Squire Vane, an elderly schoolboy of an Englishman, scoffs at the local legend of the peacock trees on his seaside estate, which are said to kill those who sleep beneath them. He wagers he can spend a night among them; his disappearance sets a poet, a doctor and an American visitor chasing the truth.
A short, paradox-rich mystery about superstition and scepticism, in Chesterton’s best puzzling vein. Download the free EPUB.