Canterville Ghost Summary Essay Example for Free

Canterville Ghost Summary EssayThe a stillting morning, when the Otis family met at breakfast, they discussed the frequent at some length. The United States Minister was by nature a petty(a) annoyed to find that his present had not been accepted. I have no wish, he tell, to do the ghost any personal injury, and I must say that, considering the length of time he has been in the house, I dont think it is at all polite to throw pillows at him,a very beneficial remark, at which, I am sorry to say, the twins burst into shouts of laughter. Upon the other hand, he continued, if he really declines to use the acclivity Sun Lubricator, we shall have to take his chains from him. It would be quite impossible to sleep, with such a upset going on outside the bedrooms.For the rest of the week, however, they were un pale, the only thing that excited any attention beingness the continual renewal of the blood-stain on the library floor. This certainly was very strange, as the door was always locked at night by Mr. Otis, and the windows kept closely barred. The chameleon- standardized colour, also, of the stain excited a good regale of comment. slightly mornings it was a dull (al nigh Indian) red, then it would be vermilion, then a rich purple, and once when they came down for family prayers, correspond to the simple rites of the Free American Re resileed Episcopalian Church, they effect it a bright emerald-green. These kaleidoscopic changes naturally amused the party very much, and bets on the subject were freely generate both evening. The only person who did not enter into the joke was little Virginia, who, for some unexplained reason, was always a good deal distressed at the gage of the blood-stain, and very nearly cried the morning it was emerald-green.The second appearance of the ghost was on Sunday night. Shortly subsequently they had g wiz to bed they were suddenly alarmed by a grand crash in the hall. Rushing down-stairs, they found that a large s uit of old armour had receive detached from its stand, and had go on the stone floor, spot seated in a high-backed direct was the Canterville ghost, rubbing his knees with an expression of acute agony on his face. The twins, having brought their pea-shooters with them, at once discharged two pellets on him, with that accuracy of aim which can only be attained by long and careful usage on a writing-master, while the United States Minister covered him with his revolver, and called upon him, in accordance with Californian etiquette, to move over up his hands The ghost started up with a wild shriek of rage, and swept through them like a mist, extinguishing Washington Otiss candle as he passed, and so leaving them all in total darkness.On reaching the top of the staircase he recovered himself, and placed to give his renowned peal of demoniac laughter. This he had on more than one occasion found extremely useful. It was said to have turned manufacturer Rakers wig grey in a singl e night, and had certainly do three of Lady Cantervilles French governesses give warning before their month was up. He accordingly laughed his most horrible laugh, till the old vaulted roof rang and rang again, but hardly had the fearful echo died onward when a door opened, and Mrs. Otis came out in a light blue dressing-gown. I am afraid you are far from well, she said, and have brought you a bottle of Doctor Dobells tincture.If it is indigestion, you will find it a most excellent remedy. The ghost glared at her in fury, and began at once to make preparations for turning himself into a large black dog, an accomplishment for which he was justly renowned, and to which the family doctor always attributed the permanent idiocy of Lord Cantervilles uncle, the Hon. Thomas Horton. The sound of approaching footsteps, however, made him hesitate in his fell purpose, so he convenient himself with becoming faintly phosphorescent, and vanished with a deep churchyard groan, just as the twins h ad come up to him.On reaching his room he simply broke down, and became a prey to the most knockdown-dragout agitation. The vulgarity of the twins, and the gross materialism of Mrs. Otis, were naturally extremely annoying, but what really distressed him most was that he had been unable to wear the suit of mail. He had hoped that even modern Americans would be thrilled by the sight of a Spectre in armour, if for no more sensible reason, at least out of approve for their natural poet Longfellow, over whose graceful and attractive poetry he himself had whiled away many a weary hour when the Cantervilles were up in town. Besides it was his own suit. He had worn it with great success at the Kenilworth tournament, and had been highly complimented on it by no less a person than the Virgin Queen herself. unless when he had put it on, he had been completely overpowered by the weight of the huge breastplate and steel casque, and had fallen heavily on the stone pavement, barking both his knees severely, and bruising the knuckles of his right hand.For some days after this he was extremely ill, and hardly stirred out of his room at all, except to keep the blood-stain in proper repair. However, by taking great care of himself, he recovered, and resolved to make a ternary attempt to frighten the United States Minister and his family. He selected Friday, August 17th, for his appearance, and spent most of that day in looking over his wardrobe, ultimately deciding in favour of a large slouched hat with a red feather, a winding-sheet frilled at the wrists and neck, and a hoar dagger. Towards evening a red-faced storm of rain came on, and the wind was so high that all the windows and doors in the old house shake and rattled. In fact, it was just such weather as he loved. His plan of action was this. He was to make his way quietly to Washington Otiss room, gibber at him from the foot of the bed, and stab himself three times in the throat to the sound of low music.He bore W ashington a special grudge, being quite aware that it was he who was in the habit of removing the famous Canterville blood-stain by means of Pinkertons Paragon Detergent. Having reduced the reckless and foolhardy youth to a condition of abject terror, he was then to proceed to the room busy by the United States Minister and his married woman, and there to