# Short Fiction — Chapters explained

> Chapter companions for Short Fiction by J. Sheridan Le Fanu.

- [The Ghost and the Bonesetter](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-ghost-and-the-bonesetter.md): Terry Neil, a bonesetter and farmer, is compelled to sit up overnight in the old castle as a tribute to the family. Despite his fear of the resident ghost—the old squire who haunts the castle—he and the steward Lawrence 
- [The Fortunes of Sir Robert Ardagh](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-fortunes-of-sir-robert-ardagh.md): Sir Robert Ardagh, the last heir of an ancient Irish family, returns from foreign service with a mysterious and malevolent valet named Jacque. Lady Ardagh develops a deep antipathy toward Jacque, but Sir Robert refuses t
- [The Last Heir of Castle Connor](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-last-heir-of-castle-connor.md): The narrator, Mr. Purcell, recounts his friendship with young O'Connor, the last heir of an ancient Irish Catholic family. He describes O'Connor's return from abroad, the joyous welcome from the local community, and his 
- [The Drunkard's Dream](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-drunkard-s-dream.md): A clergyman recounts the story of Pat Connell, a reformed drunkard who, after a terrifying dream of damnation, resolves to change his ways. Despite his reformation, Connell dies from a fall down the stairs, mirroring the
- [Passage in the Secret History of an Irish Countess](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/passage-in-the-secret-history-of-an-irish-countess.md): The narrator, Lady Margaret, recounts her early life under her reclusive father and her uncle Sir Arthur T⸺n, who was suspected of murder. After her father's death, she is forced to live with her uncle, who pressures her
- [The Bridal of Carrigvarah](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-bridal-of-carrigvarah.md): The chapter recounts the tragic story of Ellen Heathcote, a beautiful young woman who dies of a broken heart after being abandoned by young O'Mara. The narrator, a clergyman, is summoned too late to her deathbed. The nar
- [Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/strange-event-in-the-life-of-schalken-the-painter.md): The narrator recounts a strange tale told by Captain Vandael about a painting by the Dutch artist Godfrey Schalken. The painting depicts a mysterious scene involving Schalken's lost love, Rose Velderkaust, and a grotesqu
- [Scraps of Hibernian Ballads](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/scraps-of-hibernian-ballads.md): The narrator defends Irish poetry against claims of mere comicality, presenting genuine specimens of indigenous verse. He introduces the self-educated poet Michael Finley, who refused to write down his compositions, and 
- [Jim Sulivan’s Adventures in the Great Snow](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/jim-sulivan-s-adventures-in-the-great-snow.md): Jim Sulivan, a decent but henpecked husband, endures constant abuse from his fiery wife Nell Gorman. After a violent quarrel, he storms out into a snowstorm and is presumed dead when a traveler's corpse is mistaken for h
- [A Chapter in the History of a Tyrone Family](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/a-chapter-in-the-history-of-a-tyrone-family.md): This chapter, extracted from the legacy of the late Francis Purcell, recounts the tragic history of a Tyrone family, involving themes of love, betrayal, and supernatural retribution.
- [An Adventure of Hardress Fitzgerald, a Royalist Captain](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/an-adventure-of-hardress-fitzgerald-a-royalist-captain.md): Hardress Fitzgerald, a Royalist captain in King James's army, recounts his adventures after the Battle of the Boyne. Disguised in Dublin, he is eventually captured by a group of Irish kernes but later escapes and finds h
- [The Quare Gander](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-quare-gander.md): The narrator, riding through the Irish countryside, meets a local man who tells the story of Terence Mooney and his remarkable gander. The gander is discovered by the fairy doctor Jer Garvan to be possessed by the soul o
- [Spalatro](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/spalatro.md): A young man recounts his harrowing experiences after being lured into a supernatural mansion by an old man. He is warned by a mysterious girl to avoid food, drink, and words of love to escape eternal peril. He witnesses 
- [The Fatal Bride](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-fatal-bride.md): An old bachelor recounts his past romantic disappointments and introduces a story set in Dublin about fifty years prior, involving Sir Arthur Chadleigh, a hard-living baronet whose wife eloped with Lord Kildalkin. The na
- [The Mysterious Lodger](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-mysterious-lodger.md): The narrator recounts the terrifying experiences of his household with a mysterious lodger, Mr. Smith, whose presence brings supernatural dread and blasphemous influence. After the death of their baby, the lodger's voice
- [Billy Malowney's Taste of Love and Glory](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/billy-malowney-s-taste-of-love-and-glory.md): The chapter opens with a vivid description of a summer evening in the Irish countryside, where the narrator and a bare-legged companion wait for a tax-cart. The companion, a local fisherman, tells the story of Billy Malo
- [Ghost Stories of Chapelizod](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/ghost-stories-of-chapelizod.md): The narrator introduces Chapelizod as an ancient Irish village rich in supernatural legends, contrasting its former prosperity as a summer residence for viceroys and headquarters of the Royal Irish Artillery with its cur
- [The Village Bully](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-village-bully.md): Bully Larkin, a brutal pugilist in Chapelizod, provokes a fight with young Ned Moran over a romantic rivalry. Despite being outmatched, Ned refuses to give in and is beaten nearly to death, later dying from consumption. 
