Two idlers in London are sauntering in the streets when they pick up a coin dropped by a fleeing man. They keep meeting three persons, each time in a different disguise, who recount lurid tales. They seem to be looking for a spectacled man who regrets working with them, and has run away with a valuable coin...

This novel is a Gothic horror classic, and takes the form of an episodic novel, with each chapter containing a story recounted by one of the three impostors. It contains "Novel of the Black Seal" and "Novel of the White Powder," popular stories which have been widely anthologized.

Perfect for readers who crave atmospheric Victorian horror and masterful supernatural storytelling, this haunting episodic novel delivers chills through interconnected tales of mystery and the occult. Arthur Machen's legendary work stands as a cornerstone of weird fiction that will captivate fans of classic horror and anyone seeking genuinely unsettling literary thrills.