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Montague Rhodes James

(1862 - 1936)

An Episode of Cathedral History

The learned gentleman who examined the archives of the Cathedral of Southminster agreed that it was not earlier than the Perpendicular period, but Dean Burscough was very set on the Gothic...

38 min read · Rating: PG-13 · Read story

A School Story

Two men were talking about their private-school days, and how they had a ghost's footmark on the staircase and a horseshoe mark on their forehead. One of the masters was Sampson, and he was doing...

15 min read · Rating: G · Read story

Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book

In the spring of 1883 an Englishman arrived at St Bertrand de Comminges and proposed to fill a note-book and use several dozens of plates in the process of describing and photographing every corner...

23 min read · Rating: G · Read story

Casting the Runes

Karswell has been pelting me with letters ever since he offered to show the school children magic-lantern slides. Mr Dunning was returning from the British Museum, and if you could find time to...

44 min read · Rating: PG-13 · Read story

Count Magnus

The manuscripts consist partly of collections for a book of travels, and partly of a description of a manor house. Mr Wraxall found the church door open and the landlord was unwilling to give a...

27 min read · Rating: G · Read story

Lost Hearts

A post-chaise brought a little boy from Warwickshire to live at Aswarby Hall, where he wrote a remarkable series of articles on the superstitions of the Romans of the Lower Empire. Mr Abney seemed...

20 min read · Rating: G · Read story

Martin's Close

I was staying with the rector of a parish in the West and was told to ask John Hill about Martin's Close. The murderer may have been buried there. The prisoner pleaded not guilty to murdering a...

40 min read · Rating: R · Read story

Mr Humphreys and his Inheritance

A rather tall and reasonably good-looking young man visited Wilsthorpe for the first time, and admired the house and grounds with the bailiff. He was delighted with the pleasure Humphreys showed,...

55 min read · Rating: G · Read story

Number 13

Among Viborg justly, the Golden Lion has a handsome cathedral, a charming garden, a lake of great beauty, and many storks. Eventually Number 12 was selected, and the author resolved to go to...

31 min read · Rating: PG-13 · Read story

'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You My Lad'

A person not in the story said to the Professor of Ontography that Mr. Parkins was scrupulously polite and strictly truthful. Parkins got away from his college the following day and found himself...

41 min read · Rating: PG-13 · Read story

The Ash-tree

In the year of the witch-trials, Castringham Hall was the scene of several murders. Mrs Mothersole was found guilty and hanged with five or six other unhappy creatures. Sir Matthew Fell was not...

27 min read · Rating: G · Read story

The Diary of Mr. Poynter

Mr. Denton looked at his watch and found that he could spare no more than a moment before retrieving his luggage and going for the train. James Denton was cheered by the arrival of Poynter's...

23 min read · Rating: G · Read story