Brown Lady Dorothy. Ghost of Raynham Hall

Our heroine is in the top ten world-famous ghosts, and not only because she flaunts on a very famous photo ghosts. She has other accomplishments as well.

BAD CHARACTER

Her lifetime biography, at least in England, is widely known - this is not a rootless nun, for some sins, immured alive in the wall of the monastery. Dorothy Townsend - the future ghostly "brown lady", was the sister of the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole. Against her will, her relatives gave her in marriage to the second Viscount Townsend of Raynham, pursuing some of their political, and perhaps economic goals. And in terms of class, the Townsends were a step below the Walpoles, which also irritated her extremely.

As a result, the lady had a harmful and quarrelsome character, especially when communicating with her relatives and her husband's relatives. She died in 1726 from consumption.

Apparently, because of her harmful nature, she did not leave Raynham Hall in Norfolk even after her death, occasionally visiting the Walpole family castle, with pleasure scaring their inhabitants. But Raynham Hall attracted her more, most likely because of her own beautiful portrait hanging in her former bedroom - the British honor their ancestors, regardless of their character.

GHOST HUNTING

In the enlightened 19th century, the attitude towards ghosts became much less respectful, and one day in 1855, three young boobies, seeing a “brown lady” on the stairs, staged a hunt for her, driving her into a dead end. But the lady only mockingly waved goodbye to them and disappeared into the wall. When the next morning they described in detail their nightly adventure, one of the relatives recalled that he had seen a ghost back in 1844, and the lady was wearing the same attire as in the portrait - a brown dress made of silk brocade embroidered with gold.

One of the Townsends invited his friend Frederic Mariette, the future famous writer, and then the captain, to visit, at the same time complaining about the ghost of the “harmful woman” that annoyed them. The captain studied her portrait for a long time, and when, a few days later, in company with another guest, he met her in the same attire and with a lantern in his hand, he retreated in embarrassment into one of the empty rooms. The ghost reached the room and turned its face towards them, looking straight at the involuntary bystanders. The captain's nerves failed, and he fired his pistol. The ghostly lady just grinned ominously and walked on.

It must be admitted that the captain acted imprudently, there are cases when ghosts responded inadequately to aggression. Take, for example, the case of the no less famous ghost from the rectory in Borley, 60 miles from London. In January 1932, the next owner of the house could not stand the antics of the otherworldly guest and called the paranormal researcher J. Lestrange.

Lady in brown on the stairs

To begin with, a violent ghost began to throw bottles of wine at the guest, and at night showed up right in his bedroom. How true gentleman, Lestrange got out of bed and turned to him: "Sir, how can I help you?". Struck by this attitude, the ghost disappeared and visited another guest. He, believing that he was being played, met him with a left hook to the stomach. The hand went through the ghost, but in response, he punched him right in the eye.

In the morning, while consoling a guest with a black eye, the hostess said that one afternoon, walking along an empty corridor, she received a good slap from a ghost, apparently, imperceptibly flying into him.

Although the ghost of the “brown lady” appeared in the house as early as the 17th century, the first entry about him in the family chronicle dates back to 1835. Colonel Loftus and a certain Hawkins were among the guests that day. As they walked down the corridor to their bedrooms, they saw that a woman in a brown dress was standing at the door of one of them. At their approach, she stepped back from the door and did not go, but seemed to float away. The next morning, the owner of the house led the guests to the famous portrait and explained that they had met with a family ghost.

Somehow, the "bad woman" scared even a person of royal blood - the prince and future king George V, when he stopped at the Walpole castle in Howfton (the ghost "worked" for both of his houses).

PROPHECIES OF A LADY

One day " brown lady” persuaded the 14-year-old daughter of the owner of the house not to go hunting - otherwise she would die. And she picturesquely described the details: her head would be broken, her neck and right arm would be broken. After such a forecast, the girl categorically refused such entertainment, but one of the guests went hunting on her horse. On the way to the forest, the horse could not jump over the fence, the rider flew out of the saddle and remained lying on the ground. The doctor came to the rescue and declared death from the injuries that the “brown lady” predicted for the girl.

A little later, she predicted the death of one of her relatives if he went to the Crimean War - the young man, having barely graduated from college, decided to acquire military glory in an overseas battle. Parents with difficulty managed to persuade him to first complete navigational courses. And the ship on which he was going to sail sank during a storm on the Black Sea.

