three intertwined moods of dread. First, a country gentleman coolly recounts a toxic marriage that ends in a fatal “accident,” then marries a kindred soul only to be harried by voices, broadcasts, and apparitions that drive him toward a guarded confession to the coroner for his new wife’s sake. Next, a homeowner interviews a butler once suspected of murder, who tells how a ruthless squire’s killing of a poacher’s dog unleashed a piercing nocturnal “Sound” and an unseen hound that stalked its victim until a death the inquest could not explain. Finally, a celebrated barrister meets an old friend whose frayed nerves led him to a mesmeric occultist; after seductions, forgery, and a rebuffed club nomination, the occultist sends a malign paper sigil and incantation the friend finds himself compelled to use, hinting that darker consequences are beginning. (This is an automatically generated summary.)