Introduction 1 sat those dangerous eyes the Mode out, these... Mrs Stone ut cold hard on my ack and spoke [A giel marries 4 rich, older man in Dublin, Ireland, She arrives at is beautifal house: A woman in black visits her inthe mide of the night...She has alight and a knife, What does she wane? [And why does she have no eyes? In the second story, Inray is « happy, friendly Englishman in India, Suddenly, he disappeats, His friends look for him but they nd nothing. A man moves inthis house, and strange things tare to happen. A ftiend sees a face. There are strange noises. What is happening in the house? Is lnay ther ‘The third story happens in England, An old woman visits 3 young man in his dreams. What is she trying co tell him? She is ol and weak, bu her eyes ae dangerous, What is waiting fr him when he finds her house? Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1814-73) was born in Dublin, Ireland. He wrote many famous ghost stories, He wrote for newspapers ‘whem he was young. But after his wife died in 1858, he dict want to go out of the house. He didn't ws stayed at homie and wrote hit best ghost stoic. Rudyard Kipling was born in India in 1865, His parenes were English. He lived in India for many years, He wrote many books and short stories about its people and animals: Many of his books were for children. His most fimous story is The Juigle Bool (1894), He died in England in 1936, Edward Frederic Benson, bora 1867, was an English wri He wrote a hundred books, and his ghost stories are famous todky, He lived in the old town of Rye in the south of England, and he did therein 1940, 1.10 see people. He ‘The Woman in the Black Coat (fn A. Chapter i the History of a Tyrone Family by Joseph ‘Sheridan Le Fanu, 1838) was born into a rich and important family in Tyrone, Ireland was the younger of ewo daughters and we were the only children. My sister was six years older than me, so we didn play ‘much together when I vas young and [vas only twelve years od ‘when she got married remember the day of her wedding well. Many people came, all of them laughing, singing and happy. But I felt sad when my sister left with her new husband, Me Carew: She was alsays very nice to me, nicer than my mother. And so levied when she went away to her new home in Dublin, My mother and father didn't love me ~ they w ‘About a year after my sister got married, a letter atrived fiom ‘Mr Carew. He said that my sister was il and that she wanted to ‘come home to Tyrone and sty with us, to be with her family ‘was ad chat she ill but also very happy about her vst "They're leaving Dublin on Sunday? my father cold me, ‘and theyte arciving here on Tuesday evening? ‘Tuesday came, and it was a very long day. Hour after hour came and went, nd I Tstened all the time for my sister and her hhusband. Now the sky was dark and soon it wis midnight, bu I couldnt sleep. { litened and waited. Suddenly, ae about one ‘o'clock in dhe morning, I heard 4 noise faraway. xan out of my bbedtoom and dow to the living-#00m, “They're here! They'e here!’ I called to my fither, and we Auickly opened the font orto sce better. We waited there fora xed sons and were not very interested in me. fw minutes and we heard the noise again, somebody erying faraway in the night. But we saw nothing. There were no lights and no people there. We went outside, waiting to sy hello and t0 help my ser with her bags. But nobody was there; nobody came, I looked at my fither and he looked at me, We didn’t tanderstand. know I heard a noise he said “Yes; Tanswered.l heard i to, father, but where are they? \We went back into the house without another word. We were y ai The nest day a-man arrived and told as that my sister was dead, On Sunday she felt very il, on Monday she was worse and ‘on Tuesday, at abou one o'clock in the morning, she died... at the same time that we waiting for her. outside the house, in the night, 1 never forgot that night. For the next ewo years I was vey sad — yous could sy cha I stopped living didnt wane to do anything fof speak to anyone. Mr Carew soon married another young woman int Dublin and I fele angry that he forgot my sister <0 quickly Tuas now the only child ofa rich and important family, so before [ was Fourteen years old min started to visit our hore ‘They wanted to mest me and, perhaps, ¢o marry me. But | did't like any of these men and I thought I was too young to be marti. When I was sisteen my mother took me to Dublin, ‘Dublin is a big city! she sid We're going to meet richer and more interesting men than the ones back home in ‘Tyrone. We ‘can easily find you a good husband in Dublin, In Dublin, began to be happier. met alot of friendly people and I went dancing every evening. A lot of young men came t0 speak to me and asked me eo dance; Iliked talking to then. 1 Wi head a vie, someboy oy ot. There wore no il suay in the night. Bu we sav 1 no prope therestarted o ive and langh again and I didn’t think about my dead sister all the tie, But my mother was not so happy. She wanted me ¢0 ind a husband quickly. One night before 1 went to bed she came into ny room and stid,‘Do you know Lord Glenfille ‘Oh yes! answered. He’ that uly ol man fom Cabensillagh He not ugly and he not old, Fanny! my mother sid ‘quickly.'He from a very rich and important Emily oo, aud he wants to marry you. He loves you ‘Loves me? Wants to marry me? But he's making 2 mistake smothee!"Isaid.