Le Fantôme de Canterville

When Mr. Hiram B. Otis, the American minister, bought Canterville Chase, everyone told him he was making a big mistake. There was no doubt at all that the place was haunted. Even Lord Canterville, who sold him the house, felt it was his duty to warn him.

"We have not wanted to live there ourselves," said Lord Canterville. "My great-aunt, the Duchess of Bolton, was dressing for dinner one evening. Suddenly two skeleton hands were placed on her shoulders. She never really got better after that fright. The ghost has been seen by several members of my family. The young servants would not stay with us, and my wife hardly slept at night. There were always strange noises in the corridor and the library."

"My lord," answered the minister, "I will take the furniture and the ghost at the same price. I come from a modern country. We have everything that money can buy. If there were such a thing as a ghost in Europe, we would soon have it at home in one of our museums."