- [The Sexton’s Adventure](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-sexton-s-adventure.md): Bob Martin, the sexton of Chapelizod, is a man of curious mind and fondness for drink, who forms a close friendship with the melancholy publican Philip Slaney. After Slaney's suicide, Bob reforms his ways but is later te
- [The Spectre Lovers](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-spectre-lovers.md): Peter Brien, a young idler living with his grandmother Ally Moran, stumbles home drunk late one night and sees ghostly visions from the past: white cabins, a phantom regiment of the Royal Irish, and a ruined house where 
- [Some Gossip About Chapelizod](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/some-gossip-about-chapelizod.md): This chapter paints a vivid picture of Chapelizod as a ghostly, decaying village, once proud but now a shadow of its past. It recounts the disbanding of the Royal Irish Artillery due to centralization, the transition of 
- [An Account of Some Strange Disturbances in Aungier Street](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/an-account-of-some-strange-disturbances-in-aungier-street.md): The narrator describes his and his friend Tom Ludlow's terrifying experiences in a haunted house on Aungier Street, Dublin. The narrator is plagued by a recurring nightmare of a sinister portrait of an old man in a crims
- [Ultor de Lacy: A Legend of Cappercullen](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/ultor-de-lacy.md): The chapter recounts the legend of Ultor de Lacy, a spectral figure tied to the ruins of Cappercullen, whose restless spirit is said to haunt the area due to a tragic past involving betrayal and loss.
- [I: The Jacobite’s Legacy](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/i-the-jacobite-s-legacy.md): The narrator recalls Irish family traditions of a supernatural nature, focusing on the De Lacy family and their ruined castle in Cappercullen. The dying Jacobite De Lacy bequeaths to his young son Ultor a black box conta
- [II: The Fairies in the Castle](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/ii-the-fairies-in-the-castle.md): After the failed Rebellion of '45, Ultor de Lacy is attainted and his estate forfeited. His daughters, Alice and Una, are forced to take refuge in a ruined tower of the old castle with two loyal servants. Local boys mist
- [III: The Priest’s Adventures in the Glen](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/iii-the-priest-s-adventures-in-the-glen.md): The priest's secret visits to the castle are thwarted by supernatural disturbances, including losing his way in a mirage of the castle and being confronted by a terrifying giant figure, leading him to abandon his spiritu
- [IV: The Light in the Bell Tower](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/iv-the-light-in-the-bell-tower.md): Old Laurence and the family are disturbed by a mysterious red light appearing in the Bell Tower. Despite attempts to investigate, the source remains elusive. Over time, the family grows accustomed to the phenomenon, thou
- [V: The Man with the Claret Mark](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/v-the-man-with-the-claret-mark.md): Old Peggy Sullivan claims to have seen a thin-faced man with a red mark on his cheek at the window, and later Laurence, a trusted servant, sees the same figure and fires a pistol at him, only to miss and see the figure d
- [VI: Voices](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vi-voices.md): Una grows pale, loses her spirit, and becomes secretive and cold toward her sister Alice. She insists on sleeping in a separate room, claiming she will die otherwise. Alice hears strange voices at night—Una's contralto a
- [VII: Una’s Love](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vii-una-s-love.md): Una's sister Alice witnesses Una's increasingly strange behavior, culminating in a night of terror where Una appears to be under a supernatural influence. Una disappears, leaving behind only a purse embroidered with 'Una
