[Gutenberg 13799] • Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts: A Book of Stories

Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch wrote short stories, novels, criticism, and edited anthologies, including the *Oxford Book* series. He was Assistant Editor of the Liberal weekly *The Speaker* , and from 1912 until his death was Professor of English at Cambridge University. Writing under the pen name "Q", Sir Arthur produced a variety of work, including adventure stories, historical fiction, satire, stories of the supernatural, and mysteries. *Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts* is a collection of stories about revenants: people who in spirit or body revisit old scenes, return to old bodies, or give a message from beyond. They have a variety of inspirations, including a sketch by Hawthorne, real life experiences of two St. Ives men in the early 1800s, history, and fact. "Once Aboard the Lugger" is itself a revenant, being an early form of a tale later rewritten as "Ia." These stories showcase Q's ability with the supernatural.