Sheridan Le Fanu: Madam Crowl’s Ghost
Madam Crowl’s Ghost is a short story by Sheridan Le Fanu, published on December 31, 1870, in the magazine All the Year Round. Narrated in the first person by an older woman who recalls her youth, it tells of the disturbing experience she had when, as a young girl, she was sent to work at the mysterious Applewale House. In that gloomy and decadent place, inhabited by silent servants and dominated by the disturbing figure of Mrs. Crowl, the young protagonist begins to perceive an oppressive atmosphere, disturbing rumors, and signs of a dark secret surrounding the old mansion.