- [VIII: Sister Agnes and the Portrait](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/viii-sister-agnes-and-the-portrait.md): After Ultor De Lacy's death, his daughter Alice discovers a portrait among his effects that horrifyingly matches a phantom from her memory. A narrative reveals that in 1601, Walter De Lacy executed Roderic O'Donnell, who
- [Borrhomeo the Astrologer](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/borrhomeo-the-astrologer.md): Set during the plague of Milan in 1630, the story follows the astrologer and alchemist Borrhomeo, who is visited by a mysterious young man claiming to possess the elixir of life and the philosopher's stone. The stranger 
- [An Authentic Narrative of a Haunted House](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/an-authentic-narrative-of-a-haunted-house.md): The narrator, an invalid, moves with his family into a seemingly modern seaside house. Soon after arrival, his wife sees a tall, dark figure beside her bed. Servants report glimpses of a retreating, one-eyed woman with a
- [My Aunt Margaret's Adventure](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/my-aunt-margaret-s-adventure.md): Aunt Margaret recounts a terrifying supernatural encounter at a remote inn, where she is haunted by a spectral presence and a mysterious child, leading to a night of dread and a lasting impression of the uncanny.
- [I: Aunt Margaret at Home](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/i-aunt-margaret-at-home.md): The chapter introduces Aunt Margaret, a shrewd and frugal woman living a rustic life in a three-storied house with her maid Winnifred Dobbs. It describes her character, her household, and her frustration with a tenant wh
- [II: My Aunt Margaret on the Road](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/ii-my-aunt-margaret-on-the-road.md): Aunt Margaret and her maid Winnifred Dobbs embark on a long journey to Winderbrooke, delayed by the late arrival of driver Tom Teukesbury and the slow, struggling bay mare. After a brief rest and meal on the hill, Aunt M
- [III: The Moon Rises](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/iii-the-moon-rises.md): Aunt Margaret, Winnie Dobbs, and Tom Teukesbury continue their journey to Winderbrooke, changing horses at Dramworth. As dusk falls, they become lost on a wild moorland, with Tom growing increasingly uneasy as they fail 
- [IV: Perturbation](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/iv-perturbation.md): Aunt Margaret, Winnie Dobbs, and driver Tom Teukesbury become lost on a lonely heath at night, growing increasingly frightened and frustrated as they search for the London road. After a tense journey marked by arguments 
- [V: The Good Woman](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/v-the-good-woman.md): Aunt Margaret, Winnie, and Tom arrive at an inn called The Good Woman after being misled by the driver. The innkeeper's maid is suspicious and unwelcoming, refusing to let Tom stay overnight. After Tom departs, the two w
- [VI: The White Chamber](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vi-the-white-chamber.md): Aunt Margaret and Winnie Dobbs arrive at a gloomy inn called The Good Woman, where they are led to a large, old-fashioned room known as the white chamber. After settling in, Aunt Margaret observes the desolate inn yard a
- [VII: An Accident Befalls the Candle](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vii-an-accident-befalls-the-candle.md): Aunt Margaret, after a tense encounter with the impertinent maid, remains awake late into the night. She observes suspicious activity in the stable-yard involving Nell and a man with a dog. The maid confronts her about b
- [VIII: Of a Figure Seen by My Aunt](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/viii-of-a-figure-seen-by-my-aunt.md): Aunt Margaret, angered by the chambermaid's conduct, retires to her room but is later awakened by a noise. She investigates, fearing her trunk is being stolen, but finds it safe. While trying to return to her room in the
- [IX: The Funeral Visitation](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/ix-the-funeral-visitation.md): Aunt Margaret, terrified by the suspicious activities in the inn, witnesses a woman with a hammer and steel blade, then hides in a bedroom. Two men and the woman enter carrying a coffin, place it on the bed beside her, a
- [X: How It All Happened](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/x-how-it-all-happened.md): The chapter reveals the backstory of The Good Woman inn, which was once prosperous on the old London road but fell into decline after a new road bypassed it. The innkeeper, deeply in debt and hiding from creditors, died 
- [Wicked Captain Walshawe, of Wauling](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/wicked-captain-walshawe-of-wauling.md): The story recounts the life and death of the wicked Captain Walshawe, a cruel and dissolute man who terrorized his household and community. After his death, his ghost haunts the area, particularly troubling his former se
- [I: Peg O’Neill Pays the Captain’s Debts](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/i-peg-o-neill-pays-the-captain-s-debts.md): The chapter introduces Captain James Walshawe, a scamp who eloped with an Irish heiress, Peg O'Neill, in 1766. He married her for her fortune, spent her income, and broke her heart, while she lived in fear with her grim 
- [II: The Blessed Candle](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/ii-the-blessed-candle.md): Captain Walshawe, in a drunken and volatile state, disrupts the wake of his wife Peg O'Neill, who has died and been laid out in a Carmelite habit with a blessed candle in her hand. He angrily confiscates the candle, lock
- [III: My Uncle Watson Visits Wauling](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/iii-my-uncle-watson-visits-wauling.md): After the burial of his wife, Captain Walshawe reigns alone at Wauling for over forty years, growing increasingly gouty, corpulent, and ill-tempered. He dies without repentance, and his cousin and heir, Mr. Watson, a Met
- [IV: In the Parlour](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/iv-in-the-parlour.md): My uncle Watson, a truthful man, recounts a stormy night at Wauling where he, the doctor, and the attorney stayed. No will was found for the Captain, but the leases were missing. My uncle suspected the attorney of theft 
- [V: The Bedchamber](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/v-the-bedchamber.md): The narrator's uncle retires to his bedchamber during a stormy night, where he experiences a series of unsettling noises and disturbances, including the curtains falling open, a thump on the table, and a mysterious knock
- [VI: The Extinguisher Is Lifted](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vi-the-extinguisher-is-lifted.md): Uncle Watson, unable to sleep, experiences a series of eerie sensations and visions. After a brief doze, he witnesses a tiny figure emerge from beneath the candlestick extinguisher, growing into a full-sized man in milit
- [VII: The Visitation Culminates](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vii-the-visitation-culminates.md): Uncle Watson witnesses a spectral figure that retrieves hidden papers from a secret compartment in a looking-glass drawer. The apparition transforms from a soldier into a grotesque, worm-ridden mass before dissolving int
- [Conclusion](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/conclusion.md): The narrator concludes the tale of Captain Walshawe by revealing two curious circumstances: the wax candle used by his uncle was the same holy candle from the corpse, and a secret drawer containing the missing papers was
- [Squire Toby's Will](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/squire-toby-s-will.md): The chapter recounts the story of Squire Toby Marston, a debauched old gentleman whose will sets his two sons, Scroope and Charles, at deadly odds. After Squire Toby's death, Charles suppresses a deed that would have giv
- [Green Tea](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/green-tea.md): Dr. Hesselius recounts the case of the Rev. Mr. Jennings, a clergyman tormented by a malevolent monkey-like specter that only he can see, driving him to madness and ultimately suicide.