place a clammy hand on Mrs. Otiss fore foreman, while he hissed into her trembling husbands ear the grievous secrets of the charnel-house. With regard to little Virginia, he had not quite made up his mind. She had never insulted him in any way, and was pretty and gentle. A few hollow groans from the wardrobe, he thought, would be more than sufficient, or, if that failed to wake her, he efficiency grabble at the counterpane with palsy-twitching fingers.As for the twins, he was quite determined to teach them a lesson. The first thing to be done was, of course, to sit upon their chests, so as to convey the stifling sensation of n ightmare. Then, as their beds were quite close to each other, to stand between them in the form of a green, icy-cold corpse, till they became paralyzed with fear, and finally, to throw off the winding-sheet, and crawl attack the room, with white, bleached bones and one rolling eyeball, in the character of Dumb Daniel, or the Suicides Skeleton, a _rle_ in which he had on more than one occasion produced a great effect, and which he considered quite equal to his famous part of Martin the Maniac, or the Masked Mystery.At half-past ten he heard the family going to bed. For some time he was disturbed by wild shrieks of laughter from the twins, who, with the light-hearted gaiety of schoolboys, were evidently amusing themselves before they retired to rest, but at a quarter-past eleven all was still, and, as midnight sounded, he sallied forth. The owl beat against the window-panes, the raven croaked from the old yew-tree, and the wind wandered moaning round the house like a lost soul but th e Otis family slept unconscious of their doom, and high above the rain and storm he could hear the steady snoring of the Minister for the United States. He stepped stealthily out of the wainscoting, with an evil smile on his cruel, wrinkled mouth, and the moon hid her face in a overcast as he stole past the great oriel window, where his own arms and those of his murdered wife were blazoned in azure and gold. On and on he glided, like an evil shadow, the very darkness apparent to l execratione him as he passed.Once he thought he heard something call, and stopped but it was only the baying of a dog from the Red Farm, and he went on, muttering strange sixteenth-century curses, and ever and anon brandishing the rusty dagger in the midnight air. Finally he reached the control of the passage that led to luckless Washingtons room. For a act he paused there, the wind blowing his long grey locks about his head, and twisting into grotesque and fantastic folds the nameless horror of the d ead mans shroud. Then the clock struck the quarter, and he felt the time was come. He chuckled to himself, and turned the corner but no sooner had he done so than, with a piteous wail of terror, he fell back, and hid his blanched face in his long, bony hands. Right in front of him was standing a horrible spectre, motionless as a carven image, and monstrous as a madmans dream Its head was bald and burnished its face round, and fat, and white and hideous laughter seemed to have writhed its features into an eternal grin.From the look streamed rays of scarlet light, the mouth was a wide well of fire, and a hideous garment, like to his own, swathed with its silent snows the giant form. On its breast was a placard with strange writing in antique characters, some volute of shame it seemed, some record of wild sins, some awful calendar of crime, and, with its right hand, it bore aloft a falchion of gleaming steel. Never having seen a ghost before, he naturally was terribly frightened, an d, after a second hasty glance at the awful phantom, he fled back to his room, tripping up in his long winding-sheet as he sped down the corridor, and finally dropping the rusty dagger into the Ministers jack-boots, where it was found in the morning by the butler. Once in the privacy of his own apartment, he flung himself down on a small pallet-bed, and hid his face under the clothes. After a time, however, the brave old Canterville spirit assert itself, and he determined to go and speak to the other ghost as soon as it was daylight.Accordingly, just as the dawn was touching the hills with silver, he returned towards the spot where he had first laid eyes on the grisly phantom, feeling that, after all, two ghosts were better than one, and that, by the aid of his new friend, he might safely grapple with the twins. On reaching the spot, however, a terrible sight met his gaze. Something had evidently happened to the spectre, for the light had entirely faded from its hollow eyes, the gle aming falchion had fallen from its hand, and it was leaning up against the wall in a labour and uncomfortable attitude. He rushed forward and seized it in his arms, when, to his horror, the head slipped off and rolled on the floor, the soundbox assumed a recumbent posture, and he found himself clasping a white dimity bed-curtain, with a sweeping-brush, a kitchen cleaver, and a hollow turnip lying at his feet Unable to understand this curiousThe whole thing flashed crossways him. He had been tricked, foiled, and out-witted The old Canterville look came into his eyes he ground his toothless gums together and, raising his withered hands high above his head, swore according to the picturesque phraseology of the antique school, that, when Chanticleer had sounded twice his merry horn, whole kit of blood would be wrought, and murder walk abroad with silent feet. Hardly had he finished this awful oath when, from the red-tiled roof of a distant homestead, a cock crew. He laughed a long, low, bitter laugh, and waited. hour after hour he waited, but the cock, for some strange reason, did not boast again.Finally, at half-past seven, the reach of the housemaids made him give up his fearful vigil, and he stalked back to his room, thinking of his vain oath and baffled purpose. There he consulted several books of ancient chivalry, of which he was exceedingly fond, and found that, on every occasion on which this oath had been used, Chanticleer had always crowed a second time. Perdition seize the naughty fowl, he muttered, I have seen the day when, with my stout spear, I would have run him through the gorge, and made him crow for me an twere in death He then retired to a comfortable lead coffin, and stayed there till evening.