Produced by Clare Boothby, Jeannie Howse and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net * * * * * +------------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's Note: Some very obvious typos | | were corrected in this text. For a list please | | see the bottom of the document. | +------------------------------------------------+ * * * * * [Illustration: "FOR THE BLAST OF DEATH IS ON THE HEATH, AND THE GRAVE YAWNS WIDE FOR THE CHILD OF MOY."] STRANGE PAGES FROM FAMILY PAPERS By T.F. THISELTON DYER AUTHOR OF "GREAT MEN AT PLAY," "CHURCH LORE GLEANINGS," "THE GHOST WORLD," &C. LONDON SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & COMPANY LIMITED St. Dunstan's House, FETTER LANE, FLEET STREET, E.C. 1895 LONDON: PRINTED BY HORACE COX, WINDSOR HOUSE, BREAM'S BUILDINGS, E.C. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. Fatal Curses page 1 CHAPTER II. The Screaming Skull 29 CHAPTER III. Eccentric Vows 46 CHAPTER IV. Strange Banquets 69 CHAPTER V. Mysterious Rooms 88 CHAPTER VI. Indelible Bloodstains 114 CHAPTER VII. Curious Secrets 135 CHAPTER VIII. The Dead Hand 154 CHAPTER IX. Devil Compacts 162 CHAPTER X. Family Death Omens 180 CHAPTER XI. Weird Possessions 198 CHAPTER XII. Romance of Disguise 208 CHAPTER XIII. Extraordinary Disappearances 229 CHAPTER XIV. Honoured Hearts 253 CHAPTER XV. Romance of Wealth 262 CHAPTER XVI. Lucky Accidents 279 CHAPTER XVII. Fatal Passion 289 Index 309 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1. "For the blast of Death is on the heath, And the grave yawns wide for the child of Moy." Frontispiece. 2. She opened it in secret page 38 3. "Madam, you have attained your end. You and I shall meet no more in this world" 72 4. The figure stood motionless 150 5. Lady Sybil at the Eagle's Crag 168 6. Dorothy Vernon and the Woodman 214 7. Lady Mabel and the Palmer 248 8. There came an old Irish harper, and sang an ancient song 272 STRANGE PAGES FROM FAMILY PAPERS.