Hen Mr Hiram B Otis, the American ambassador, W bought Canterville Chase, every one told him it
was a very foolish thing to do, as the place was haunted.
At eleven o'clock the family went to bed, and by half-past
all the lights were out. Some time after, Mr Otis woke up
because of a noise outside his room. It sounded like the
clank of metal. He got up at once, struck a match, and
looked at the time. It was exactly one o'clock. Mr Otis was
quite calm. The strange noise continued, and with it he
heard the sound of footsteps. He put on his slippers, took a
small bottle out of his dressing case, and opened the door.
Right in front of him he saw an old man. He looked terrible.
His eyes were red; his hair was long and grey; his clothes
were old-fashioned and dirty, and there were handcuffs and
rusty chains on his wrists and ankles.
"My dear sir," said Mr Otis, "those chains need oiling перевод
