One Christmas time in the early years of this century, a poacher named Jim was boozing with some friends in the local pub near Breckles Hall, situated in Norfolk. It was late at night; outside crisp snow glistened and in the hedges and trees plump partridges, bred for the local gentry to use as fodder for their guns, were roosting and for now were silent and safe, meanwhile the deaf old gamekeeper lay snoring in his bed.

As the night wore on, Jim and his friends drank themselves silly. In time their conversation turned towards the ghostly goings on at the nearby Hall. They made jokes about it and said things they would never say if they were sober. Between jokes they boasted of their prowess as a poacher and fighter, each thinking they were better than the last till one stood and said: 'Jimmy and me is going over to have a brace 'o' them birds for Christmas. We'll take our guns and shoot them down, and that old gamekeepers too deaf to hear.'

'Now just you listen to me' said an old man sitting at a table nearby, 'you just remember the coach and four.' Everyone knew about the ghostly coach and four that was said to come galloping down the Breckles Hall road at midnight now and then, when the Hall was left unoccupied. Silently it cam, speeding along till it stopped at the Hall door. And as it came, every window in the empty house lit up brightly, and inside, if you dared to look, which few had done, you saw a ball in full swing, the dancers swirling round the room, though not a sound was to be heard. The coach would stop, footmen climb down, the coach door open. Then out would step a grand and beautiful lady. It was she, men said, that you must avoid seeing, for she would look a man in the eyes and he would soon fall down dead.

The poacher knew the story, like everyone else in the area, but the beer had made him feel fearless and full of courage. 'That's nothing' he said. 'Well the Halls empty tonight,' said the old man. Later on that night when leaving Jim's friend said. 'Shall we go shoot them ghosties then, along with the birds. So off they both went full of the booze, first going to Jimmy's house to pick up his gun and a bag.

Drunk they might have been but they managed to bag a couple of partridge before Jim remembered the hall. 'Let's go and rouse those ghosts,' he said; so off they went towards the house. When they reached the mansion Jim looked through one of the windows and peered into the blackness. 'Well don't see no ghosts,' sounding a little disappointed. The village clock then chimed out twelve strokes and as the last stroke sounded, round the corner of the Hall drive swept a coach and four horses. Its lamps shone brightly and then the house lit up

The two men stood and watched in astonishment and fear as the coach came closer and drew in by the door just a few feet from where they were stood Down the two footmen climbed, just as everyone said they would and opened the carriage door. A second's dreadful pause and then they saw her, the most beautiful woman they had ever seen. Her jewels twinkled from her neck, arms and hands. Down the carriage steps she came and then she raised her head.

She looked straight at Jim and for a short while everything was quiet but then Jim opened his mouth and let out a long and piercing yell. His friend now sobered up went running towards the village but not one person could he find that was willing to return with him to the Hall.

The next morning, however, the parson and some of the villagers did go with him. Of course not a sign of the coach could they find, not a single hoof print in the snow. They did find though lying in front of the door, Jim's body and with such a look of terror upon his face. The beautiful, ghostly lady of Breckles Hall had claimed another victim.