Already in the 20s of the XX century, she appeared to the inhabitants of the house, warning them not to go on the planned walk in their car in any case - some villains ruined the brakes on it. The trip was canceled, a mechanic was called, and he confirmed that the brake system was faulty.

However, the ghost of the “brown lady” gained worldwide fame on September 13, 1936. That day, photographers K. Provend and I. Shar worked in the estate, who took pictures of its interiors. Having set up the camera, Provende began to focus on the front oak staircase. At this time, his assistant saw a ghost in brown clothes slowly descending the stairs - probably, the "brown lady" decided to take part in the first photo shoot in her life. "Sir, take a picture of her!" - the assistant shouted and set fire to the magnesium flash. When normal vision returned to them, the ghost disappeared, and then the silhouette of the “brown lady” was clearly marked on the developed negative.

THE AFTERLIFE OF DOROTHY

Well, now let's pay more serious attention to seemingly minor details. In the end, the fact that the ghost has been appearing for more than two centuries in both his houses (his own and his husband's) is not the most interesting thing. Here we are dealing with a “real” ghost, and not a “record”, as, for example, in the case of Anne Boleyn, who has been running along the same corridor for centuries with a severed armpit head.

Judging by the testimony of all witnesses, the ghost "sees" living people. And, accordingly, he reacts to them. And even in a dark corridor, he uses a ghostly lamp. But the most interesting moment is when the ghost began to make contact with living people, most likely telepathically.

As befits a ghost, it accurately predicts future events, allowing an individual tragedy to be avoided, although the tragic event itself is not canceled.

Apparently, because of the harmfulness of her character, she did not leave Raynham Hall in Norfolk even after her death.

Finally, two more positive points: over the past two centuries of earthly life, the character of the ghost has changed in better side. The ghost in his afterlife learns and, if you like, perceives new information. For example, what could a woman, a contemporary of Peter I, know about car brakes? That is, we are dealing with a phantom, but a personality that exists in its own world, according to its own laws, and not with a “decaying astral shell”.

Valentin Psalomshchikov

England in all ages was considered a real hotbed of the most diverse evil spirits, starting with witches and sorcerers, and ending with nasty trolls and goblins living in dungeons. Not without ghosts and ghosts, of course, in the United Kingdom there are (if there are) more ghosts than in the rest of the world, despite the very modest size of the island.

Not far from the town of Fecknham, just a dozen miles to the west, there is a wonderful, huge mansion, which for four hundred served as the country residence of the Townshend family. In the early 1730s, the estate passed into the possession of the second Viscount, head of the House of Lords, Sir Charles Townshend, who lived here with his wife.

They say that a young and beautiful girl named Dorothy, the daughter of another of the noblest persons of the state of that time, fell in love with Charles to the point of madness, and even waited for the moment when he became a widower.

After simple ladies' tricks, Dorothy became the wife of the lord, but this marriage did not bring her happiness. People said all sorts of things. According to some, Charles turned out to be just a rake, unable to let a single skirt pass him by, from maids to the wives of his friends. Others said that he was just a sadist and a tyrant, and periodically tortured and beat his wife, and at the same time everyone who came to hand.

Be that as it may, but, not having stretched even ten years in marriage, the young woman, having never produced offspring, died untimely. The case of her death was also shrouded in mystery, the only thing known for sure is that she died in a country residence, where she spent most of her time. That is, it is in Rainham Hall.

Since then, amazing things began to appear in the house, and it all started with a portrait of the same Dorothy, who looked quite natural in daylight. An emaciated female face, quite pretty and pale in the English fashion of those times, a meek look from under thick dark eyelashes and hands folded over a snow-white apron, on a brown satin dress.

At night, the portrait was terrifying, sunken eye sockets looked at the world and his face just glowed with anger. I had to take the portrait out of the house, otherwise people were afraid to be in it, but then the ghost of a lady in brown began to appear, which in 1999 was even photographed. The house stands to this day, the stories about it also do not stop, and anyone can see for themselves where the truth is and where the lie is, visiting the estate is free.

Is it possible to see the spirits of dead people? A long-standing claim insists that an incorporeal spirit or ghost, as well as similar entities, can appear in our world. truth always under some exceptional conditions.

Often, ghosts or spirits of the dead move in our world while maintaining invisibility. But in rare cases, the inhabitants of the other world violate their incognito, and scare the spectators who happened nearby.

