The story follows a young Englishman, Stephen Phillips, who is traveling by steamship from England to New York. On the voyage, he is assigned a cabin with an upper berth, which is said to be haunted by the ghost of a woman who committed suicide in the cabin years before. Stephen is initially skeptical of the stories, but soon begins to experience strange and frightening occurrences in his cabin. He is visited by a mysterious woman in white, and is plagued by nightmares and strange noises. As the voyage progresses, Stephen's fear and paranoia increase, and he begins to believe that the ghost of the woman is trying to drive him to suicide. In the end, Stephen is able to confront the ghost and discover the truth behind her death. He is able to free her spirit and put her to rest, and in the process, he is able to overcome his own fear and paranoia.
By F. Marion Crawford · First published 1885 · Genre: Gothic Fiction, Horror, Mystery · 4 chapters