Vanitas

Vanitas is a novel written by Vernon Lee, a pseudonym for English writer Violet Paget. The book was first published in 1892 and is considered a Gothic horror story that explores themes of death, decay, and the supernatural.The story is set in the 19th century and follows the protagonist, Henry Clifford, a young man who inherits a decaying estate in the countryside of Italy. As he begins to explore the property, he discovers a mysterious room that has been sealed for years. Inside, he finds an ancient mirror that seems to have a strange power over him.As Henry becomes more obsessed with the mirror, he begins to experience terrifying visions and nightmares. He also starts to notice strange occurrences happening around him, including the appearance of a ghostly figure and the sudden death of his closest friend.As he delves deeper into the history of the estate and the mirror, Henry uncovers a dark and sinister past that threatens to consume him. He must confront the evil forces that haunt the estate and find a way to escape before it's too late.Vanitas is a haunting and atmospheric novel that explores the darker side of human nature and the supernatural. It is a classic of Gothic horror that has influenced many writers in the genre.""Dear me, dear me, what a dreadful place!"" he kept ejaculating, as he followed Lady Atalanta, carrying her bags of oranges and rolls, among the vociferating, grabbing beldames in bed, and the indifferent nuns and serving wenches toiling about noisily: Lady Tal going methodically her way, businesslike, cheerful, giving to one some snuff, to another an orange or a book, laughing, joking in her bad Italian, settling the creatures' disagreeable bed-clothes and pillows for them, as if instead of cosseting dying folk, she was going round to the counters of some huge shop. A most painful exhibition, thought Marion.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.