"Oscar Wilde. The Canterville Ghost" - читать интересную книгу автора

"My own darling, thank God you are found; you must never leave my
side again," murmured Mrs. Otis, as she kissed the trembling child, and
smoothed the tangled gold of her hair.
"Papa," said Virginia quietly, "I have been with the
ghost. He is dead, and you must come and see him. He had been very wicked,
but he was really sorry for all that he had done, and he gave me this box of
beautiful jewels before he died."
The whole family gazed at her in mute amazement, but she was quite
grave and serious; and, turning round, she led them through the opening in
the wainscoting down a narrow secret corridor, Washington following with a
lighted candle, which he had caught up from the table. Finally, they came to
a great oak door, studded with rusty nails. When Virginia touched it, it
swung back on its heavy hinges, and they found themselves in a little low
room, with a vaulted ceiling, and one tiny grated window. Imbedded in the
wall was a huge iron ring, and chained to it was a gaunt skeleton, that was
stretched out at full length on the stone floor, and seemed to be trying to
grasp with its long fleshless fingers an old-fashioned trencher and ewer,
that were placed just out of its reach. The jug had evidently been once
filled with water, as it was covered inside with green mould. There was
nothing on the trencher but a pile of dust. Virginia knelt down beside the
skeleton, and, folding her little hands together, began to pray silently,
while the rest of the party looked on in wonder at the terrible tragedy
whose secret was now disclosed to them.
"Hallo!" suddenly exclaimed one of the twins, who had been
looking out of the window to try and discover in what wing of the house the
room was situated. "Hallo! the old withered almond-tree has blossomed.
I can see the flowers quite plainly in the moonlight."
"God has forgiven him," said Virginia gravely, as she rose to
her feet, and a beautifull light seemed to illumine her face.
"What an angel you are!" cried the young Duke, and he put his
arm round her neck, and kissed her.


VII

Four days after these curious incidents a funeral started from
Canterville Chase at about eleven o'clock at night. The hearse was drawn by
eight black horses, each of which carried on its head a great tuft of
nodding ostrich-plumes, and the leaden coffin was covered by a rich purple
pall, on which was embroidered in gold the Canterville coat-of-arms. By the
side of the hearse and the coaches walked the servants with lighted torches,
and the whole procession was wonderfully impressive. Lord Canterville was
the chief mourner, having come up specially from Wales to attend the
funeral, and sat in the first carriage along with little Virginia. Then came
the United States Minister and his wife, then Washington and the three boys,
and in the last carriage was Mrs. Umney. It was generally felt that, as she
had been frightened by the ghost for more than fifty years of her life, she
had a right to see the last of him. A deep grave had been dug in the corner
of the churchyard, just under the corner of the yew-tree, and the service
was read in the most impressive manner by the Rev. Augustus Dampier. When