# The Secret of Dhoon explained — Brood of the Witch-Queen > Chapter companion for Brood of the Witch-Queen by Sax Rohmer. ## What happens Lord Lashmore visits Dr. Cairn to consult him about mysterious throat wounds and a family curse. Dr. Cairn reveals his knowledge of the secret chamber at Dhoon Castle and the hidden history of Mirza, a Polish Jewess who married the third Baron Lashmore. Lashmore recounts the horrifying initiation on his twenty-first birthday, when his father led him to a subterranean cell beneath the moat where the preserved corpse of Paul Dhoon, a vampire, lay impaled with an aspen stake. ## Themes in this chapter ### Hereditary Curse and Taint Lord Lashmore reveals the family curse of the Dhoon line, stemming from the vampire Paul Dhoon, and his fear of the blood of a vampire in his veins. ### The Occult and Ancient Egypt Dr. Cairn's role as an occultist and the discussion of psychical ailments and secret chambers reflect occult themes, though Egypt is not directly mentioned. ### Appearance vs. Reality The seemingly solid wall of the library conceals a hidden passage; the preserved corpse of Paul Dhoon appears lifelike despite being centuries old. ## Character check-ins ### Lord Lashmore Visits Dr. Cairn to consult about throat wounds and reveals the family secret of the vampire Paul Dhoon. ### Dr. Bruce Cairn Interrogates Lord Lashmore about the attacks and demonstrates knowledge of the Dhoon family curse and secret chamber. ### Sir Elwin Groves Mentioned as the physician attending Lord Lashmore for throat wounds and who referred him to Dr. Cairn. ### Lady Lashmore Mentioned as having been found insensible after the second attack; her nerves are shaken and she is being taken abroad. ### Mirza The Polish Jewess wife of the third Baron Lashmore, whose secret marriage and child led to the curse. ### Paul Dhoon The fourth Baron Lashmore, son of Mirza, whose preserved vampire corpse lies impaled in a secret cell beneath Dhoon Castle. ## Key lines > Lord Lashmore was a big, blonde man, fresh coloured, and having his nearly white hair worn close cut and his moustache trimmed in the neat military fashion. Lord Lashmore is a large, fair-haired man with a military-style moustache and close-cropped white hair. _Physical description of Lord Lashmore upon his arrival._ > I have seen her portrait in Dhoon Castle; you were not in residence at the time. Mirza, Lady Lashmore, was evidently a very beautiful woman. Dr. Cairn mentions having seen a portrait of Mirza at Dhoon Castle while Lord Lashmore was away. _Dr. Cairn reveals his prior knowledge of the family secret._ > It contains Paul, fourth Baron Lashmore, son of Mirza, the Polish Jewess! The secret chamber holds the body of Paul Dhoon, the fourth baron and son of Mirza. _Dr. Cairn states the contents of the hidden room._ > He lay there upon the floor of the dungeon, his fists clenched and his knees drawn up as if in agony. He had lain there for generations; yet, as God is my witness, there was flesh on his bones. Paul Dhoon's corpse remained in the dungeon for centuries, still with flesh on its bones, in a contorted posture of pain. _Lord Lashmore describes the horrifying state of the vampire's body._ > An aspen stake was driven through his breast, pinning him to the earthern floor, and there he lay in the agonised attitude of one who had died by such awful means. A wooden stake through his chest pinned Paul Dhoon to the ground, leaving him in a death pose of agony. _Description of the vampire's impalement._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/brood_of_the_witch_queen_se/chapters/viii-the-secret-of-dhoon - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/brood_of_the_witch_queen_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/brood_of_the_witch_queen_se/chapters