
THE PURCELL PAPERS. - BY THE LATE JOSEPH SHERIDAN LE FANU,
IN THREE VOLUMES. - VOL. II.
PASSAGE IN THE SECRET HISTORY OF AN IRISH COUNTESS.
THE BRIDAL OF CARRIGVARAH.
STRANGE EVENT IN THE LIFE OF SCHALKEN THE PAINTER.
SCRAPS OF HIBERNIAN BALLADS.
In this intimate memoir, a lone Irish countess recounts the tangled beginnings of a family once steeped in wealth and influence, now vanished without a trace. She offers a candid view of her childhood after her mother’s early death, under the distant, duty‑bound care of a father haunted by a scandal that threatened to ruin the clan. As she traces the roots of a dark suspicion that fell on her uncle, the narrative hints at secrets that would shape her later life.
The countess describes her father’s aloof devotion and the tragic fallout from an uncle’s gambling excess, who withdrew from high society yet kept the house alive with shady visitors. A brief encounter with a wealthy, disreputable gentleman named Hugh Tisdall during a bleak winter at the family estate introduces an uneasy alliance that fuels the intrigue. Through her measured, reflective tone, the reader senses a looming darkness that will test loyalty, reputation, and the fragile threads holding the once‑proud lineage together.
Language
en
Duration
~3 hours (205K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by David Widger
Release date
2008-05-24
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1814–1873
A master of eerie atmosphere and slow-building suspense, this Irish writer helped shape the modern ghost story. His tales blend mystery, the supernatural, and a lingering sense of dread that still feels fresh.
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by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

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by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu