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