Of course, one can only guess by what means and possibilities such beings can acquire a visible form and materiality in our world. On the other hand, for many of us, things that the eye cannot see in the normal way can become visible using another method. First of all, this will entail the use of modern technology, which enhances our natural ability to perceive worlds beyond reality.

It has long been known that during the photographic process, the presence of creatures invisible in the environment can be captured on film and later revealed. Such a case of ghost capture by a film camera is said to have taken place on a large estate in Norfolk, UK, when a ghost now known as brown lady from Raynham Hall (Brown Lady of Raynham)

The image of a ghost in a photograph.

Many paranormal researchers claim that the photograph shows a ghost descending the stairs, which is the best evidence for the existence of both the ghosts themselves and spirits in general. Nevertheless, despite the appearance of a frightening image in the image, assurances of the reliability of the photograph, how honest were the very circumstances under which the photographer managed to snatch the image of the ghost of the Brown Lady?

The story of Lady Brown began with a photographer, who was Captain Hubert C. Provand, who received a commission for several photographs from Life Magazine in 1936. Hubert's assignment was as simple as photographing a large house for an article to be published in a magazine. Surprisingly, during the visit of the captain and his assistant Endre Shire (apparently, this is a pseudonym) to the mansion, the camera aimed at the stairs snatched a frightening phenomenon - !

Seeing how something unreal, living in the other world, descends the stairs and gradually takes the form of a woman, Shira exclaimed, ... no, the man was not afraid and did not offer to run away, he advised the London photographer to move, and rather photograph the ghost, which by this time finally took shape female figure in a brown dress.

The famous researcher of ghosts and mystical formations, Harry Price, was convinced that the story told by the men really happened the way they imagine it. They do not lie and do not invent, the paranormal specialist assures, based on conversations held with eyewitnesses and the authors of the picture. In addition, numerous examinations have shown the authenticity of the photograph.

And yet, despite the hundreds of examinations arranged for the photograph, there are a number of things that can be seen in the photo, which, according to experts, are present in order to indicate that, despite the fact that the photograph is not “false”, it most likely displays an artificially created ghost image. Here's what they say about it:

In 2006, Alan Murdie wrote for The Fortean Times about what can be seen in the famous close-up shot: Anomalies in the painting become apparent when one examines the light in the original, uncropped photograph of Lady Brown. The anomalies lie not in the center of the image on the ghost - where the eye naturally concentrates - but in what is happening in the foreground and background. On the left side, from the viewer (that is, along right hand Brown Lady) there is a framed picture hanging on the wall. Directly below the painting, which seems to be hovering in the air, a duplicate image of this painting appears.
In the same way, when we look at the railing, they split in two, it seems that the camera was shaken and the staircase was photographed twice. The few glowing spots visible in the image also suggest doubling the image throughout.

In other words, the original 1936 photo of Provende and the Shire seems to have a number of significant flaws that cast doubt on the possibility that the "ghost" in the picture is indeed the spirit of the deceased Lady Dorothy Walpole, as many have believed over the years.

But what's even weirder about this photo, say paranormal experts, is not only the obvious "anomalies," but also the fact that the photograph was deliberately cropped so conveniently that the anomalies disappeared, as they could have done, knowing about the shortcomings of the original photograph. Does this mean that the incriminating flaws were removed in order to reveal to the world an inhabitant of the other world, to reveal the mystical side of our reality in the form of a ghost of Raynham Hall? Or were the imperfections removed for the reason that "Lady Brown" was visible in the image, thereby drawing attention to the mansion, ?

The absolute truth can never be known, much less in relation to the story of Lady Brown and her famous photograph. Those people who could clarify the situation reliably are no longer to be found. However, when looking at the body of information regarding this case, we see that there are a number of elements that speak to a specially crafted image of a ghost.

At the same time, this does not take away from us a number of questions such as: Does life have the right to exist after death? Indeed, it could be, and while the debut of the Brown Lady was not "proof" of life after death, we have no facts to destroy the version of the existence of the other world.

Some critics claim that Shira tampered with the image by applying lubricant or other substance to the lens in the form of a pattern, or that he himself drove down the stairs during the exposure. Others claim that the image is derived from the chance of a double exposure. Including the version that the ghostly vision was born in some cunning way by the light caught on the camera camera is not excluded.

Other critics point out that the image of the lady is very similar to the Virgin Mary, whose sculptures are found in almost every catholic church. The researchers considered in the ghost a strong resemblance to the Madonna - the tilt of the head, the hands folded in prayer, the square or rectangular stand on which it stands are also clearly visible. This suggests that the photo is a simple overlay of the Madonna statue on the empty staircase, and was later passed off as a ghostly appearance, thus showing rich history Raynham Hall mansion.

