Perceval Landon (1868–1927)

A wonderful nested story-within-a-story. A ship, foreign travels, and a stranger with a tale to tell: this quick read unfolds into a horrifying ghost story and promises great entertainment. A treat for lovers of horror, of short fiction, and of Victorian drama.

An English gentleman is traveling to India from London, and meets a man named Colvin who wishes to share his cabin on the ship, even though each has his own cabin. The reason he does not wish to room alone is made clear in the story he tells his new acquaintance. He is a man who is fearful of being alone at night. This short story is a Victorian ghost story - brief, horrific, and ending abruptly with questions not answered. Well written, it ends just as it is getting really interesting.