The Laughing Mill, and Other Stories

"Ay, surely," said Mr. Poyntz thoughtfully, "I should have told ye that. It was the man that was married to old Squire Harold's housekeeper. And that housekeeper, sir, when she...

"'The pretty peasant has a pride of her own!' I said to myself, as I opened my trunk and got out my writing materials. 'She's actually offended because I wouldn't constitute her...

My eccentric companion made no rejoinder, though I fancied he gave a sigh. Presently he began to speak in the same evenly-pitched, far-away voice that he had used throughout. Th...

"She was trembling with excitement, and her state communicated itself in some degree to me, so that I was scarcely able to think coherently. But there certainly seemed to be pla...

"No, not this Sunday; though I hope to go before long, if Miss Agatha is willing to show me the way." I glanced at her again as I said this, but she would not look up, and I cou...

This omission affected me strangely. So far from alienating my interest, it greatly augmented it; and although the body of the writing was couched in terms sufficiently dry and...

"At this moment I was puzzled to observe that the black-garmented figure was a good deal less distinctly discernible than when it had been farther off. The sun was still as brig...

"Moving as if in obedience to some power external or at least foreign to herself, as a mechanical figure might move, steadily, deliberately, and yet blindly, Kate had advanced d...

"We passed through a narrow alley between two friendly buildings, which seemed strongly inclined to lean on one another's shoulders; crossed the rough cobble-stones of the littl...

"I packed my valise for a sojourn of two or three days among these pocket Alps, put my diamonds in that secure inner pocket, and took a droschkey for the railway station. The tr...

"Soon other faces appeared, with beards and helmets--the faces of the 'Polizei.' In a few minutes, by the aid of ropes and stout arms, I was drawn up once more to the light of d...

Summer and winter came and went, and were followed by a gloomy and dismal spring. The late-lying snow was dissolved by heavy rains so that the mill stream was swollen beyond pre...

What is called the human interest in fiction is doubtless more absorbing than any other, but other legitimate sources of interest exist. The marvellous always possesses a fascin...

I stole out by the kitchen-door and looked about for Mr. Poyntz; for his yarn had, for several reasons, begun to interest me exceedingly, and I was most anxious to hear the end...

"Well, my dear, that must depend a great deal upon circumstances. I shall talk with Mort, and see what he has to say about his place. We mustn't forget that we're very well situ...

"A ghost? You speak lightly enough, and I suppose your idea of a ghost is some conventional bogey such as children are scared with. We laugh at such things--heaven knows why! An...

I had jumped from my chair and taken the MS. from Calbot's hand. It was impossible--it was inconceivable, but it was true. The page was thoroughly wetted through, but there were...

30 ' moved ("'Pretty soon, Jack,' says he again) 31 " added (a pledge that'....") 31 "IV." added (section header) 39 "eëriest" changed to "eeriest" (ghost and witches might scre...