‘I dow’ love him. I can't marry somebody I don't lowe! Think about it, Fanny! my mother answered quiedy. Hes a good man and he wants to marry you. Youte avery lucky young ‘My mother lef the room and 1 sat quietly for a long time Lond Glenfallen was 2 nice, fiendly man, Thought. I dida love hhim, no, but T did ike him. He alvays talked about interesting ‘hings. never fle happy at home with my mothe and father but T alvays fle better when I talked to him. The next morning ‘when I sw my mother I sid only one worts"Yes: Lond Glenfllen and I got married the next spring, and two days ater our wedding we sid goodbye to my family and lft Tyrone Three days later we arrived in Cahergillagh and 1 saw my husband's beautifil house for che fis ime, Kt was neat a river and there were many tees and flowers in the garden, Hinds sang inthe trees andthe sky was blue. stood nest to im and looked at ial and I felt very, very bappy ‘Come, my love! sid my husband, "You most come in. and ‘meet Martha, She cooks and cleans and knows everything about the house? So we went into the house and 1 met Martha, a 4 ‘Lad Gefen? He th Ga ol SS aly ol ma froffiendly old woman with smiling blue eyes. She showed m round the house, Suddenly L fet excited to be chert was a very happy place — women sang inthe kitchen, men built fires in che lving-rooms and there were dogs and cats everywhere ‘Come with me now; madam’ said Marth, ‘and look ae your bedroom, Then: we can take up your bags and you cats wash before dinner'I followed her and soon we arrived ata ig brown door. This is your room; she ssid and she opened the door. 1 stood and looked, suddenly cold with fear, In fiont of me seood something big and black; didn’ know what it was... [ehoughe it was an old coat but svthout anybody inside it. [jumped back ‘quickly, very afaid, and moved away fom che door 1s something wrong, madam? Martha asked me ‘Nothing. Perhaps it nothing’ I answered quickly. ‘Bur 1 thought 1 saw something in there. I thought I saw a big, Blck coat there when you opened the door Martha's fice went white with fear, ‘Whats wrong? I asked her. Now you look frightened ‘Something bad is going to happen’ she sid. ‘When someone sees the blac coat in this house, we knows that something bad is k coat when Twas a child and the next morning old Lord Glenfillen died. Something bad i go know ie We went dows to have dinner. [fle unhappy and afraid, but «int sy anything to my husband about the black cont. [wanted going to happen soon to the Glenfillen family, [saw the b 1 t0 happen now, madam to forget about it and be happy again, The next day; Lord Glenfillen and 1 went for a walk together to Took round the house and gardens because I wanted to know ry new home better. I lke ehis house and all the people here! I sid. “And I'm happy co be bere with you. tS much beter than Tyrone fle excited be there was avery happy pase ~ women ‘the kitchen, oon bust ies inthe Hivin-roome ed there are dogs and cats evrphereMy husband was quiet for a long time. He walked sith his head down, thinking. Then, suddenly, he tarned to me, took my snd and said, “Fanny, Histon to. me. Listen carefilly. There’ something I must ak you. Please, only go into the rooms in the font of the house. Never go into che room at the bick of the building oF into the litle garden by the back door. Never. Do you understand me, Fanny? Hi face was white and anhappy: [ understood his words, but I didn't understand why he was suddenly a diferent man, Here at Cahergillagh he never smiled for laughed any more, Perhaps the back of the house wis dlangerous, I thought. But he dida't want to talk about i any more. We weat back to the house without speaking and again T tried to forget is words and to be as happy a Iwas before i vas about a month Iter that I met the other woman for the firs time. One day T wanted to go fora wall in the gardens ~ ie vwas a beautifal day and Tran up to my room alter lunch to get ry hat and coat. But when [opened the door of my room, here was a woman sitting near the fie, She was about forty ye and she wore black coat Fle fice was white and when | Tooked closely saw cha hee eyes were white too ~ she was blind, “Madarn? I said, "this my 00m, There isa mistake “Your room!” she answered." mistake? No, I don't think so. lon' think