The House by the Church-Yard

The House by the Church-Yard

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Title: The House by the Church-Yard
Author: J. Sheridan Le Fanu

Release Date: February 15, 2006 [eBook #17769]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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THE HOUSE BY THE CHURCH-YARD
by
J. SHERIDAN LE FANU
Author of 'Uncle Silas' and 'Torlogh O'brien'

Dublin: James Duffy and Co., Ltd. New York: The MacMillan Company. 1904. Printed by Edmund Burke & Co., 61 & 62 Great Strand Street, Dublin.

CONTENTS.
CHAP. Page
A Prologue--being a dish of village chat 1
I.--The rector's night-walk to his church 9
II.--The nameless coffin 12
III.--Mr. Mervyn in his inn 15
IV.--The Fair-green of Palmerstown 18
V.--How the Royal Artillery entertained some of the neighbours at dinner 25
VI.--In which the minstrelsy proceeds 32
VII.--Showing how two gentlemen may misunderstand one another, without enabling the company to understand their quarrel 35
VIII.--Relating how Doctor Toole and Captain Devereux went on a moonlight errand 40
IX.--How a squire was found for the knight of the rueful countenance 44
X.--The dead secret, showing how the fireworker proved to Puddock that Nutter had spied out the nakedness of the land 48
XI.--Some talk about the haunted house--being, as I suppose, only old woman's tales 53
XII.--Some odd facts about the Tiled House--being an authentic narrative of the ghost of a hand 57
XIII.--In which the rector visits the Tiled House, and Doctor Toole looks after the Brass Castle 63
XIV.--Relating how Puddock purged O'Flaherty's head--a chapter which, it is hoped, no genteel person will read 66
XV.--?sculapius to the rescue 69
XVI.--The ordeal by battle 73
XVII.--Lieutenant Puddock receives an invitation and a rap over the knuckles 81
XVIII.--Relating how the gentlemen sat over their claret, and how Doctor Sturk saw a face 86
XIX.--In which the gentlemen follow the ladies 91
XX.--In which Mr. Dangerfield visits the church of Chapelizod, and Zekiel Irons goes a-fishing 94
XXI.--Relating among other things how Doctor Toole walked up to the Tiled House, and of his pleasant discourse with Mr. Mervyn 100
XXII.--Telling how Mr. Mervyn fared at Belmont, and of a pleasant little dejeuner by the margin of the Liffey 104
XXIII.--Which concerns the grand dinner at the King's House, and who were there, and something of their talk, reveries, disputes, and general jollity 108
XXIV.--In which two young persons understand one another better, perhaps, than ever they did before, without saying so 113
XXV.--In which the sun sets, and the merry-making is kept up by candle-light in the King's House, and Lily receives a warning which she does not comprehend 116
XXVI.--Relating how the band of the Royal Irish Artillery played, and, while the music was going on, how variously different people were moved 122
XXVII.--Concerning the troubles and the shapes that began to gather about Doctor Sturk 125
XXVIII.--In which Mr. Irons recounts some old recollections about the Pied-horse and the Flower de Luce 129
XXIX.--Showing how poor Mrs. Macnamara was troubled and haunted too, and opening a budget of gossip 132
XXX.--Concerning a certain woman in black 137
XXXI.--Being a short history of the great battle of Belmont that lasted for so many days, wherein the belligerents showed so much constancy and valour, and sometimes one side and sometimes t'other was victorious 141
XXXII.--Narrating how Lieutenant Puddock and Captain Devereux brewed a bowl of punch, and how they sang and discoursed together 143
XXXIII.--In which Captain Devereux's fiddle plays a prelude to 'Over the hills and far away' 146
XXXIV.--In which Lilias hears a stave of an old song and there is a leave-taking beside the river 148
XXXV.--In which Aunt Becky and Doctor Toole, in full blow, with Dominick the footman, behind, visit Miss Lily at the Elms 152
XXXVI.--Narrating how Miss Lilias visited Belmont, and saw a strange cocked-hat in the shadow by the window 155
XXXVII.--Showing how some of the feuds in Chapelizod wared fiercer, and others were solemnly condoned 158
XXXVIII.--Dreams and troubles, and a dark look-out 161
XXXIX.--Telling how Lilias Walsingham found two ladies awaiting her arrival at the Elms 166
XL.--Of a messenger from Chapelizod vault who waited in the Tiled House for Mr. Mervyn 168
XLI.--In which the rector comes home, and Lily speaks her mind, and time glides on, and Aunt Rebecca calls at the Elms 173
XLII.--In which Doctor Sturk tries this way and that for a reprieve on the eve of execution 177
XLIII.--Showing how Charles Nutter's blow descended, and what part the silver spectacles bore in the crisis 180
XLIV.--Relating how, in the watches of the night, a vision came to Sturk, and his eyes were opened 184
XLV.--Concerning a little rehearsal in Captain Cluffe's lodging, and a certain confidence between