- [Prologue](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/prologue.md): The narrator introduces himself as a physician who abandoned practice after a dissecting knife injury. He recounts his long association with Dr. Martin Hesselius, a brilliant German physician and wanderer, whose vast col
- [I: Dr. Hesselius Relates How He Met the Rev. Mr. Jennings](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/i-dr-hesselius-relates-how-he-met-the-rev-mr-jennings.md): Dr. Hesselius recounts his first meeting with the Rev. Mr. Jennings at Lady Mary Heyduke's party. He describes Jennings as a tall, thin, middle-aged clergyman with a kind but shy demeanor, who suffers from mysterious hea
- [II: The Doctor Questions Lady Mary, and She Answers](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/ii-the-doctor-questions-lady-mary-and-she-answers.md): Dr. Hesselius converses with Lady Mary about the vicar, Mr. Jennings, deducing several personal details about him through observation and inference, including his unmarried status, his abandoned book on an abstract subje
- [III: Dr. Hesselius Picks Up Something in Latin Books](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/iii-dr-hesselius-picks-up-something-in-latin-books.md): Dr. Hesselius visits Mr. Jennings and, while waiting in his study, examines a set of Swedenborg's Arcana Caelestia. He reads passages about the interior sight, evil spirits associated with man, and the dangers of consort
- [IV: Four Eyes Were Reading the Passage](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/iv-four-eyes-were-reading-the-passage.md): The narrator is reading a book when he catches Mr. Jennings peering over his shoulder, reading the same passage. Jennings reveals he has been reading Swedenborg for only a fortnight and expresses deep dissatisfaction wit
- [V: Doctor Hesselius Is Summoned to Richmond](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/v-doctor-hesselius-is-summoned-to-richmond.md): Doctor Hesselius receives a series of notes from Mr. Jennings, who initially appears to improve and attempts to resume his clerical duties in Warwickshire, but soon relapses into deep depression. After nearly five weeks,
- [VI: How Mr. Jennings Met His Companion](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vi-how-mr-jennings-met-his-companion.md): Mr. Jennings recounts to the narrator the beginning of his torment, which started three years and eleven weeks ago. He describes his obsessive work on the religious metaphysics of the ancients, his habit of drinking stro
- [VII: The Journey: First Stage](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vii-the-journey-first-stage.md): The narrator describes his harrowing experience with a spectral monkey that has been haunting him. After a brief period of relief when the monkey disappears, he discovers it has followed him, creeping along a wall and th
- [VIII: The Second Stage](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/viii-the-second-stage.md): Mr. Jennings describes the escalating malevolence of the spectral monkey that haunts him. It has grown more aggressive, thwarting his clerical duties by appearing in church and on his prayer book. After a brief respite u
- [IX: The Third Stage](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/ix-the-third-stage.md): Mr. Jennings describes to Dr. Hesselius how his tormenting entity has progressed from visual to auditory manifestations, speaking to him with blasphemies and urging him toward self-destruction. He recounts a near-fatal i
- [X: Home](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/x-home.md): Dr. Hesselius leaves Mr. Jennings after offering comfort and a medical explanation for his affliction, exacting a promise to be called if the monkey returns. He retreats to an inn to study the case, but returns to find t
- [Conclusion](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/conclusion.md): Dr. Hesselius addresses a patient, Van L., who has suffered from a similar affliction to Mr. Jennings. He explains his theory of interior vision and nervous fluid, asserting that such cases are curable with patience and 
- [The Child That Went with the Fairies](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-child-that-went-with-the-fairies.md): A widow named Mary Ryan lives in a remote cabin near Lisnavoura, a fairy-haunted hill. One evening, her three children are playing outside when a magnificent, sinister carriage drawn by four white horses appears. The coa
- [The White Cat of Drumgunniol](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-white-cat-of-drumgunniol.md): The narrator recounts a story told by his Irish tutor, Dan Donovan, about a sinister white cat that appears to members of the Donovan family as an omen of death. The tale includes a spectral woman walking across water, a
- [Stories of Lough Guir](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/stories-of-lough-guir.md): The narrator recalls visiting Miss Anne Baily and her sister at Lough Guir in County Limerick as a boy. The ladies, hospitable and knowledgeable about local genealogy, entertained guests with tales of the supernatural an
- [The Magician Earl](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-magician-earl.md): The legend of the Earl of Desmond, a powerful magician who lives enchanted at the bottom of a lake with his household after his wife broke a silence spell during his magical transformations. Once every seven years, he an
- [Moll Rial's Adventure](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/moll-rial-s-adventure.md): Moll Rial, an old woman in the service of the Bailys of Lough Guir, recalls a terrifying encounter from her youth. While washing clothes by the lake, she is approached by a grand-looking gentleman who offers her a ring. 
- [The Banshee](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-banshee.md): Miss Baily recounts her personal experience with the banshee's supernatural music while attending her dying sister, Miss Kitty, at Lough Guir.