Ah yes, the ghost story of Lady Brown of Raynham Hall.

An old story tells that the “Brown Lady of Raynham Hall” is actually the spirit of Lady Dorothy Walpole, who went to the afterlife in torment (lived 1686-1726). Dorothy was the second wife of the English Lord Charles Townsend, who made a reputation for himself with an extremely violent temper.
According to the legend, one day Townsend finds out that his wife cheated on him with the Marquis Thomas Wharton, to which the angry Briton locks her in one of the rooms of the family mansion. According to Mary Montague Wortley, Dorothy never saw the children again until 1726, when the poor thing died of smallpox.

The ghost of a woman first appeared in secular society at the end of 1835, when Lord Charles Townsend arranged a reception for many guests at the mansion to celebrate Christmas. Among the guests was Colonel Loftus, who later said that when they, together with Hawkins, began to disperse to their bedrooms, they saw the ghost of Lady Brown.

The attention of men was immediately attracted by the woman's very old-fashioned attire in brown tones. The next evening, Loftus claimed that he saw the Brown Lady again, who surprised him with empty eye sockets in a radiant face. By the way, if Loftus himself was actually not at all afraid of the ghost, then his stories terribly frightened the servants, some of them left Raynham Hall forever, fleeing from the possible persecution of the ghost.

Captain Frederick Marryat, ghost hunter.

It would seem that they wentssip and forgot, which does not happen on Christmas, but it was not there, the ghost of the lady in a brown dress comes again the next year. As they say knowledgeable people, in 1836, Captain Frederick Marryat, author of several nautical novels and friend of the famous writer Charles Dickens, asks Lord Townsend for an overnight stay, asking him to give him shelter to observe the ghost. Captain Marryat, being a brave man, wanted to personally debunk and prove his theory that mystical rumors were invented by smugglers to scare away unwanted eyewitnesses and do their dark deeds in secret.

It is not known what the captain himself experienced, he never spoke about it, but in 1917, the captain's daughter, Florence Marryat, told about her father's investigation into the paranormal area. For the three days that he was going to spend in the mansion, the captain was placed in a room with a portrait of Dorothy Walpole. It is said that Dorothy liked to visit this room during her lifetime, and Marryat settled here, keeping a loaded revolver nearby.

In the first two days, there was no significant meeting, and Frederick began to be annoyed that the ghost would not come, especially since, on the fourth day, he would leave the mansion. However, to the joy of the daredevil (if I may say so), the meeting with the soul of Dorothy in the guise of a ghost took place on the third night. As soon as the man was about to go to bed, there was a knock on his room ... no, so far there were only the baronet's nephews. The young men invited the writer to come into their room and evaluate the merits of a new pistol just delivered from London.

Deciding that the hour is late and everyone in the castle has already gone to bed, Marryat goes to the room of the owner's nephews in a shirt and trousers. True, he does not forget to take a revolver with him, explaining to the young people with a smile: In case you run into the Brown Lady. Assessing the merits of the weapon, the young men under the same playful note, intending to escort Florence's father into the room, declare: In case you run into the Brown Lady. The three men went along a long corridor, not yet suspecting what they would meet on the way.

It was a long and dark corridor where the servants had put out all the lights for the night. However, when the men reached the middle of the corridor, it was suddenly illuminated by the flickering light of a lit lamp coming from the other end of the corridor. One of the women must be going to check the nursery,” young Townsend explained in a whisper. It is not clear what motivated the men, but they decided not to frighten the woman, and hide in the niche of the double doors of one of the rooms, while Marryat froze at the crack with a revolver in his hand.

The twinkling was getting closer and closer, - writes the memoirs of Father Florence, - until I finally recognized in this figure the colors and style that were told about when remembering the ghost of a lady. It was a replica of the woman in the portrait, Dorothy Walpole, aka the Brown Lady. He wanted to ask the woman what she needed here, finally explain her behavior, and already began to move forward, putting his finger on the trigger of the revolver.

Suddenly, a strange figure herself stopped at the door, raised a lit lamp and illuminated her features, she smiled demonically! The captain could not stand this, he was sure it was a ghost, so he jumped out into the corridor with one long jump and immediately fired.

