5.26: Rent for the mansion was dirt cheap — why? — The seduced maiden’s ghostly revenge! — The corpse in the basement. (A “Sixpenny Spookies" Minisode)) from The Penny Dreadful Hour; or, A Feast of Early-Victorian Street Literature and Stories (no AI)

The Penny Dreadful Hour; or, A Feast of Early-Victorian Street Literature and Stories (no AI)

Finn J.D. John/ Pulp-Lit Productions

5.26: Rent for the mansion was dirt cheap — why? — The seduced maiden’s ghostly revenge! — The corpse in the basement. (A “Sixpenny Spookies" Minisode))

42 minutes Posted Mar 26, 2026 at 3:10 pm.

: THE TERRIFIC REGISTER: ‘Twas midnight, and a fluttering bird entered the young Lord Lyttleton’s room by moonlight, and became the spectre of a maiden he had seduced and abandoned. She bade him repent, for he had but three days to live ….07:30: EARLY VICTORIAN GHOSTLY SHORT STORY, to-wit: THE STORY OF CLIFFORD HOUSE, by an anonymous but fabulous author; Part 1 of 2 parts: The story is told from the point of view of a deliciously witty and charming upper-class lady named Helen; we don’t learn her last name. She and her husband George have a beautiful country house, but she is bored there and has talked George into renting a town house for them. George immediately found a magnificent place, and best of all the rent was half what it should have been. But after they move in, they start to more than suspect that there is a reason they got the place so cheap …31:40: A SHORT GHOST STORY from the scrapbook of Charles Lindley, Viscount Halifax: THE CORPSE DOWNSTAIRS. In which, a doctor from Madeira tells of a patient he had who dreamed someone brought a dead body into the house where he was staying … and yes, it turned out to be true, which is weird, but nothing shady was going on, so don’t get your hopes up for this one.37:20: A FEW SQUEAKY-CLEAN DAD JOKES from the early-1800s' most popular joke book: "Joe Miller's Jests; or, The Wit's Vade-mecum."GLOSSARY OF EARLY-VICTORIAN SLANG USED IN THIS EPISODE:GNOSTICS: Clever fellows, knowing kiddies.HIGH PADS: The highest rank of robbers who worked on foot, with no horse.VADE MECUM: Latin for "hand book."JOE MILLER: A player at Drury-lane, in the early 1700s, who was famous for a Leslie Nielsen style of stone-faced comedy. Mr. Miller was always so serious (and don’t call him Shirley) that he was hilarious on stage. When he died leaving some dependents uncared-for, the jestbook was created by Joe’s friends as a sort of inside joke, as a fundraiser to support his bereaved family.KIDDIES AND KIDDIESSES: Flash fellows — basically, early-1800s hep cats. SHERRY OFF: Run away. FLATS: Suckers. GET FLY TO THE FAKEMENT: Get wise to the swindle. BUMS: Bailiffs. CRAPPING COVES: (Pronounced “crape-ing” — a reference to the black crepe that was worn by widows in mourning) — Hangmen. YE OLD STONE PITCHER: Newgate Prison. PADDINGTON FAIR: Execution day at Tyburn, which is in Paddington Parish. Paddington is also a pun, as “pad” was a flash word for “thief” or “robber.” BRUSH OFF: Leave. Note this phrase means something slightly different today.

0:00

42:42

Download MP3

Share at current time

Show notes

SHOW NOTES — for — MINISODE 26 (Season 5)(March 26, 2026) ———— 00:35: THE TERRIFIC REGISTER: ‘Twas midnight, and a fluttering bird entered the young Lord Lyttleton’s room by moonlight, and became the spectre of a maiden he had seduced and abandoned. She bade him repent, for he had but three days to live ….07:30: EARLY VICTORIAN GHOSTLY SHORT STORY, to-wit: THE STORY OF CLIFFORD HOUSE, by an anonymous but fabulous author; Part 1 of 2 parts: The story is told from the point of view of a deliciously witty and charming upper-class lady named Helen; we don’t learn her last name. She and her husband George have a beautiful country house, but she is bored there and has talked George into renting a town house for them. George immediately found a magnificent place, and best of all the rent was half what it should have been. But after they move in, they start to more than suspect that there is a reason they got the place so cheap …31:40: A SHORT GHOST STORY from the scrapbook of Charles Lindley, Viscount Halifax: THE CORPSE DOWNSTAIRS. In which, a doctor from Madeira tells of a patient he had who dreamed someone brought a dead body into the house where he was staying … and yes, it turned out to be true, which is weird, but nothing shady was going on, so don’t get your hopes up for this one.37:20: A FEW SQUEAKY-CLEAN DAD JOKES from the early-1800s' most popular joke book: "Joe Miller's Jests; or, The Wit's Vade-mecum."GLOSSARY OF EARLY-VICTORIAN SLANG USED IN THIS EPISODE:GNOSTICS: Clever fellows, knowing kiddies.HIGH PADS: The highest rank of robbers who worked on foot, with no horse.VADE MECUM: Latin for "hand book."JOE MILLER: A player at Drury-lane, in the early 1700s, who was famous for a Leslie Nielsen style of stone-faced comedy. Mr. Miller was always so serious (and don’t call him Shirley) that he was hilarious on stage. When he died leaving some dependents uncared-for, the jestbook was created by Joe’s friends as a sort of inside joke, as a fundraiser to support his bereaved family.KIDDIES AND KIDDIESSES: Flash fellows — basically, early-1800s hep cats. SHERRY OFF: Run away. FLATS: Suckers. GET FLY TO THE FAKEMENT: Get wise to the swindle. BUMS: Bailiffs. CRAPPING COVES: (Pronounced “crape-ing” — a reference to the black crepe that was worn by widows in mourning) — Hangmen. YE OLD STONE PITCHER: Newgate Prison. PADDINGTON FAIR: Execution day at Tyburn, which is in Paddington Parish. Paddington is also a pun, as “pad” was a flash word for “thief” or “robber.” BRUSH OFF: Leave. Note this phrase means something slightly different today.

← See all 159 episodes of The Penny Dreadful Hour; or, A Feast of Early-Victorian Street Literature and Stories (no AI)