"So that's what you're after!" said the master somewhat bluntly. "Well, I can tell you nothing about it; sperits don't come in my way, saving and excepting those which can be taken inwardly; and mighty comfortable warming things they be when so taken. If you ask me about other sorts of sperits, I tell you flat I don't believe in 'em, though I don't mind drinking the health of them what does."

"Perhaps you may have the chance, if you are a little more communicative," said I.

"Well, I'll tell you all I know, and that is precious little," answered the worthy man. "I know one thing for certain--that one compartment of a second-class carriage is always left vacant between Brighton and Hassocks Gate, by the 9.30 up-train."

"For what purpose?"

"Ah! that's more than I can fully explain. Before the orders came to this effect, people went into fits and that like, in one of the carriages."

A book of ghost stories first published in 1904, which I downloaded from Project Gutenberg. A couple of my favourites are "Pomps and Vanities", a story about two orphaned sisters brought up by different aunts with very different attitudes to life, and "Black Ram" which is the story of a church porch watch on St. Mark's Eve, when the spirits of people who will die within the next year come to the church. Many of the ghosts in these stories are haunting particular people rather than places, and as well as stories where spirits take over the body of another person, there are several about entities that are more dangerous to the living than normal ghosts, like the dead Icelandic farmhand who is more like a vampire than ghost (in a story based on Grettir's Saga) and the spirit finger that latches onto a man visiting the National Gallery.

This is a readable collection of sties. They aren't frightening in the slightest, and the author seems to like adding humour into his stories to lighten the mood. ( )