The roar and smoke of the shot surrounded the captain, but he hit, only the figure instantly disappeared, as if it had not been there at all, but three sober men were watching it. The bullet pierced the door of the room on the other side of the corridor, and got stuck in the panel of the inner doors. Thereafter, my father never again sought out the Brown Lady of Raynham Hall,” Florence Marryat said in 1917.

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This story is about a simple American journalist, Joseph Parker, who researches urban legends and writes about them in his column. Joseph does not just write about what he was told, first he checks everything on his own skin, once again, making sure that the supernatural exists.

All possible legends, Parker learns from a former history teacher at the institute, Kevin Ross.

Hello old man! Joseph greeted him as he appeared at Kevin's doorstep.
- Hello son, nice to see you! he smiled. “Have you come again to listen to the old man’s stories?”

Great joke, - the guy laughed. - After these "tales" I was in the hospital with a fracture of two ribs, remember?

Nobody asked you to check them. Another, in your place, would call it all "the delirium of a mad historian"!

But we both know that this is not so, this is the reality in which we live! Joseph pointed out.

In this you, unfortunately, are right, - the man sighed.

So, can I count on some kind of legend? Joseph smiled slyly.

Of course, my memory holds many stories that might be of interest to a young journalist, John Parker! the old man laughed.

Now I will talk about Raynham Hall. This is an old fief in England that has been haunted by the ghost of the Brown Lady for the past 250 years. Which once, allegedly, was filmed. The result is the most impressive perfume photograph available.

Raynham Hall, the ancestral home of the Marquesses of Townshend, is located a few miles southwest of Fakenam in Norfolk.

It is unclear whose ghost the brown lady is; it is believed that she is the ghost of Lady Dorothy Townshend, wife of the second and most famous Marquess of Townshend, daughter of Robert Walton, MP for Hungton, the first Prime Minister of England.

At the age of 26, Dorothy married the hero of her love, Lord Charles Townshend, who had survived the death of his first wife a year earlier in 1711. According to legend, Dorothy was Lord Wharton's mistress, and when Townshend found out about this after the wedding, he locked his wife in her room. The circumstances of her death are not known. Traditions say different things: whether she died from broken heart, either hurt herself by falling from a ladder or window, or smallpox killed her.

The portrait, thought to be Lady Dorothy, hung in the house until it was sold in 1904. The woman is dressed in brown brocade with yellow trim, with a round layer of stiff collar around the neck. Her big eyes shine. It was rumored that the portrait looked normal only in daylight, and in candlelight the face became angry and looked like an eyeless skull.

The "brown lady" is said to also appear at Houghton Hall, in Lady Dorothy's brother's house, built on the site of an old family home where the Waltons lived for about 600 years. Lady Townshend is said to have spent several happy years of her life at Hungton. According to legend, her ghost appeared to the Prince Regent while he was sleeping in the State Bedchamber. After that, he moved to others. Although more modest chambers.

Oh, not bad, - said Joseph, carefully listening to Kevin's story. “I’ll try to be the second person to film this ghost who does nothing, just sometimes wanders around the houses where this Lady Dorothy lived.…

I see you're not very impressed with the story, - Kevin asked, taking a sip of pomegranate juice.

No, why, very interesting. "Brown Lady" and her strange portrait, which no one has seen for a hundred years! - John said, putting on the mask of a "happy person".

Don't pretend, you're not good at it, - the old man smiled. Joseph lowered his head and smiled back. - As for Raynham Hall, after its sale in 1904, this building is a hotel. Now she is not very popular, all because of the "pranks" of the ghost. She comes to the guests at night, rustles papers, opens windows, knocks. And the most interesting thing is that in Dorothy's room, where she died, where the administration office is now located, strange things are happening. There is crying, knocks on the door, sometimes quite loud. In the morning everything is turned upside down.

This is already somewhat interesting! But what about this portrait, does it exist at all?
- They say that under the hotel, from Rainham Hall, there were underground passages, caves, where, perhaps, a portrait of Lady Dorothy is kept. But the entrance to the caves was not found, and the underground passages are also not indicated on the maps.

Excellent! Well, I'll go, I still need to buy tickets to England, - said Joseph and held out his hand to say goodbye to Kevin.

Are you still flying there?

After telling me this story, did you really think that I would stay here?

No, you went to Nevada last time, although it was quite dangerous!

You are to blame for this, you knew who you were telling! John laughed as he walked out of Ross's house.

