prima-donnas, I reckon that if there were such a thing as a ghost in
Europe, we'd have it at home in a very short time in one of our
public museums, or on the road as a show.'

'I fear that the ghost exists,' said Lord Canterville, smiling,
'though it may have resisted the overtures of your enterprising
impresarios. It has been well known for three centuries, since 1584
in fact, and always makes its appearance before the death of any
member of our family.'

'Well, so does the family doctor for that matter, Lord Canterville.
But there is no such thing, sir, as a ghost, and I guess the laws of
Nature are not going to be suspended for the British aristocracy.'

'You are certainly very natural in America,' answered Lord
Canterville, who did not quite understand Mr. Otis's last
observation, 'and if you don't mind a ghost in the house, it is all
right. Only you must remember I warned you.'

A few weeks after this, the purchase was completed, and at the close
of the season the Minister and his family went down to Canterville
Chase. Mrs. Otis, who, as Miss Lucretia R. Tappan, of West 53rd
Street, had been a celebrated New York belle, was now a very
handsome, middle-aged woman, with fine eyes, and a superb profile.
Many American ladies on leaving their native land adopt an
appearance of chronic ill-health, under the impression that it is a
form of European refinement, but Mrs. Otis had never fallen into
this error. She had a magnificent constitution, and a really
wonderful amount of animal spirits. Indeed, in many respects, she
was quite English, and was an excellent example of the fact that we