theresa mistake. Where is Lond Glenfallen?” ‘Down in the living-room! I said, But who are you and why are you here in my’ room? “Tell Lond Glenfallen that I ant hen ws all she sid, 1 must tell you that I am Lady Glenfllen and T wast you to leave my soem now! [said ‘Lady Glenfillen? You an ry fice very hard © not, you are not” she cried and bit [red out for help and soon Lor! Glenfillen arrived. [ran ove ofthe rom as he san in,and I saved outside to listen athe door Aid noe hesr every word bat I knew that Lord Glenfallen was very When Fopened the door of my som, thee the fire. She ws about forty years ld angry and che blind woman was very unhappy. When he came out 1 asked him, "Who that woman and why is she in my bedroom? Buc my husband didn't answer me. Again his face was white with ear. His only words were, ‘Forget her Buc | did not forget her and every day it was more and more difficult talk co my husband. He was aluays quiet now, always sad ane! affad; he at for hours looking into the fe with his unhappy eyes, But I dida't know why and he didn't want co tell ‘One morning after breakfixe, Lord Glenfallen suddenty sah‘ have the answer! We must go asiay to another county, to France ‘or Spain perhaps. What do you think, Fanny? 9He didn’t wait for my answer bue lef the room very quickly. sat and thought for along time, Why muse we leave a away from my mother and fither in Tyrone, They were old nov 2 didn’ understand. And I didn’t want to go too far Cahors and my father was sometimes il. They didn't love me very much but I wanted to be near them, [thought about i all ay and 1 didn’ know wha to say to my husband when he arrived back in the evening and came in ¢o dinner I sid nothing After dinner I was very tired and I went up ‘0 my bedroom early. I wanted to have a good night’ sleep and think about i all again che nextday 1 closed and went to sleep. But I did not seep well because I dre amed of the black Suddenly 1 woke up. Everything was dask and very quiet, but somebody was 2€ the end of my bed, There was a hand with light, and bebind the light was the blind woman, She had a knife in her other hand, I tried to gee out of bed and run to the door, bot she stopped me. ‘Ifyou want to live, don't move! she sais. Tell ‘me one thing ~ did Lord Glenfillen marry you? "Yes, he did I answered.‘He married me in font of « hundred ple K that’ sad she sid. Because T don’t think he told you that he had a wife. .me. Cama his wife, You must leave this house tomorrow; because if you stay here, you sce this knife? Iam going to kill you with it"Then she left she room without a sound. I didnt deep sain that night. When morning came [told my husband everything, ‘Who is the blind woman?" asked hin."She told me lastnight that she is your wife, that Iam not your wife Did you go into the rooms at the back of the house? asked ay husband angei “Bur {didn’t [answered ‘Twas in my bed al night, She came o.me, Please tell me what is happening” old you that you most never go there! wo SOS SS SN Ssddenly Fwoke up. Everything wa dark aed very quiet, bt somebody war a he end of my bedMy husband’ face was white again and he did't speak for a Jong time. Then he said,’No, she i not my wife. You are. Don't listen to her. She doesn't know what she is saying, And he left the [ran to find Martha. I did't like this house any more. My husband was a dificult man and I didn't understand him. Who was the blind woman? I wanted to know everything, ‘Don’t ery, madam! said Martha when I found her ‘Sit down and listen t0 me, What I am going to tell you is not very nice The blind woman, che woman inthe black coi, is dead. You siw her ghost. She was married 10 your husband andl she was Lady Glenfillen. Nobody knows how she died. Her bedroom was at the back of the house. Somebody saw your husband with a knife in his hand on the night she died. But did he kill her? Nobody knows, When we found her, the knife was on the floor next eo hhor and her eyes...somebody cut her eyes out after she died, Perhaps he dic’ want her to see his other women... his next wife...you 1 dida’t wait to ypeak to my husband again. 1 lef that day. vas ‘00 aad to stay another minuce a¢ Cahergillagh, I knew that the blind woman goodbye to Martha took my bags and told my driver to take me back to’Tyrone, {Tam happy living here with my mather and father now. The endlie €0 me than they were before Sometimes my dead sister visits me at hight, but {am never fini. She tells me that the blind woman is tying to find me at Cabergllagh and that she ywants to kill me. She is jealous of me; but she can never Bind me there. She must going to come back again and kill me. 1 sid house i quiet, I sleep well each night and the wait forthe next Lady Glenfallen, he blind eon, the wma i he Back et i ead. Yo sa her last. She as marred to your hushand and she ws Lady Glen.