herself. Yet when he had put it on, he had been completely
overpowered by the weight of the huge breastplate and steel casque,
and had fallen heavily on the stone pavement, barking both his knees
severely, and bruising the knuckles of his right hand.

For some days after this he was extremely ill, and hardly stirred
out of his room at all, except to keep the blood-stain in proper
repair. However, by taking great care of himself, he recovered, and
resolved to make a third attempt to frighten the United States
Minister and his family. He selected Friday, the 17th of August,
for his appearance, and spent most of that day in looking over his
wardrobe, ultimately deciding in favour of a large slouched hat with
a red feather, a winding-sheet frilled at the wrists and neck, and a
rusty dagger. Towards evening a violent storm of rain came on, and
the wind was so high that all the windows and doors in the old house
shook and rattled. In fact, it was just such weather as he loved.
His plan of action was this. He was to make his way quietly to
Washington Otis's room, gibber at him from the foot of the bed, and
stab himself three times in the throat to the sound of slow music.
He bore Washington a special grudge, being quite aware that it was
he who was in the habit of removing the famous Canterville blood-
stain, by means of Pinkerton's Paragon Detergent. Having reduced
the reckless and foolhardy youth to a condition of abject terror, he
was then to proceed to the room occupied by the United States
Minister and his wife, and there to place a clammy hand on Mrs.
Otis's forehead, while he hissed into her trembling husband's ear
the awful secrets of the charnel-house. With regard to little
Virginia, he had not quite made up his mind. She had never insulted
him in any way, and was pretty and gentle. A few hollow groans from
the wardrobe, he thought, would be more than sufficient, or, if that