- [The Governess’s Dream](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-governess-s-dream.md): A governess recounts a recurring dream in which a mysterious man with a wand reveals the location of buried treasure in an old castle. She measures the site and informs Mr. Baily, who initially dismisses her. After the d
- [The Earl’s Hall](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-earl-s-hall.md): The governess, who regularly retreats to the Earl's Hall for solitude, encounters a terrifying apparition of a small, red-clad man with a dark, menacing face. He beckons her to follow, and when she hesitates, his fury in
- [The Vision of Tom Chuff](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-vision-of-tom-chuff.md): Tom Chuff, a violent poacher and drunkard, terrorizes his family. After a series of drunken episodes and a vision that briefly reforms him, he relapses into abuse. His wife Nelly dies from a broken heart, and Tom himself
- [Madam Crowl's Ghost](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/madam-crowl-s-ghost.md): An elderly woman recounts her childhood experience as a young servant at Applewale House, where she was warned that the old Dame Crowl was possessed by the devil. After the Dame's death, the narrator witnesses a ghostly 
- [Carmilla](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/carmilla.md): The chapter introduces the mysterious and alluring Carmilla, who arrives at the protagonist's home under strange circumstances. Her presence brings a sense of unease and supernatural dread, as she exhibits peculiar behav
- [Prologue](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/prologue.md): Doctor Hesselius provides a note on the manuscript that follows, referencing his essay on the strange subject it illuminates. The editor decides to present the narrative without summarizing the Doctor's reasoning, noting
- [I: An Early Fright](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/i-an-early-fright.md): The narrator, a young English girl living in a remote Styrian castle, recounts a terrifying childhood incident. At around six years old, she awoke to find herself alone and was visited by a mysterious young lady who lay 
- [II: A Guest](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/ii-a-guest.md): The narrator and her father receive a disturbing letter from General Spielsdorf, who reveals that his beloved ward, Bertha Rheinfeldt, has died under mysterious circumstances. The General's letter is frantic and hints at
- [III: We Compare Notes](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/iii-we-compare-notes.md): The narrator and the mysterious young stranger, Carmilla, share their mutual visions of each other from twelve years ago, deepening their strange bond. The household discusses the arrival of the carriage and its ominous 
- [IV: Her Habits—A Saunter](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/iv-her-habits-a-saunter.md): The narrator describes Carmilla's strange and passionate behavior, oscillating between intense embraces and languid indifference. During a walk, a funeral procession passes, and Carmilla reacts with anger and a hysterica
- [V: A Wonderful Likeness](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/v-a-wonderful-likeness.md): A shipment of restored ancestral portraits arrives at the schloss, including a striking 1698 portrait of Mircalla Countess Karnstein that is an exact likeness of Carmilla. Laura is captivated by the resemblance and asks 
- [VI: A Very Strange Agony](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vi-a-very-strange-agony.md): Laura describes a terrifying dream in which a sooty black creature attacks her, stinging her breast like two large needles. She wakes to see a female figure at the foot of her bed, which then passes through the locked do
- [VII: Descending](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vii-descending.md): The narrator describes her deepening horror and physical decline after a supernatural encounter. She confides in Madame Paradon and Mademoiselle Lafontaine, who mention a haunted lime-tree walk. Carmilla shares her own f
- [Search](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/viii-search.md): After Carmilla's mysterious disappearance, the household searches frantically for her. She reappears in her dressing-room, claiming to have no memory of how she got there. Her father suggests she may have been sleepwalki
- [IX: The Doctor](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/ix-the-doctor.md): Doctor Spielsberg examines Laura and discovers a small blue spot on her neck, confirming his suspicions about her mysterious illness. He instructs that Laura must never be left alone. Laura's father receives a delayed le
- [X: Bereaved](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/x-bereaved.md): The General, having lost his beloved niece and ward under mysterious circumstances, meets with the narrator's father and reveals his belief that she fell victim to supernatural forces. He expresses a fierce determination
- [The Story](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/xi-the-story.md): General Montague recounts the fateful masquerade ball at Count Carlsfeld's schloss, where his ward is captivated by a mysterious masked young woman named Millarca, while the General himself is drawn into an enigmatic con
- [A Petition](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/xii-a-petition.md): The narrator recounts how she was persuaded to take charge of a mysterious young lady named Millarca, whose mother, the Countess, makes a hasty departure under secretive circumstances. Despite initial misgivings, the nar
