.

`What a monstrous climate!' said the American Ambassador calmly, as he lit a long cheroot. `I guess the old country has so many people that they don't have enough good weather for everybody. I have always thought that the only thing that can help England is if more people leave the place.'

`My dear Hiram,' said Mrs. Otis, `Mrs Umney has fainted. 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.
Interfere: Get in the way of what someone is doing.
Lipstick: Colouring that women put on their lips.
Triumphantly: In the manner of someone who has won.
Admire: To like something because you think it is very good.
Flash: A sudden bright light.
Sombre: Dark and sad.
Faint: To lose consciousness.
Old country: A United States expression for England
Cheroot: A kind of cigar.