Sax Rohmer

“ Moody sat in the library, knitting. Her expression was as sweet and as restful as usual, as she bent over her work, so that no one could have suspected the gray-haired old lady of any thought more important than the number of her stitches. ”

“ Old Inspector Gorleston has got a yarn about a monk, or something or other.”
“Don't be funny, Jim,” admonished Joyce.
“I don't know about funny,” drawled Jim. “It's my belief that old Van Dean, with his funny servants and squatting idols and what not, is haunted.”
“Jim, dear!” exclaimed Mrs. Moody. “Haunted!”
“He's a haunted man,” persisted Jim. “There are lots of haunted houses; why not a haunted man?”
“Poor Jim!” muttered Joyce. ”

“ Do you know where Miss Joyce is?”
“I will inquire,” replied the dignified servant; and, repeating his curiously Eastern salute, he turned and left the library. This was Mohammed Khán, the Indian butler, and one of the several innovations introduced by Burton van Dean.
Mrs. Moody sighed gently and resumed her knitting. She had only taken up two or three stitches when a girl crossed the terrace and came into the library, pulling off thick gardening gloves. She was good looking in her open-air, English fashion, fresh complexioned and bright eyed. ”