- [XIII: The Woodman](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/xiii-the-woodman.md): The narrator and her father accompany General Spielsdorf to the ruined Karnstein castle. The General reveals his quest for vengeance against the vampire Mircalla, who he believes is still active. A woodman recounts local
- [XIV: The Meeting](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/xiv-the-meeting.md): General Montague recounts the supernatural affliction and death of his ward, describing a consultation with physicians where one diagnoses a vampire. He follows the doctor's instructions, witnesses a black creature attac
- [Ordeal and Execution](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/xv-ordeal-and-execution.md): The chapter describes the discovery of the tomb of Mircalla, Countess Karnstein, in the ruined chapel, followed by the formal inquisition and execution of the vampire. The narrator recounts the opening of the grave, the 
- [Conclusion](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/xvi-conclusion.md): The narrator reflects on the lasting horror of the vampire encounter and introduces Baron Vordenburg, a scholar of vampirism who reveals the history of Countess Mircalla Karnstein and the origin of her vampirism through 
- [The Dead Sexton](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-dead-sexton.md): In the town of Golden Friars, the sexton Toby Crooke is found dead under mysterious circumstances in the coach-house of the George and Dragon inn. His past as a reformed scamp is recalled, and a stranger's suspicious beh
- [Mr. Justice Harbottle](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/mr-justice-harbottle.md): Judge Harbottle, a corrupt and ruthless judge, receives a supernatural summons to stand trial for the murder of Lewis Pyneweck, whom he wrongfully executed. Despite his bravado, he is abducted by spectral figures and tak
- [Prologue](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/prologue.md): The editor introduces the case of Judge Harbottle, noting that Doctor Hesselius preferred Mrs. Trimmer's account but that only Anthony Harman's narrative survives, which matches the facts of the case. Hesselius's notes d
- [I: The Judge’s House](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/i-the-judge-s-house.md): An elderly man recounts a ghostly encounter in a cheaply rented room in a dark Westminster house, where he saw two sinister figures emerge from a locked closet and cross his bedroom. The narrator, prompted by the story, 
- [II: Mr. Peters](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/ii-mr-peters.md): Judge Harbottle, after a session in the House of Lords, encounters a frail old gentleman who claims to have urgent intelligence for him. The stranger, Mr. Peters, warns the Judge of a secret tribunal called the 'High Cou
- [III: Lewis Pyneweck](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/iii-lewis-pyneweck.md): Judge Harbottle's footman is attacked by a disguised Mr. Peters, who escapes after knocking him unconscious. The Judge, furious yet secretly pleased, deduces the attack was a failed attempt to intimidate him. He resolves
- [IV: Interruption in Court](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/iv-interruption-in-court.md): Judge Harbottle returns to London after Lewis Pyneweck's execution for forgery. During a trial at the Old Bailey, he sees a vision of Pyneweck in the courtroom, causing a disruption. Meanwhile, Mrs. Pyneweck (Flora Carwe
- [V: Caleb Searcher](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/v-caleb-searcher.md): Judge Harbottle receives a mysterious letter from a 'Caleb Searcher' informing him of an indictment for the murder of Lewis Pyneweck, a man wrongfully executed due to the Judge's manipulation. The Judge initially dismiss
- [VI: Arrested](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vi-arrested.md): Judge Harbottle attends the theater at Drury Lane and plans to return home with two cronies. However, when he enters his coach, he finds himself seized by two armed strangers. The coach travels across a desolate moor, wh
- [VII: Chief Justice Twofold](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vii-chief-justice-twofold.md): Judge Harbottle finds himself in a surreal nightmare court where he is tried by a terrifying double of himself, Chief Justice Twofold. The trial proceeds inexorably to a guilty verdict, and he is subjected to a brutal pu
- [VIII: Somebody Has Got Into the House](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/viii-somebody-has-got-into-the-house.md): Judge Harbottle, tormented by a prophetic dream of his own execution, grows increasingly morose and superstitious as the predicted date approaches. Despite his doctor's advice to rest and prepare for a trip to Buxton, th
- [IX: The Judge Leaves His House](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/ix-the-judge-leaves-his-house.md): The chapter recounts the final hours and mysterious death of Judge Harbottle. After a series of ghostly apparitions—including a spectral figure with a rope and a vision of a monstrous being forging a chain—the Judge is f
- [The Familiar](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-familiar.md): A mysterious and unsettling tale involving supernatural occurrences and a familiar spirit, exploring themes of guilt, retribution, and the uncanny.
