Dracula's Guest and Other Weird Tales Story 2 - The Judge's House

The Lair of the White Worm Chapter 9 - Smelling Death

In which Adam Salton, ever methodical and determined, seeks to unravel the strange connection between Lady Arabella and the mongoose by employing the uncanny talents of a West African voodoo-man, whose peculiar faculty of “smelling death” leads them to several ominous spots near Lesser Hill. As dusk falls and the mysteries deepen among shadowed avenues and whispered legacies, a chilling discovery awaits Adam—one that unsettles the very peace of his guarded household.

The Lair of the White Worm Chapter 8 - Survivals

In which two cautious gentlemen engage in a grave discourse on the uncanny behaviour of a mongoose and its peculiar animosity towards a certain lady, leading them to muse on the ancient and possibly malevolent influences lingering in these old lands. Their conversation unfolds from natural instincts to moral mysteries, culminating in a sober recognition of a sinister presence that may imperil the quiet countryside and all who dwell within it.

The Lair of the White Worm Chapter 7 - Oolanga

In which the troubled fascination surrounding Mr. Caswall and his sinister servant Oolanga deepens, drawing Sir Nathaniel and Adam into grave private concerns and whispered inquiries into the dark customs and malevolence that cling about them. A morning walk turns unexpectedly violent when a mongoose, companion to Adam and foe to the venomous serpents, meets a cruel fate at the hands of the passionate Lady Arabella, whose wrath reveals new tensions beneath the placid gardens of Lesser Hill.

The Lair of the White Worm Chapter 6 - Hawk and Pigeon

In which a morning gathering reveals the youth Adam recounting his encounter with the Watford sisters and the unsettling attention of a visitor, Mr. Caswall, whose gaze harbours a peculiar menace unlike mere affection. Amid quiet resolve and the warmth of kinship, the trio contemplates the dark presage sensed by Adam, preparing themselves for a battle that fate seems to decree.

The Lair of the White Worm Chapter 5 - The White Worm

In which the social interplay of eligible young men and women around the rural estate reveals subtle tensions and unspoken rivalries, while the elders muse with learned interest over ancient local legends tied to a mysterious and formidable creature known as the White Worm. Their conversation gently unfolds the ethereal blending of historical fact and myth, evoking a bygone era when monstrous serpents might have roamed the primeval marshlands with impunity.