They return at evening : A book of ghost stories by Herbert Russell Wakefield
"They return at evening : A book of ghost stories" by Herbert Russell Wakefield is a collection of ghost stories written in the early 20th century. It showcases unnerving hauntings and moral aftershocks in English settings, following figures such as a reclusive baronet, a steadfast butler, and a clear-eyed barrister drawn into occult trouble. Expect poised, civilized surfaces steadily eroded by guilt, menace, and the uncanny. The opening of the collection presents
three intertwined moods of dread. First, a country gentleman coolly recounts a toxic marriage that ends in a fatal “accident,” then marries a kindred soul only to be harried by voices, broadcasts, and apparitions that drive him toward a guarded confession to the coroner for his new wife’s sake. Next, a homeowner interviews a butler once suspected of murder, who tells how a ruthless squire’s killing of a poacher’s dog unleashed a piercing nocturnal “Sound” and an unseen hound that stalked its victim until a death the inquest could not explain. Finally, a celebrated barrister meets an old friend whose frayed nerves led him to a mesmeric occultist; after seductions, forgery, and a rebuffed club nomination, the occultist sends a malign paper sigil and incantation the friend finds himself compelled to use, hinting that darker consequences are beginning. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
That dieth not -- Or persons unknown -- "He cometh and he passeth by" -- Professor Pownall's oversight -- The third coach -- The Red Lodge -- "And he shall sing...." -- The seventeenth hole at Duncaster -- A peg on which to hang -- An echo.
Credits
David E. Brown, Andrew Butchers, Rod Crawford, Joyce Wilson, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.)
Reading Level
Reading ease score: 80.4 (6th grade). Easy to read.
