Arthur Lawford, recovering from a long bout with influenza, takes a fateful walk in an old cemetery one afternoon, returning a changed man who neither his wife, nor his friends, nor himself -- recognizes. . .

Gripping and poignant tale of psychic possession by one of the great practitioners of the genre concerns Arthur Lawford, who appears to have been possessed by the spirit of a long-dead 18th-century pirate. New introduction by S. T. Joshi. Gripping and poignant tale of psychic possession concerns Arthur Lawford, who appears to have been possessed by the spirit of a long-dead 18th-century pirate.

One of de la Mare's finest occult stories, the novel also deals with domestic trauma, unrequited love and philosophical reflection-all blended into a seamless whole.