He got into his black Ford Mustang 67 and drove towards the airport. This bike interested the journalist so much that he decided to immediately set off. All the necessary things were with him: a car, a camera, a voice recorder, a notebook and a pencil. Therefore, there was no point in going home.

Having already arrived in England, driving up to Rainham Hall (the hotel was left with the name of the estate), John was amazed. Even though there were not many visitors in the hotel, it was magnificent, striking in its superiority over the rest of the buildings in the area. Glass glittered in the long narrow windows. A rather large staircase descended from the wide veranda. This building, as if alive, as if watching your every step.
The inside is still better than the outside. Entering there, it seemed, you get into the past.
- Is there anything I can help you with, mister? the girl suddenly asked Joseph, smiling affably.

How wonderfully everything is done here. Unusual, - said Joseph, continuing to look around. A fresco on the ceiling caught his attention. – What is it?

Oh, I don't know. Nothing has changed here, everything is in its original form.

Wonderful. Well, Julia, - he read the name of the girl on the plate, - would you be kind enough to have a single room, please.

Oh sure. Your number is 203, - the girl handed John the keys.
Climbing the wide marble staircase, Joseph looked down, from here, the antique dark wood furniture looked even more impressive. But he was still haunted by the strange fresco. Rising, he tried to see what was depicted on it, but to no avail. It was decided to do it a little later. Now John needed to rest, he was very tired from the road.

Room 203 on the second floor, approximately in the center of the corridor, on the right.

Fumbling a little along the wall, John found a switch, a bright light flashed in the room. The room was quite spacious, antique furniture everywhere, large bed. The bathroom is made in the same style as the room, however, like the whole building. Everything stood on big thick lion paws.

A jacket and a bag, with some things, immediately flew into a chair. John, seeing the pillow and soft bed, immediately fell into a dream.

The next day, in the morning, John went down the hall in order to find a cafeteria to have breakfast. But something interesting was waiting for him there. A frightened man with suitcases in his hands wanted to leave the hotel. A young man, apparently a manager, and that girl, Julia, who handed John the keys to his room yesterday, tried to stop him.

Listen, since childhood I didn’t believe in ghosts, the man said. “But tonight I saw her, you see, I saw her with my own eyes. The same “brown lady”, she was in my room!

What else "brown lady"? the manager wondered.

Don't pretend! You know very well what I mean. And I'm not going to stay here even for a minute! - The man is out.

John ran after him, they met on the porch.

I'm sorry, sir," Joseph called out to him. - Can I talk to you?

What do you want to talk to me about.

About the "brown lady".

Now you're going to accuse me of being crazy and claim that ghosts don't exist?

No, I'm just the same one of the few who can understand you.

That is?

I know ghosts exist. I happened to meet some of them. Let's swear? John pointed to the bench. The man looked at him a little apprehensively, but nevertheless sat down beside him. - I'm John Parker. Tell me what did you see?

I was sleeping, suddenly I saw someone's image in front of me. I thought it was imagining, I grabbed glasses from half a match. Then I looked at her. Brown dress, on the head, something like a scarf, but very long. The face is pale. I would have mistaken her for a living person, if not for the frightening appearance and unexpected disappearance. You know, - the man chuckled, - I never believed that such a thing was even possible. That's why I came to Raynham to prove it. But everything turned out to be the opposite, the spirit made me believe in its existence ....

Tell me, don't you know what a fresco is, on the ceiling, in the hall?

What fresco? Ah, that... I don't know. You'd better ask the hotel staff or the owners about it. And better, at the old women, they will tell you a few entertaining stories about it,” the man laughed. Then he stood up and shook John's hand. - It was nice to meet you, I'll go. And I advise you to leave too.

After John's new acquaintance left, he sat on the bench for some time until he finished smoking a cigarette. After, he went in search of the library. It seemed to him that a conversation with kind old women would bring more fruit than a short conversation with hotel employees.

The search for the city library dragged on a bit. He got lost, went into the wrong alley. Which, moreover, was very poorly lit, it seemed that it was already night, well, or late evening.

Excuse me, how can I go to the central library? John asked a group of young people. In response, there was a chuckle, a guy stepped out of the shadows.

Have you decided to laugh at us, Yankees? he hissed.

No you! I'm just asking, I really need to go to the library, - Joseph hastened to justify himself. But when he looked back, he noticed that more people appeared around him, dressed in much the same way as the young man with whom he was now having a “conversation”. - Listen, I don’t wish you harm at all, I’m a simple journalist ...