- [Prologue](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/prologue.md): Doctor Hesselius introduces the case of Mr. Barton, known as 'The Familiar,' and discusses the classification of supernatural impressions into subjective, objective, and mixed conditions, emphasizing the need for medical
- [I: Footsteps](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/i-footsteps.md): Captain Barton, a skeptical naval officer, returns to Dublin and becomes engaged to the penniless Miss Montague. After a late-night discussion on religion and the supernatural, he walks home through a deserted street and
- [II: The Watcher](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/ii-the-watcher.md): Captain Barton receives a mysterious warning letter signed 'The Watcher,' advising him to avoid a specific street. Despite dismissing it as a hoax, he is haunted by the sound of unseen footsteps following him, especially
- [III: An Advertisement](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/iii-an-advertisement.md): Captain Barton encounters a strange, agitated foreigner on the street, which triggers an intense and inexplicable terror in him. His friends are alarmed by his reaction, but he dismisses it as fatigue. Later, he consults
- [IV: He Talks with a Clergyman](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/iv-he-talks-with-a-clergyman.md): Captain Barton, struggling with a supernatural persecution, consults a clergyman about his terrifying experiences. He confesses a deep conviction in a malignant spiritual world and retribution for guilt, despite his prev
- [V: Mr. Barton States His Case](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/v-mr-barton-states-his-case.md): Captain Barton, in a state of extreme psychological and spiritual distress, visits Doctor ⸻ to confess that he is haunted by a demonic presence. He describes being followed, hearing blasphemous cries and threats, and fee
- [VI: Seen Again](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vi-seen-again.md): Captain Barton's increasingly erratic behavior becomes the subject of gossip and concern. His fiancée Miss Montague and her family press him for an explanation, leading him to confess his supernatural torment. General Mo
- [VII: Flight](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vii-flight.md): Barton flees to England with General Montague, hoping to escape his spectral pursuer, but the figure reappears in Calais, shattering his hopes. He returns to Ireland in despair and is confined to a house in Clontarf unde
- [VIII: Softened](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/viii-softened.md): Captain Barton experiences a profound shift from terror to a tranquil melancholy after a vision of a girl singing by a lake, which he interprets as a sign of forgiveness. He confides in Montague that his punishment is ne
- [IX: Requiescat](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/ix-requiescat.md): Captain Barton's final night is marked by terror and a mysterious death. His servant, searching for an owl that Barton dreads, witnesses a supernatural presence in the room. General Montague finds Barton dead, with signs
- [Sir Dominick's Bargain](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/sir-dominick-s-bargain.md): Sir Dominick Sarsfield, burdened by debts and losses, makes a pact with a demonic figure in the oak-wood of Murroa, receiving wealth and luck in exchange for his soul over a seven-year term. As the term nears its end, he
- [Laura Silver Bell](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/laura-silver-bell.md): Mall Carke, a reputed witch, encounters a sinister stranger on the moor who offers her a guinea to use her magic to bring a young lord to Laura Silver Bell. Laura later reveals she has seen a fairy revelry near Hawarth C
- [Dickon the Devil](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/dickon-the-devil.md): The narrator travels to Barwyke Hall, a neglected Lancashire estate inherited by two old maids, and hears from the steward Tom Wyndsour the eerie story of Squire Bowes's ghost abducting a boy named Dickon, who is later f
- [Hyacinth O’Toole](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/hyacinth-o-toole.md): Mr. Toole recounts a humiliating and chaotic evening at the theatre, where he is publicly teased about his romantic pursuit of Miss Molloy, and later describes a series of absurd accidents, culminating in a panic-driven 
- [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/endnotes.md): The endnotes provide editorial commentary and clarifications on the preceding stories, including references to decay, historical evidence, and the preservation of supernatural traditions. The editor defends the authentic

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