John Barrington Cowles by Arthur Conan Doyle. Short summary

5 seconds

The narrator’s friend meets Miss Norcott and dreams of marrying her. But after a while, he breaks off the engagement. For this, he is killed by dark forces.

1 minute

Mr. Armitage recounts a tragedy that happened to his friend John Barrington Cowles. The narrator’s friend met the beautiful Miss Northcote and fell in love with her. He dreamed of marrying her.

However, Armitage did not like the girl. She was violent and had unusual abilities that allowed her to defy hypnosis and manipulate people. But the biggest oddity was that her two previous suitors had died after the engagement was broken off.

Armitage worries about his friend, but Cowles loves the girl and is determined to get married. Just before the engagement, he comes to Armitage and is horrified to tell him that Miss Northcote has let him in on her secret. He does not tell his friend, but he tells her that he cannot marry the girl now.

Cowles breaks off the engagement and dies under strange circumstances — he is pursued and killed by dark forces.