August27-Heatherleghhasbeenindefatigableinhisattendanceonme；andonlyyesterdaytoldmethatIoughttosendinanapplicationforsickleaveAnapplicationtoescapethecompanyofaphantom！ArequestthattheGovernmentwouldgraciouslypermitmetogetridoffiveghostsandanairy’rickshawbygoingtoEnglandHeatherlegh’spropositionmovedmetoalmosthystericallaughterItoldhimthatIshouldawaittheendquietlyatSimla；andIamsurethattheendisnotfaroffBelievemethatI
dreaditsadventmorethananywordcansay；andItorturemyselfnightlywithathousandspeculationsastothemannerofmydeath。
ShallIdieinmybeddecentlyandasanEnglishgentlemanshoulddie；or，inonelastwalkontheMall，willmysoulbewrenchedfrommetotakeitsplaceforeverandeverbythesideofthatghastlyphantasm？ShallIreturntomyoldlostallegianceinthenextworld，orshallImeetAgnesloathingherandboundtohersidethroughalleternity？ShallwetwohoveroverthesceneofourlivestilltheendofTime？Asthedayofmydeathdrawsnearer，theintensehorrorthatalllivingfleshfeelstowardescapedspiritsfrombeyondthegravegrowsmoreandmorepowerfulItisanawfulthingtogodownquickamongthedeadwithscarcelyone-halfofyourlifecompletedItisathousandtimesmoreawfultowaitasIdoinyourmidst，forIknownotwhatunimaginableterrorPityme，atleastonthescoreofmy“delusion。”forI
knowyouwillneverbelievewhatIhavewrittenhereYetassurelyaseveramanwasdonetodeathbythePowersofDarknessIamthatman。
Injustice，too，pityherForassurelyaseverwomanwaskilledbyman，IkilledMrsWessingtonAndthelastportionofmypunishmentisevernowuponme。
MYOWNTRUEGHOSTSTORY
AsIcamethroughtheDesertthusitwas——
AsIcamethroughtheDesert。
TheCityofDreadfulNight。
SomewhereintheOtherWorld，wheretherearebooksandpicturesandplaysandshopwindowstolookat，andthousandsofmenwhospendtheirlivesinbuildingupallfour，livesagentlemanwhowritesrealstoriesabouttherealinsidesofpeople；
andhisnameisMrWalterBesantButhewillinsistupontreatinghisghostshehaspublishedhalfaworkshopfulofthem——
withlevityHemakeshisghost-seerstalkfamiliarly，and，insomecases，flirtoutrageously，withthephantomsYoumaytreatanything，fromaViceroytoaVernacularPaper，withlevity；butyoumustbehavereverentlytowardaghost，andparticularlyanIndianone。
Thereare，inthisland，ghostswhotaketheformoffat，cold，pobbycorpses，andhideintreesneartheroadsidetillatravelerpassesThentheydropuponhisneckandremainTherearealsoterribleghostsofwomenwhohavediedinchild-bedThesewanderalongthepathwaysatdusk，orhideinthecropsnearavillage，andcallseductivelyButtoanswertheircallisdeathinthisworldandthenextTheirfeetareturnedbackwardthatallsobermenmayrecognizethemThereareghostsoflittlechildrenwhohavebeenthrownintowellsThesehauntwellcurbsandthefringesofjungles，andwailunderthestars，orcatchwomenbythewristandbegtobetakenupandcarriedTheseandthecorpseghosts，however，areonlyvernaculararticlesanddonotattackSahibsNonativeghosthasyetbeenauthenticallyreportedtohavefrightenedanEnglishman；butmanyEnglishghostshavescaredthelifeoutofbothwhiteandblack。
NearlyeveryotherStationownsaghostTherearesaidtobetwoatSimla，notcountingthewomanwhoblowsthebellowsatSyreedak-bungalowontheOldRoad；MussooriehasahousehauntedofaverylivelyThing；aWhiteLadyissupposedtodonight-
watchmanroundahouseinLahore；Dalhousiesaysthatoneofherhouses“repeats“onautumneveningsalltheincidentsofahorriblehorse-and-precipiceaccident；Murreehasamerryghost，and，nowthatshehasbeensweptbycholera，willhaveroomforasorrowfulone；thereareOfficers’QuartersinMianMirwhosedoorsopenwithoutreason，andwhosefurnitureisguaranteedtocreak，notwiththeheatofJunebutwiththeweightofInvisibleswhocometoloungeinthechairs；Peshawurpos...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：