After Dark

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

—

Title

After Dark

Language

en

Book source

Global Grey

Description max 80 words

In this Victorian collection of mystery and suspense, a traveling portrait-painter and his wife recount a series of chilling tales framed by their own struggles with poverty and illness. Featuring a French governess, a nun, and a priest, the stories explore secrets, crime, and the darker side of respectable society.

Summary up to 500 words

Wilkie Collins' *After Dark* (1856) is a collection of supernatural and criminal tales framed by the diary of Leah, the wife of a struggling portrait painter named William. The narrative begins with William suffering a severe eye ailment that forces him to stop working, plunging the couple into financial ruin. A kind doctor aids them in finding lodging at a farmhouse, setting the stage for a series of ghostly stories told by various characters. The first tale, "The Traveler's Story of a Terribly Strange Bed," recounts a mysterious bed that moves on its own, leading to a shocking discovery regarding a traveler's fate. The second story, "The Lawyer's Story of a Stolen Letter," explores a legal mystery involving a missing document and hidden motives. The third, "The French Governess's Story of Sister Rose," features a governess uncovering dark secrets within a convent. The fourth tale, "The Angler's Story of the Lady of Glenwith Grange," introduces Miss Welwyn, a wealthy but melancholy woman living in isolation. Her household harbors a strange, doll-like child, and the story delves into a history of tragedy involving her father's questionable fortune and her mother's early death. The narrative hints at a conspiracy involving a priest and a wax mask intended to prevent a nobleman from remarrying. The fifth story, "The Nun's Story of Gabriel's Marriage," and the sixth, "The Professor's Story of the Yellow Mask," continue themes of deception and religious intrigue. The Professor confesses to orchestrating an elaborate plot involving a masquerade and a cemetery gate to stop a Count from remarrying, driven by a desire to keep Church possessions intact. The book concludes by returning to Leah's diary. She reflects on the success of the book and the recovery of her husband's eyesight, leaving the reader with a sense of relief and closure after the intense suspense of the tales.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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https://www.globalgreyebooks.com/ebooks/wilkie-collins_after-dark.epub

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data/epubs/url-907ae7df34275961.epub

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2026-07-01 08:58 UTC

Categories

• Fiction
• Mystery
• Suspense