Oh, you goddamn bastard! the guy interrupted, spitting on the pavement.
Then a powerful push from behind, which knocked John to the ground, and a few more blows, in the area of ​​​​the face and kidneys. After briefly beating an American journalist, the gang heard the sound of a police siren. In a hurry, they searched John, took all the money from him and ran away. After a while, a policeman approached the victim and helped him up.

How are you, mister? - he asked.

It's been fine, it's been worse," John smiled.

May I help you?

Take me to the library, please?

On the way, already in the car, the partner of the policeman who helped John asked:

Did you ask these thugs to take you to the library?

Something like that…

Yes, you are lucky! he laughed.

Why are you there? another asked.

I'm a journalist…

Both policemen laughed.

This area does not like journalists, especially American ones.

Yes, I already understood that, - Joseph smiled, wiping the blood from the broken guta. – I am writing about Raynham Hall, do you know anything about it?
- "Brown lady"?

Oh, I remember my grandmother used to say that we are descendants of Townshends, - the lyceum driver laughed.

Did she say anything about them, about the estate? Joseph perked up immediately.

Well, besides the fact that they are our ancestors, my grandmother talked about some kind of fresco. It seems to have been ordered by Townshend, Charles, who. This is a portrait of his second wife, Dorothy. But after he found out about her betrayals, he tried to destroy the fresco. Then, years later, after the sale of the estate, it was restored. But nothing happened, the damage would be too serious.

Oh my God! Yes, you are a godsend! Now you told me what I was so interested in, - John rejoiced, continuing to outline the words of the policeman. “Is this the same mysterious portrait of Lady Dorothy that at night, by candlelight, takes on a terrifying look?”

Don't know. In any case, it is not possible to check whether this is true or not, the fresco has not been restored,” he replied. - And here, by the way, is our central library.

Thank you, I am very grateful to you.

Be careful next time! the policeman called out to John as he stood on the porch.

In the library, walking a little between the huge shelves, John saw two old gossip girls. They liked him so much that they immediately invited the young man to join the tea party. And gladly answered all his questions.
Sophia and Olivia, that was the name of these women, told John about the dungeons. The entrance must be sought a mile from Raynham Hall. A portrait of Dorothy, perhaps still remained in the City Art Museum. But this is not entirely accurate information, as it happened several times that the canvas disappeared. Skeptics were looking for the thieves of the portrait, and many were simply sure that the ghost wanted to return him to his house.

For this conversation, John stayed until the evening. Due to the fact that he did not have money for a taxi, Sofia kindly agreed to give him a lift to the hotel.

In the morning, John, before going to the museum, decided to have breakfast first. In a cafe-teria called " paradise Mary, not far from the hotel, he called Kevin and told him what he had recently learned himself.

See if there's anything else in your books about Raynham, about the Townshends. Because, on the Internet, everything is the same as they say locals John asked.

Great, as soon as I know something useful for you, I'll call, Kevin was the first to end the call.

When the waitress brought John his order, pancakes with blueberry jam, he made the girl slightly embarrassed with his smile, kind and joyful. John was really very glad that they brought food, because yesterday, he didn’t manage to eat normally. And the tea drinking by a hundred old women only whetted the appetite even more.

After finishing the meal, John went to the counter where that nice waitress was standing, paid for breakfast, gave a big tip, and still smiling, asked:
- Can you tell me how to get to the museum?

Buy a guide, - a male voice came from behind, - or hire a taxi!
John turned around, seeing a young guy, almost a boy, of short stature, smiled out of the corner of his mouth.

Oh, sorry, - the girl ran out from behind the bar. - This is my younger brother. But I think you really should take a taxi. You still won't understand anything I say.

Well, anyway, thanks for the advice, - Joseph winked at the girl and left the cafeteria. The waitress even blushed a little.

Hey, what are you!? the boy exclaimed, smiling. You liked him, am I right?

Well, yes, a little, - the girl answered embarrassedly, removing the dishes from the table.

From a conversation with the director of the museum, Mr. Harvel, it became known that the canvas had disappeared again.

The last time this happened, it was found at Townshend's estate, Raynham Hall, he said.

Do you think a ghost? John chuckled.

You know, young man, earlier, I would have laughed at what you just said,” Mr. Harvel sighed. But now, I can't be sure of anything anymore. Whenever the portrait disappears, it reappears in the manor. And security cameras do not record anything but the glow of the canvas.

Excuse me, can I have a look?

Of course, follow me, - Mr. Harvel got up from the table, fastening the buttons on his jacket.

