After Dark

A prolific author of the Victorian era, Wilkie Collins (1824–89) specialized in tales of suspense.

The forerunners of today's detective and suspense fiction, his best-known works include The Moonstone and The Woman in White.

The six short stories of After Dark ― tales of murder, mystery, and family drama ― originally appeared in the periodical Household Words, which was published by Collins's friend and fellow storyteller Charles Dickens.

The opening sequence, "e;Leaves from Leah's Diary,"e; in which an itinerant painter of portraits reminisces about some of his most curious subjects, provides a narrative framework for the stories. "e;The Traveller's Story: A Terribly Strange Bed,"e; relates an insomniac gambler's brush with disaster. "e;The Lawyer's Story: A Stolen Letter"e; involves blackmail, and "e;The French Governess's Story: Sister Rose"e; unfolds in Paris during the Revolution. "e;The Angler's Story: The Lady of Glenwith Grange"e; recounts a romance with a dashing stranger, and "e;The Nun's Story: Gabriel's Marriage"e; tells of estrangement and reconciliation.

The final tale, "e;The Professor's Story: The Yellow Mask,"e; concerns a stolen inheritance.