Watching these videos, Joseph was amazed, even a little scared. At first, the picture glowed, why, followed by a bright flash and an empty wall.

Sir, can I ask you to make a copy for me?

No, Mr. Harvel flatly refused. – I don’t want this to appear on TV screens and make our museum a bad reputation. I'm already making the mistake of showing you this.

But I work for a newspaper...

No and no again. This belongs to the museum and we have no right to give it to anyone other than the police.

The next day, upon returning to the hotel, John was pleasantly surprised to see Kevin in the lobby.

Hey, old man, what fate? John laughed, clapping him on the shoulder.

I thought you couldn't manage without me, - the man said. And besides, it's boring.

Looking for adventure?

I'll answer with your favorite phrase: "Like that"!

Back in his room, Joseph showed Kevin the footage from the security cameras at the museum.

Wait a minute, did they make copies for you? he wondered.

No, they refused. I stole them,” Joseph confessed, to which Ross chuckled.

After, the two of them went to explore the territory and look for the entrance to the caves. As Sofia and Olivia said, a mile from the estate. About two and a half hours were spent on a fruitless search, when suddenly Kevin saw a deep hole a meter away from them.
- What if there is a bear? Joseph hesitated.

Come on, what bears can be here, - Ross laughed. - Climb, it’s still worth checking.

Why me?

Because you don't believe, and yet, and you're younger.

After some time, from the hole, the moon heard the voice of Joseph:

Kevin! Looks like you're right, there's something here!

There was a stone wall in the hole, which opened with a strong blow in the upper left corner. But not a journalist, not a historian, I don’t know exactly where to knock. Therefore, another half hour was killed to open the door.

And finally, they got into the dungeon. It was quite damp and cold there. On the walls, in the corners, everywhere - cobwebs. And there, among the spiders, some beams, leaning against the wall, lay the desired portrait of Lady Dorothy. By the light of a flashlight, the picture looked exactly as the legend says - terrifying.

Maybe return it to the museum, we will be given a good reward for this, - Joseph grinned, holding the portrait in his hands.

But suddenly there was a piercing screech and something seemed to go through John, which knocked him to the ground.

She doesn't want to give up the portrait, Kevin guessed. Joseph looked at his older comrade with a perplexed look and shouted with all his strength:

Hey! I'm taking the picture, do you hear!?

John's body received a couple more blows from the Invisible, so hard that blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

Joseph, stop it now, this is not a joke! Ross raised his voice. But the young man did not listen to him and continued to shout, although not so loudly:

Yes, I'll take that damn portrait. Dorothy, you can't stop me!

Suddenly, the ground began to shake and the brick wall collapsed on John. Kevin began to throw stones back to save a friend, but more and more rained down.

Stop, that's enough! the man shouted. - Forgive the fool! - but it did not help, the stones continued to fall asleep on the body of John. Then, Kevin remembered a spell from the course of demonology, blocking the forces of any evil spirits. - Afara forta fantoma! – Kevin was a little surprised that the collapse stopped, since this is just a theory, he had never experienced it in reality before, with a real ghost, or other riff-raff.

When Kevin got John out of the collapse, he was still conscious. He managed to roll over onto his stomach and hide his head.

Need to get out of here. Can you go? Kevin hurried. John Mocha nodded and slowly crawled towards the exit, looking like he had a broken leg.

Climbing to the surface, breathing heavily, John lay on his back. The head was spinning, there was a strong pain in the back in the right leg. Kevin ran out of the cave with a painting in his hands,
the image of a woman, on which, already looked quite normal.

What are you doing? - John lifted the tin from the ground, seeing how he takes out matches from his pocket.

I save you, - followed the answer.

As soon as the fire touched the canvas, the same squealing that they had heard inside came from the cave. Then, a bright flash from the hole, which, at night, could illuminate a fairly large area.

Everything? Joseph whispered.

It looks like, - Kevin answered in the same whisper. Well! Now it's tedious to demand payment for ridding the hotel of a ghost. I also almost lost my life for being in this fight!

I didn't have to be stupid,” Kevin said as he continued to search for his phone in his pants pocket to call an ambulance for John.

When Joseph was taken away and there was no one near the hole, the remnants of the recently burned canvas disappeared and the portrait, as if nothing had happened to him, appeared in its place, on the wall of the museum. Mr. Harvel walked past with his hands behind his back. And just for a second, stopping in front of the picture, he smiled. …